This study was conducted to assess the potential of using NIRS to accurately determine the chemical composition and fermentation parameters in fresh coarse sorghum and sudangrass silage. Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) has been increasingly used as a rapid and accurate method to analyze the quality of cereals and dried animal forage. However, silage analysis by NIRS has a limitation in analyzing dried and ground samples in farm-scale applications because the fermentative products are lost during the drying process. Fresh coarse silage samples were scanned at 1 nm intervals over the wavelength range of 680~2500 nm, and the optical data were obtained as log 1/Reflectance (log 1/R). The spectral data were regressed, using partial least squares (PLS) multivariate analysis in conjunction with first and second order derivatization, with a scatter correction procedure (standard normal variate and detrend (SNV&D)) to reduce the effect of extraneous noise. The optimum calibrations were selected on the basis of minimizing the standard error of cross validation (SECV). The results of this study showed that NIRS predicted the chemical constituents with a high degree of accuracy (i.e. the correlation coefficient of cross validation (R²cv) ranged from 0.86~0.96), except for crude ash which had an R² cv of 0.68. Comparison of the mathematical treatments for raw spectra showed that the second-order derivatization procedure produced the best result for all the treatments, except for neutral detergent fiber (NDF). The best mathematical treatment for moisture, acid detergent fiber (ADF), crude protein (CP) and pH was 2,16,16 respectively while the best mathematical treatment for crude ash, lactic acid and total acid was 2,8,8 respectively. The calibrations of fermentation products produced poorer calibrations (RPD < 2.5) with acetic and butyric acid. The pH, lactic acid and total acids were predicted with considerable accuracy at R²cv 0.72~0.77. This study indicated that NIRS calibrations based on fresh coarse sorghum and sudangrass silage spectra have the capability of assessing the forage quality control

This study was conducted to assess the feasibility of near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) as a rapid and reliable method for the estimation of crude protein (CP) fractions in forage legume mixtures (sudangrass and pea mixture, and kidney bean and potato mixture). A total of 178 samples were collected and their spectral reflectance obtained in the range of 400~2,500 nm. Of these, 50 samples were selected for calibration and validation, and 35 samples were used for calibration of the data set, and the modified partial least square regression (MPLSR) analysis was performed. The correlation coefficient (r2) and the standard error of cross-validation (SECV) of the calibration models in the CP fractions, A, B1, B2, B3, and C, were 0.94 (1.05), 0.92 (0.74), 0.96 (0.95), 0.91 (0.42), and 0.83 (0.38), respectively. Fifteen samples were used for equation validation, and the r2 and the standard error of prediction (SEP) were 0.87 (1.45), 0.91 (0.49), 0.94 (1.13), 0.36 (0.96), and 0.74 (0.67), respectively. This study showed that NIRS could be an effective tool for the rapid and precise estimation of CP fractions in forage legume mixtures.

A ball-shape alumina arc-tube for low-wattage lamp was developed by the PIM process. An ultra high purity translucentgrade alumina powder was used. In injection molding process, a hot-runner type mold was developed. The translucent-grade alumina powder was extremely sensitive to contamination so that the injection molding condition and atmosphere control in the furnace should be taken care of with extreme caution. Contamination sources were pinpointed with EPMA. The arc-tube was molded in half and two halves were bonded in the middle by a new bonding technique at room temperature developed in this study.

Early growth, the rate of yolk sac absorption, and nucleus size in liver parenchymal cells were correlated with the nutritional status of first feeding larval haddock, Melanogrammus aeglefinus. Larvae that successfully began exogenous feeding maintained high growth rates, delayed yolk sac resorption, and had larger hepatocyte nuclear sizes than starved larvae. At 10 days post hatch (DPH) the cumulative mortality in the starved larval haddock group was 100%. The area of the hepatocyte nuclei in starved larvae gradually decreased, reaching its lowest value by 9 DPH. Our results support the current practice of providing the first food supply at 3 DPH. Hepatocyte nuclear size can be used to assess larval haddock nutrition status, and may be a good criterion for assessing the success of transition from endogenous to exogenous feeding.