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This study focuses on the critical role instructional communication plays in effective risk and crisis communication. More specifically, we examined efforts made by the United States’ swine industr...

Musser, R.E., Dritz, S.S., Davis, D.L., Tokach, M.D., Nelssen, J.L., Goodband, R.D. and Owen, K.Q. 2007. Effects of L-carnitine in the gestating sow diet on fetal muscle development and carcass characteristics of the offspring. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 31: 105–111. A total of 232 sows were used to determine the effects none or an additional 50 ppm of L-carnitine in the gestation diet on sow and offspring performance. Sows were fed dietary treatments from breeding until d 110 of gestation. Offspring from sows were ear-notched according to maternal treatment at birth and carcass data were obtained at slaughter. Sow plasma IGF-I concentration was similar (P>0.10) between control and L-carnitine supplemented sows on d 30 and 60 of gestation at 2 h after feeding. No differences were observed in either the immediate or subsequent number of pigs born per litter. No differences were observed in a sub-sample (n = 181) of pig weight at birth, weaning or d 59 of age between control and treatment offspring. Anal...

Loughmiller, J.A., Spire, M.F., Tokach, M.D., Dritz, S.S., Nelssen, J.L., Goodband, R.D. and Hogge, S.B. 2005. An evaluation of differences in mean body surface temperature with infrared thermography in growing pigs fed different dietary energy intake and concentration. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 28: 73–80. Eighty pigs were used to determine the relationships among feed intake or diet composition and mean body surface temperature (MBST). In Exp. 1, 80 castrates (initially 24 kg) were allotted to one of the four feed intake levels [1.4x, 2.50x, 3.8x and ad libitum or 4.7x ME maintenance (MEm)]. Infrared (IR) thermographic images were collected at 0700, 1100 and 1900 h on d 4, 5 and 6. Quadratic effects were observed for ADG and G/F (P

James, B.W., Goodband, R.D., Unruh, J.A., Tokach, M.D., Nelssen, J.L. and Dritz, S.S. 2002. A review of creatine supplementation and its potential to improve pork quality. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 21: 1–16. Creatine is an amino acid derivative normally produced by the liver, kidneys and pancreas from arginine, methionine and glycine. It functions to provide high energy phosphate for the rephosphorylation of adenosine diphosphate to adenosine triphosphate (ATP) following rapid energy expenditure. Research conducted with athletes has demonstrated that creatine monohydrate supplementation reduced fatigue and enhanced performance during anaerobic exercise. Based on the observations in humans, creatine supplementation has been investigated to improve meat quality in swine. As muscle is converted to meat, several biochemical reactions occur that have profound effects on product quality. Postmortem glycolysis results in the accumulation of lactic acid which decreases muscle pH. Therefore, if supplemented di...

Grinstead, G.S., Goodband, R.D., Nelssen, J.L, Tokach, M.D. and Dritz, S.S. 2000. A review of whey processing, products and components: effects on weanling pig performance. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 17: 133–150. Research has established that diets containing milk products will improve growth performance of weanling pigs. To meet this need, spray-dried whey is frequently added to diets for weanling pigs. The production of high quality dried whey is a process by which most of the fat and protein in fluid milk is removed and the remaining fraction is then spray dried to produce whey powder. Recent changes in fluid milk processing and the demand for different milk products have led to the development of specialized products that are available for use in swine diets. When liquid whey is forced by relatively low pressure through a series of porous membranes, the components are separated based on size and shape. This separation scheme can concentrate whey proteins to produce products with 34 to 80% CP. Alter...