Search Results (59)

Under intensive farming conditions, a decline in feed intake after weaning in suckling piglets often results in reduced body weight or diarrhea. We hypothesized that a sow–piglet co-feeding strategy during the suckling period—in which piglets participate in the sow’s feeding process and consume both lactating sow feed and creep feed—could alleviate certain aspects of weaning stress. To test this hypothesis, 102 newborn piglets (Large White × Duroc × Min Pig) were selected and divided into a co-feeding group (CF) and a non-co-feeding group (NCF), based on whether they had access to the sow’s feed during lactation. The study investigated the effects of the two feeding strategies on piglet growth performance, diarrhea incidence, behavior, and post-weaning immune status, intestinal morphology, and antioxidant capacity. The results showed that the CF group had significantly higher body weight at the end of the nursery period (p < 0.05) and a significantly lower post-weaning observed fecal staining rate (p < 0.05). At 16–17 days post-weaning, piglets in the CF group exhibited a significant increase in feeding behavior (p < 0.05). Compared with the NCF group, the CF group showed highly significant reductions in serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) (p < 0.01), as well as significantly increased intestinal superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities (p < 0.05) and significantly reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) content (p < 0.05). In terms of intestinal morphology, the CF group had a highly significant increase in the villus-to-crypt ratio in the jejunum (p < 0.01) and a highly significant reduction in crypt depth (p < 0.05), while villus length did not differ significantly between groups (p > 0.05). Overall, in the present study, sow–piglet co-feeding during the suckling period effectively alleviated weaning stress and reduced the incidence of diarrhea. These beneficial effects appear to be associated with reduced inflammatory responses, enhanced antioxidant capacity, and improved intestinal morphology. It should be noted that the relatively late weaning age used in this study likely facilitated the piglets’ ability to efficiently utilize solid feed and derive benefits from the co-feeding strategy. Therefore, caution should be exercised when extrapolating these findings to earlier weaning ages, at which the digestive tract is less mature. Full article

Sustainable production in dental and orthodontic 3D printing has gained increasing attention due to environmental concerns and the need for cost-effective and resource-saving solutions. This study presents a proof of concept for using recycled polymers and fused granular fabrication (FGF) in a closed-loop 3D printing approach, omitting intermediate filament manufacturing. A desktop 3D printer served as the kinematic platform and was modified with a pellet-based extruder to directly process recycled polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG) flakes, obtained by shredding previously printed PETG parts, into dental models. Dimensional accuracy was evaluated using optical 3D scanning analysis. The results indicate that models produced from recycled PETG are, in principle, suitable for dental and orthodontic applications within the investigated scope. This technical note provides initial evidence supporting the integration of recycled thermoplastics into dental and orthodontic model fabrication as part of sustainable additive manufacturing workflows. Potential pathways for workflow integration in clinical and laboratory environments, as well as directions for future research, are outlined, including the optimization of printing parameters and process stability. The main technical challenges were unreliable feedstock flow, causing bridging and jamming, while thermal creep from insufficient inlet cooling promoted premature softening of the flakes, causing torque spikes and unstable feeding. Full article

This experiment evaluated the effects of pellet diameter on growth performance and intestinal health of piglets during the creep feeding stage. A total of 144 7-day-old suckling piglets (body weight of 2.2 ± 0.3 kg) were randomly assigned to four groups and fed the same formula as meal feed and pellets of 2 mm, 4 mm, and 8 mm in diameter, respectively. Each treatment consisted of six replicates of six piglets. The trial was divided into two phases by weaning time: 7–21 days (breast milk + creep feed) and 21–35 days (creep feed only). After the feeding trial, piglets from the meal feed group and the 8 mm pellet group were selected for slaughter and sampling. The results showed that before weaning, average daily feed intake (ADFI) increased significantly with increasing pellet diameter (p < 0.001). Post-weaning, piglets fed 8 mm pellets presented significantly higher final body weight (FBW) and average daily gain (ADG) than those in the meal group (p < 0.05). Apparent nutrient digestibility (ATTD) in pellet groups was significantly higher than that in the meal feed group and rose with increasing pellet diameter (p < 0.001). The organ indices of the stomach and large intestine in the 8 mm group of piglets were significantly lower than those of the meal group. The jejunal villus height (VH) in the 8 mm group showed a trend toward an increase (p = 0.066), and the ileal crypt depth (CD) was significantly lower (p = 0.004), with significantly higher digestive enzyme activities in the jejunum and ileum (p < 0.05). In the 8 mm group, the relative abundances of Bacteroidetes in the jejunum and Actinobacteriota in the cecum and colon increased, while those of Pseudomonadota decreased; jejunal microbial relative richness increased significantly, while the ileal microbial operational taxonomic unit (OTU) richness decreased obviously. In conclusion, pellets improved the growth performance of creep feeding piglets. Compared with meal, 8 mm pellets can significantly enhance intestinal health level and nutrient digestion and absorption capacity by optimizing intestinal morphology, boosting digestive enzyme activities, and improving flora structure. Full article

Piglets are highly susceptible to iron deficiency. This randomized clinical trial evaluated the effectiveness of four iron dosing schemes in preventing anemia. Two herds with different farrowing management systems were included. In each herd, 40 litters (6 piglets/litter) were selected on day 3 of age. A 2 × 2 factorial design was applied, combining two intramuscular iron dextran injection schemes [37.5 mg Fe/kg (low injection; LI) or 150 mg Fe/kg (high injection; HI)] with two oral ferrous sulphate feed supplementation schemes [125 mg Fe/kg (low feed; LF) or 200 mg Fe/kg (high feed; HF)]. Blood samples were collected at 4 and 20 days of age, and piglets were weighed at 3 and 20 days. Data were analyzed using linear mixed models, with significance set at p < 0.05. In Herd A, HI-LF piglets showed increased body weight, whereas no growth differences were observed in Herd B. Creep-feed intake did not differ between treatments. HI consistently improved red-cell indices in Herd A, while in Herd B LI piglets initially showed higher values at day 4, but HI piglets surpassed them by day 20. Leukocyte responses were limited. High-dose iron injections were effective in preventing anemia, while oral supplementation had minimal impact. Full article

The objective of this research was to investigate how injectable trace minerals and vitamins influence the mineral and vitamin status, hematological parameters, antioxidant capacity, metabolic profile, and performance of Nellore calves during the pre-weaning phase. A total of 38 grazing Nellore male calves with access to creep feeding were randomly assigned to two treatments: injectable supplementation of saline solution (saline; n = 19) or injectable supplementation of trace minerals (copper, manganese, zinc, and selenium) and vitamins (A and E) (ITMV; n = 19), administered on days 75 and 150 of the calves’ age. The injectable supplementation did not affect (p > 0.05) body weight, average daily gain, body measurements, or carcass measurements throughout the experimental period from 75 to 218 days (7 days before weaning) of age. However, ITMV-treated calves showed higher (p ≤ 0.05) liver concentrations of Cu and Se on day 195 than saline calves. Higher plasma concentrations of Cu (days 195 and 218) and Se (days 135, 195, and 218) were observed for ITMV calves compared to the saline group. Furthermore, the ITMV group showed greater (p ≤ 0.05) glutathione peroxidase activity, higher red blood cell count, hemoglobin, and hematocrit levels, and a lower neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (p = 0.04). In the metabolic profile, only a day effect was observed (p ≤ 0.05). In conclusion, the injectable supplementation of trace minerals and vitamins in suckling Nellore calves improved copper and selenium status and optimized antioxidant capacity and hematological parameters, in addition to modulating the immune response towards a less inflammatory state, although it did not affect performance or the metabolic profile. Full article

Inconel 718 is widely utilized in critical engineering sectors, particularly aerospace, owing to its exceptional creep resistance, corrosion resistance, and retention of mechanical strength at elevated temperatures. However, its high hardness, low thermal conductivity, and strong work-hardening tendency make it extremely difficult to machine using conventional techniques. Ultrasonic Vibration-Assisted Machining (UVAM) has emerged as an effective strategy to overcome these limitations by superimposing high-frequency, low-amplitude vibrations onto the cutting process. Depending on the vibration direction, UVAM can significantly change chip formation, tool–workpiece interaction, and surface integrity. In this study, the influence of three UVAM modes—longitudinal (Z-UVAM), feed-directional (X-UVAM), and multi-axial (XZ-UVAM)—on the machining behavior of Inconel 718 was systematically investigated. The findings reveal that XZ-UVAM provides the most advantageous outcomes, primarily due to its intermittent cutting mechanism. Compared with Conventional Machining (CM), XZ-UVAM reduced cutting forces by up to 43% and areal surface roughness by 37%, while generating surfaces with more uniform topographies and smaller peak-to-valley variations. Furthermore, UVAM enhanced subsurface microhardness as a result of the surface hammering effect, which may improve fatigue performance. XZ-UVAM also effectively minimized burr formation, demonstrating its potential for high-quality, sustainable, and efficient machining of Inconel 718. Full article

This study investigated colostrum source impact on passive immunity transfer and humoral immune development in Polypay lambs. Newborn lambs (4.80 ± 0.33 kg BW) were assigned to four groups: fresh ewe colostrum (FrC; n = 10), frozen ewe colostrum (FZ; n = 11), frozen cattle colostrum (CC; n = 11), or artificial cattle colostrum (AC; n = 11). Lambs received 65 mL/kg colostrum within 4 h post-parturition and were raised on milk replacer, creep feed, and hay until weaned (28 days of age [d]). Immunoglobulin G concentrations were measured at birth and then weekly until 28 d. Lambs were immunized with 1 mL ovalbumin (2 mg/mL PBS) at 35 and 63 d. Ovalbumin-specific antibodies were quantified. A tendency (p = 0.06) suggested FrC yielded higher relative IgG at later time points (7, 14, 21, and 28 d) compared to FZ. Frozen cattle colostrum resulted in significantly (p = 0.02) higher IgG concentrations than AC at 24 h, 7, 14, and 21 d. Fresh ewe colostrum and AC showed a faster (1 week-post-immunization) and more robust (>175%; p ≤ 0.07) ovalbumin humoral response compared to CC lambs 2 to 8 weeks-post-immunization. Fresh ewe colostrum seems to provide the best passive and adaptive immunity compared to other colostrum sources. Moreover, our results suggest that the best colostrum alternative for newborn lambs is frozen ewe colostrum. Full article

Inconel 718 is a Ni-based superalloy with excellent corrosion resistance, heat resistance, high-temperature strength and high creep resistance. It is also known to be a difficult-to-machine material. Conventional machining methods have not only low machining efficiency, but also high cost and low versatility using CBN and ceramic tools, so cost reduction and highly efficient machining by substituting relatively inexpensive cemented carbide tools are required. Some results on the tool life in milling for intermittent cutting for Inconel 718 superalloy have been reported, and the tool life has been considered a problem. Therefore, there is a need to clarify the basic characteristics of milling, such as tool wear and adhesion conditions, and to identify long tool life and highly efficient cutting conditions in order to achieve highly efficient milling of Inconel 718 superalloy. In this study, the milling of Inconel 718 superalloy was conducted using an end mill with a constant depth of cut, and milling efficiency was defined as the table feed rate of the milling machine in mm/min. The tool wear, welding condition, and surface roughness of the workpiece were evaluated according to the combination of cutting speed and feed rate per edge, with a milling efficiency of 800 mm/min. The experimental results showed that with the combination of a cutting speed of 10.33 m/min and feed rate of 0.4 mm/tooth, and the combination of 20.65 m/min and 0.4 mm/tooth, when there was a lower cutting speed and higher feed rate per edge, less weld detachment occurred, less progression of flank wear, and less chipping occurred, and the tool edge was more stable. It was also confirmed that, by keeping the cutting speed constant and increasing the feed rate per edge, both long tool life and highly efficient milling were possible under the above conditions. Full article

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of sequential supplementation with different crude protein levels and periods on performance, nutritional and metabolic characteristics, and efficiency of nitrogenous compounds use in grazing male Nellore calves at pre-weaning. Fifty male Nellore calves during pre-weaning were distributed in a completely randomized design in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. The strategies were as follows: Supplementation period in the initial pre-weaning was 1–78th experimental day and in the final pre-weaning was 79–156th experimental day. The Low and high protein levels in the supplement were 150 g CP/kg) and 300 g CP/kg, respectively. All animals received 6 g/kg BW of supplement. Protein levels in the supplement did not affect intake of forage DM, and neutral detergent fiber in the animals. However, a higher CP intake and the CP to DOM ratio (p-value < 0.05) was evidence for the high calves compared with low calves. Supplementation strategies did not affect the blood concentrations of IGF-1, glucose, and total protein. Likewise, protein levels in the supplement did not affect the ADG and number and diameter of muscle fibers. In conclusion, the decrease in protein levels in the supplement from 300 to 150 g CP/kg DM does not detrimentally affect performance and nutritional and metabolic characteristics in male beef calves under a grazing system at pre-weaning. Full article

This study evaluated the effects of early-life creep feeding with a high-protein, high-energy diet on growth performance, ruminal fermentation, and gut microbiota in Hanwoo calves (n = 10). Calves were assigned to control or treatment groups from birth to 6 months of age. No significant differences were observed in body weight, average daily gain (ADG), or feed conversion ratio (FCR), but ADG and dry matter intake (DMI) tended to be higher in the treatment group. Ruminal pH, NH₃-N, and volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations showed no significant differences. Fecal VFA profiles exhibited numerical trends suggesting higher propionate at 3 months and lower acetate, butyrate, and total VFA at 6 months in the treatment group, potentially reflecting altered substrate availability or absorption capacity, though these mechanisms were not directly measured. Microbiota analysis indicated stable ruminal alpha diversity, with numerical increases in fecal Bacteroidetes and genera such as Fournierella and Flavonifractor in the treatment group. These results suggest that early creep feeding with high-nutrition diets can support intake and promote potential shifts in hindgut microbiota composition without compromising overall microbial stability. Further research with larger sample sizes is needed to confirm these trends and assess long-term impacts on calf health and productivity. Full article

This study presents a comprehensive analysis of defect detection in the manufacturing process of solid carbide milling tools. The creep-feed flute grinding technique was used to fabricate a milling tool, with cutting force signals recorded and examined using recurrence analysis and conventional statistical methods. The analysis identified four distinct dynamic fluctuations (cutting force amplitude jumps), which showed a direct correlation with the formation of microcracks on the flute surface. These jumps exhibited varying levels of reduction, ranging from 5% to 22% in amplitude. A detailed investigation, including recurrence plots and recurrence quantification analysis (RQA) with a moving-window approach, revealed that several recurrence indicators, such as the recurrence rate (RR), determinism (DET), and maximum diagonal line length (L_MAX), were highly effective in detecting microcracks, as their values significantly deviated from the reference level. These results were compared with conventional statistical analysis, and interestingly, the recurrence methods demonstrated greater sensitivity, successfully detecting additional very small cutting force jumps that conventional statistical methods could not identify. Full article

A 2 × 3 factorial design was used to examine the effects of maternal probiotic supplementation (Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens) and/or piglet dietary Trp levels on sow performance and fecal microbiota composition, as well as offspring pre-weaning performance and intestinal health parameters on the day of weaning. On day 83 of gestation, 48 sows were allocated to either: (1) control, or (2) control + probiotic (1.1 × 10⁹ colony forming units/kg of feed). Their litters were assigned to 0.22, 0.27, or 0.33% standardized ileal digestible (SID) Trp diets (0.17, 0.21 and 0.25 SID ratio of Trp to lysine (Trp:Lys), SID lysine = 1.3%). At weaning, one piglet per litter was sacrificed for intestinal health analysis. Diet had no effect on sow reproductive or offspring growth performance pre-weaning (p > 0.05). Maternal probiotic supplementation led to distinct microbial communities in the sow feces on day 114 of gestation, increasing the relative abundance of Anaerocella and Sporobacter, while decreasing Lactobacillus, Ruminococcus, and Christensenella (p < 0.05). In the offspring colonic digesta, maternal probiotic supplementation increased Dorea, Sporobacter, and Anaerobacterium, while reducing the potentially harmful phylum Proteobacteria, specifically the family Enterobacteriaceae (p < 0.05), with a tendency for a reduction in the genus Escherichia (p < 0.1). Maternal probiotic supplementation enhanced duodenal morphology and modulated the expression of genes in the ileum, including a downregulation of certain immune and barrier defense genes (p < 0.05). Piglets from probiotic sows had reduced branch chain fatty acids (BCFA) in the cecal digesta and an increase in the total VFA and acetate in the colonic digesta (p < 0.05). There were limited effects of Trp level in the offspring’s creep diet or maternal × creep interactions, though this analysis was likely confounded by the low creep feed intake (total of ~0.83 kg/litter). Full article

The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of immunity-related genes and morpho-histological features of the intestines, and the growth and meat production of broiler chickens when fed plant extracts with different functional components. Chickens in the control group received a basic diet. The feed in the experimental groups contained plant extracts standardized to various biologically active components such as the extract of common chicory with inulin (INUL), St. John’s wort with flavonoids (FLAV), maral root with ecdysterone (ECDS), and extracts of creeping thyme with flavonoids and tannins (FLAV-TANN). The results of this study showed that the application of the studied phytobiotics increased the expression of the pro-inflammatory gene IL8, with the 2^−ΔΔCT value ranging from 2.66 to 4.63. In the case of the antimicrobial peptide gene AvBD9, the 2^−ΔΔCT value ranged from 1.66 to 8.16, depending on the group. AvBD10 gene expression increased (2^−ΔΔCT = 2.19) when the chickens were fed the chicory extract and decreased when thyme extract was used (2^−ΔΔCT = 0.33). The study also found that using biologically active components in the diets of broiler chickens was accompanied by a significant decrease in the height of epithelial cells in the cecum mucous membrane in the INUL group (61.3%, p ≤ 0.001), FLAV group (60.0%, p ≤ 0.001), ECDS group (48.2%, p ≤ 0.001), and FLAV + TANN group (67.6%, p ≤ 0.001). It also caused a reduction in the depth of crypts in the INUL (38.4%, p ≤ 0.001), FLAV (32.3%, p ≤ 0.001), ECDS (50.9%, p ≤ 0.001), and FLAV + TANN (53.4%, p ≤ 0.001) groups. The use of all extracts, except creeping thyme, caused changes in the size of muscular elements in the intestinal walls; thus, the thickness of the muscular layer increased 1.5–2.0 times under the influence of flavonoids in St. John’s wort and of inulin in chicory, to 430.99 and 579.87 μm, respectively (p ≤ 0.001), and decreased 1.9 times under the influence of ecdysterone in maral root to 151.59 μm (p ≤ 0.001). The use of phytobiotics increased feed consumption and stock safety, leading to an increase of 4.1–7.5% in the live weights of broiler chickens at the end of the rearing period, thus contributing to the higher slaughter quality of poultry; in particular, the weights of breast muscles in cockerels in the INUL group increased by 16.9% (p ≤ 0.05), while the weights in the ECDS and FLAV + TANN groups increased by 18.1% (p ≤ 0.05) and 23.1% (p ≤ 0.01), respectively. Thus, the use of the studied phytobiotics in the broiler chicken diet increases meat production and activates immunity, which indicates the possibility of replacing antibacterial drugs with natural nutraceuticals. Full article

The annual bluegrass weevil (Listronotus maculicollis Kirby) is a devastating insect pest of annual bluegrass (Poa annua L.) and, to a lesser extent, creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) on golf courses. Listronotus maculicollis-reared A. stolonifera, a comparatively tolerant host, incurs fitness costs, including longer developmental periods and reduced larval survivorship. This study sought to characterize microbiota diversity in L. maculicollis adults and larvae reared on P. annua and A. stolonifera cultivars (Penncross & A4) to explore whether intrinsic factors, such as microbial community composition, vary across host plants and developmental stages, potentially influencing host suitability. Alpha diversity analyses showed adults feeding on A4 exhibited higher bacterial species richness than their offspring reared on the same cultivar. Beta diversity analysis revealed significant dissimilarities between L. maculicollis adults and offspring regardless of host. Pseudomonas sp. was consistently abundant in larvae across all turfgrasses, indicating a potential association with larval development. Elevated levels of Wolbachia sp., known for insect reproductive manipulation, were observed in adults, but appear to be unrelated to host plant effects. The most prevalent bacterium detected was Candidatus Nardonella, a conserved endosymbiont essential for cuticular hardening in weevils. Given the role of cuticular integrity in insecticide resistance, further investigations into insect–microbe–plant interactions could guide the development of targeted pest management strategies, reducing resistance and improving control measures for L. maculicollis. Full article

Fifty-eight litters (16 from primiparous gilts and 42 from multiparous sows) were used, with a total number of 750 piglets involved in the study. Birth weight was stratified into three groups: low (<1.02 kg; LBW), normal (1.02–1.62 kg; NBW), and high (>1.62 kg; HBW). A creep feeding diet was offered to piglets in a creep feeder in 29 litters from day 7 until their weaning. Piglet mortality was recorded daily. Traceability was ensured up to the point of carcass splitting and subsequent meat analysis. Each carcass was eviscerated and weighed individually. Sixty-nine piglets were selected for the microbiome analysis (35 from the control group and 34 from the creep feeding group). Feces samples from the rectum were obtained at three time points (three days prior weaning, a week after weaning, and before the slaughtering of the pigs). Mortality during lactation was influenced by birth weight, with LBW piglets exhibiting a six-fold higher mortality rate than HBW. Creep feeding did not impact piglet mortality. Heavier piglets demonstrated greater weight gain when subjected to creep feeding, while the growth potential of lighter piglets was reduced. Variation in creep feeding consumption based on birth weight also affected microbiome composition, with high-birth-weight piglets displaying higher alpha diversity than low- and normal-birth-weight piglets seven days after lactation. Alpha diversity is indicative of gut health, with higher values suggesting greater stability and adaptability to different feed sources. In conclusion, the immediate impacts of creep feeding appear to be most prominent during lactation and potentially early postweaning. These short-term effects are modulated by birth weight, with HBW piglets demonstrating the greatest benefits from the implementation of creep-feeding practices. Full article