Effects of abrupt introduction and removal of high and low digestibility corn distillers dried grains with solubles from the diet on growth performance and carcass characteristics of growing-finishing pigs.

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of feeding continuously a diet containing 40% dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) or intermittently diets containing 20 or 40% DDGS on growth performance and carcass quality of pigs. Responses of the pigs to abrupt introduction and removal of dietary DDGS with differing concentrations of standardized ileal digestible (SID) AA were also evaluated. In Exp. 1, crossbred pigs (n=216; initial BW=51.3±3.1 kg) were assigned randomly to 1 of 4 treatments, which included a corn-soybean meal control (CON), a 20% DDGS diet (D20), a switch between D20 and CON (D20-CON), and a switch between a 40% DDGS diet and CON (D40-CON) with 6 pens per treatment. Pigs abruptly introduced and removed from a 20% DDGS diet (D20-CON) exhibited no differences in growth performance or carcass quality compared with CON pigs. However, intermittently feeding a 40% DDGS diet (D40-CON) resulted in lighter HCW (P<0.05) compared with all other treatments. In Exp. 2, crossbred pigs (n=324; initial BW=33.2±3.0 kg) were assigned randomly to 1 of 6 treatments, including a corn-soybean meal control (CON), a 40% low SID AA DDGS diet (LD), a 40% high SID AA DDGS diet (HD), LD and CON diets alternated (LD-CON), HD and CON diets alternated (HD-CON), or HD and LD diets alternated (HD-LD) with 6 pens per treatment. Final BW and ADG were less (P<0.05) for LD and HD-LD pigs compared with CON pigs, but HD pigs tended to have reduced (P<0.10) final BW and ADG. Loin muscle area was smaller for LD and HD-LD pigs compared with CON pigs (P<0.05). Percentage carcass lean was not affected by dietary treatment. Backfat of DDGS-fed pigs was more unsaturated than CON pigs, but AA digestibility of DDGS did not affect this response. Digestibility of AA in DDGS can influence pig performance and carcass quality when fed at high concentrations (40% or more). The use of a high SID AA DDGS source may diminish some of the negative responses observed for growth performance and carcass characteristics when feeding high concentrations of DDGS if accurate values of SID AA are used in diet formulation. Periodic inclusion and removal of 40% DDGS from diets did not adversely affect growth performance or carcass quality regardless of the SID AA digestibility of the DDGS used. These results indicate that it is possible to abruptly incorporate and remove DDGS from grower-finisher swine diets without meaningful detrimental effects on growth performance or carcass quality.

Effects of corn distillers dried grains with solubles on quality traits of pork.

The high cost of feed grains has led swine producers to seek alternative feedstuffs, such as distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS). However, little is known about the effects of high levels of DDGS in swine diets on pork quality. The objective of this study was to evaluate belly processing and bacon, sausage, and loin quality of pigs fed high levels of DDGS. Sixty pigs averaging 34 kg BW were fed fortifi ed corn-soybean meal diets containing 0%, 15%, 30%, or 45% DDGS. At 120 kg BW, the pigs were humanely harvested and bellies, loins, and shoulders were removed from the left side of each carcass. Flex tests of bellies indicated that they became softer (linear, P < 0.03) as DDGS levels increased. The PUFA in backfat and belly fat increased linearly (P < 0.005), as did iodine values with increasing 0DDGS in the diet. Bellies were pumped to target 12% brine retention, cooked, and sliced at a commercial facility. Slicing yield was not affected by DDGS level fed. Fresh bacon slices were scored 1 to 6 with 1 representing no visible cracks in the fat and 6 representing a spider weblike shattering of the fat. Shatter scores decreased (linear, P < 0.001) with increasing dietary DDGS. Bratwurststyle sausage was produced by combining ground Boston butts and picnics to target 30% fat, blended with commercial seasonings, and stuffed into natural casings. Loose sausage was placed on trays, overwrapped with polyvinyl chloride wrap, and stored under constant, cool white fl orescent lighting (1,300 lx) at 4°C. Objective color values (L*, a*, and b*) were taken on loosepackaged sausage mix at 6 locations at the same time daily for 7 d. Sausage was also sampled for thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) at the same time daily on d 0, 3, 5, and 7. Color scores of sausage were not consistently affected by DDGS level in the diet and the changes were slight. The TBARS in sausage from pigs fed the 30% and 45% DDGS diets increased to a greater extent from d 0 to 7 than in those fed the control or 15% DDGS diets. An 8-member, trained panel evaluated the sensory attributes of bacon slices, sausage, and loin chops. The DDGS resulted in a softer texture (P < 0.004) and increased juiciness (P < 0.04) in sausages, but no differences in sensory scores were found in bacon slices or loin chops. The results indicate that the softer bellies, greater concentrations of PUFA in carcass fat, and greater iodine values associated with feeding increased DDGS did not negatively affect slicing yield of cured bellies, quality of fresh bacon slices, or eating quality of bacon, sausage, or loin chops.

Automatic real time arrhythmia monitoring in the intensive coronary care unit.

A prospective study was carried out to evaluate accuracy of a real time computer system for arrhythmia monitoring in a coronary care unit. QRS complexes in 57 continuously recorded 30 minute electrocardiographic rhythm strips from 30 patients were classified by the computer. Blinded interpretation of each beat was made by a cardiologist. A total of 146,638 QRS complexes were classified during the monitoring period of 1,710 minutes. The accuracy rate of computer detection was 99.94%. During this period 67 artifacts were identified as beats. The computer correctly identified 5,467 of 5,729 ventricular premature beats (accuracy of detection rate 95.46%). The incidence rate of false positive diagnosis of beats other than ventricular ectopic beats was 0.1%. The rate of computer accuracy in detecting ventricular premature beats was 93.33% in two patients with atrial fibrillation. In individual patients, computer interpretation did not deviate from the cardiologist's interpretation by more than 1 beat/min. The rate of computer accuracy in detecting supraventricular premature beats was lower (82.45%). The distinctly improved accuracy of computer monitoring of ventricular arrhythmia in a coronary care unit reported is the result of a new algorithm. This approach combines major elements of cross correlation of QRS signals as well as grouping of complexes into families. Normal and abnormal templates are stored and newly detected QRS complexes are matched. The program appears to be sufficiently accurate to warrant further applications.