Forty-eight Landrace pigs were used to examine the effects of different TDN and crude protein (CP) levels on performance of meat production and nitrogen excretion in finishing pig (70-110kg in body weight (BW)). Experimental pigs were divided into four groups; each group consisted of 6 barrows and 6 gilts. Four TDN-CP levels of diet were set 77%-14%, 77%-11%, 71%-14% and 71%-11%, respectively. CP 11% diets were supplemented with amino acids. Experimental pigs were housed individually and kept with ad libitum feeding and drinking. Growth performance, nitrogen intake, excretion during on the examination period and performance of dressed carcass at 110kg BW were investigated. TDN level influenced growth performance and back fat thickness in barrows. The daily gain in TDN 77% diets was significantly higher than in TDN 71% diets. The average back fat thickness in TDN 77% diets (2.97cm) was significantly thinner than in TDN 77% diets (3.26cm). In gilt, however, TDN level didn't influence growth performance and back fat thickness. On the other hand, CP level influenced greatly nitrogen excretion in both sexes. Total nitrogen excretion in CP 11% diets was less than that in CP 14% diets. The reductions of 28% and 22% were observed in barrows and gilts, respectively.

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An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of supplementing a reduced crude protein (CP) diet with dried apple pomace on the growth performance, nitrogen excretion and backfat thickness in finishing pigs. From 80 to 105kg live weight, twelve pigs were allowed ad libitum access to one of three diets: a standard CP diet (CP 13.4%), a low CP, amino acid-supplemented diet (low CP diet, CP 11.0%) and a low CP, amino acid-supplemented diet containing 10% of dried apple pomace (apple pomace diet, CP 10.6%). They were kept in practical group-feeding conditions. Fecal and urinary nitrogen excretions were estimated by a digestibility trial using acid insoluble ash as a marker and by a method based on the Japanese Feeding Standard for Swine (1998), respectively.
The average daily gains for the standard CP diet, the low CP diet and the apple pomace diet were 835, 757 and 818g, respectively, and the average backfat thicknesses were 1.7, 1.9 and 1.5cm, respectively. There were no significant differences (P>0.05) between the diets in these response criteria. The pigs fed the apple pomace diet excreted more fecal nitrogen, 17.9g/d, than the pigs fed the standard CP diet and the low CP diet, 13.5 and 13.4g/d, respectively. On the other hand, urinary nitrogen excretion for the apple pomace diet was 23.0g/d, which was much lower than those for the standard CP diet and the low CP diet, 38.7 and 31.3g/d, respectively.
These data suggest that addition of dried apple pomace to a lower CP diet can reduce urinary nitrogen excretion without any detrimental effects on performance and backfat thickness in finishing pigs.

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An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of supplementing a reduced crude protein (CP) diet with beet pulp on the urinary nitrogen excretion and ammonia emission from slurry in the growing pigs. Four barrows (35kg BW) were assigned to one of two diets. Each pig was placed in a metabolism cage, and fed a low CP, amino acid-supplemented diet (CP 11.33%, low CP diet) or a low CP, amino acid-supplemented diet containing 23.08% of dried beet pulp (CP 9.47%, beet pulp diet) for two 7 d experimental period. After the completion of the first period, the pigs were switched to the other diet. Urine and feces were quantitatively collected daily for 3 d after a 4 d adaptation period. A similar experiment was repeated with the other four barrows.
The daily nitrogen intake for the low CP diet and the beet pulp diet was 23.6 and 25.4g/pig, respectively. The pigs fed the beet pulp diet excreted more fecal nitrogen, 9.7g/d, than the pigs fed the low CP diet, 4.7g/d (P<0.001), but urinary nitrogen excretion in the beet pulp diet was 5.6g/d, which was much lower than that for the low CP diet, 10.3g/d (P<0.001). The daily ammonia emission from the mixture of urine and feces determined by an in vitro method was extremely lower for pigs fed the beet pulp diet, 359mg, than that for pigs fed the low CP diet, 722mg (P<0.01). At the starting and finishing of incubation, slurry pH of pigs fed the beet pulp diet were 1.66 and 0.91 unit lower than the low CP diet, respectively (P<0.05). The addition of beet pulp to a reduced CP, amino acid-supplemented diet reduces urinary nitrogen excretion, and thereby ammonia emission.

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It aimed at investigating a relation with maturity of the cytoplasm which made the index the maturation promoting factor (MPF) and mutagens activated protein (MAP) kinase activity which participate in nuclear and the cell of the porcine oocytes. Changes in the nuclear phase of porcine oocytes were examined in 4 time intervals during maturation, beginning with the in vitro culture stage and ending 48 hours after cultivation. We also examined the activity of histone H1 kinase (H1k) and MAP kinase (MAPk) which are markers for the MPF and their correlation to the nuclear phase transition and culture time. Since activity might change delicately when many ova are required to measure kinase activity and the sample changed, the activity of both kinase of the same sample was measured at once.
The results showed that at 0hr, the start of the culture process, all ova were at the germinal vesicle stage (GV) of the nuclear phase. At 12hr, most ova were still at the GV stage of the nuclear phase, however the incidence rate began to decrease at 16hr, and at 24hr decreased even more until at 32hr it was almost nil. A decrease in the percentage of nuclear phase ova appeared 16 hours after the start of the culture process. This period was designated as the first metaphase (M1) and by 24hr, about 80% of the ova were at the M1 stage of the nuclear phase. The ratio during the anaphase to the telophase (A1-T1) of the nuclear phase was 4.2% and 18.2% respectively with the times for each recognized at 28hr and 32hr. The second metaphase (M2) of the overacts nuclear phase was designated at 24hr, however at 32hr it increased to 23.4% and at 36hr began to increase more rapidly to 73.9% reaching its highest level of 86.4% at 48hr.
H1k activity progressed from a low level at the GV stage, increasing during dyakines (Pro M1) and continuing to rise during the initial M1 stage from 16hr to 20hr until it reached its highest level at 24hr and 28hr of the M1 stage. At 32hr when the M2 stage of the nuclear phase began, it momentarily decreased, but rose again at 36hr which was the highest level for the M2 stage and continued at this fixed rate. At 12hr, MAPk activity was low just as H1k activity was at the same time, but began to increase during the ProM1 and M1 stage, or from 16hr to 20hr, reaching its highest level between 24hr and 28hr and maintaining this level until 48hr.
The above results clarify the necessity for a 36 hour-culture for in vitro maturation of porcine oocytes and that changes in H1k and MAPk activity during the nuclear phase are closely linked. It was suggested by the activity of these kinase that maturity of cytoplasm and nuclear maturity align.

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A semi-indirect approach, where not the whole equations but inverse of additive relationship matrix was set up, was proposed in order to compute the solutions to mixed model equations. The semi-indirect and direct algorithms for solving mixed model equations using scaled conjugate gradient iteration were compared for 8 data sets generated by the Monte Carlo simulation. Data sets 1 through 4 contained a single dependent variable with about 2, 000, 000 animals. Data sets 5 through 8 consisted of five traits with about 400, 000 animals. The ordering of mixed model equations was fixed effects followed by additive genetic random effects. In direct algorithm implemented with single precision, the scaled conjugate gradient program did not converge for several data sets. The CPU time using the new technique was not different from that by the direct approach. The semi-indirect approach required smaller size of memory than the direct approach. Advantage of semiindirect approach depends on the model; more complicated models will produce clearer differences.

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