Hybrid data-driven framework for shale gas production performance analysis via game theory, machine learning, and optimization approaches

A comprehensive and precise analysis of shale gas production performance is crucial for evaluating resource potential,designing a field development plan,and making investment decisions.However,quantitative analysis can be challenging because production performance is dominated by the complex interaction among a series of geological and engineering factors.In fact,each factor can be viewed as a player who makes cooperative contributions to the production payoff within the constraints of physical laws and models.Inspired by the idea,we propose a hybrid data-driven analysis framework in this study,where the contributions of dominant factors are quantitatively evaluated,the productions are precisely forecasted,and the development optimization suggestions are comprehensively generated.More specifically,game theory and machine learning models are coupled to determine the dominating geological and engineering factors.The Shapley value with definite physical meaning is employed to quantitatively measure the effects of individual factors.A multi-model-fused stacked model is trained for production forecast,which provides the basis for derivative-free optimization algorithms to optimize the development plan.The complete workflow is validated with actual production data collected from the Fuling shale gas field,Sichuan Basin,China.The validation results show that the proposed procedure can draw rigorous conclusions with quantified evidence and thereby provide specific and reliable suggestions for development plan optimization.Comparing with traditional and experience-based approaches,the hybrid data-driven procedure is advanced in terms of both efficiency and accuracy.

Effect of perforation density distribution on production of perforated horizontal wellbore

To address the issue of horizontal well production affected by the distribution of perforation density in the wellbore,a numerical model for simulating two-phase flow in a horizontal well is established under two perforation density distribution conditions(i.e.increasing the perforation density at inlet and outlet sections respectively).The simulation results are compared with experimental results to verify the reliability of the numerical simulation method.The behaviors of the total pressure drop,superficial velocity of air-water two-phase flow,void fraction,liquid film thickness,air production and liquid production that occur with various flow patterns are investigated under two perforation density distribution conditions based on the numerical model.The total pressure drop,superficial velocity of the mixture and void fraction increase with the air flow rate when the water flow rate is constant.The liquid film thickness decreases when the air flow rate increases.The liquid and air productions increase when the perforation density increases at the inlet section compared with increasing the perforation density at the outlet section of the perforated horizontal wellbore.It is noted that the air production increases with the air flow rate.Liquid production increases with the bubble flow and begins to decrease at the transition point of the slug-stratified flow,then increases through the stratified wave flow.The normalized liquid flux is higher when the perforation density increases at the inlet section,and increases with the radial air flow rate.

Improving Geese Production Performance in “Goose-Fish” Production System by Competitive Reduction of Pathogenic Bacteria in Pond Water

This study investigated whether competitive reduction of pathogenic bacteria growth in pond water alleviates lipopolysaccharide （LPS） contamination and improves geese production performances in the ＂goose-fish＂ production system, thereby providing the potential for an improved technique for ecological water fowl production. In the first experiment, 240 Magang goslings of 15-d age were randomly and equally allocated into 16 ＂yard and pond＂ pens using a 2-2 factorial design with 4 replications per treatment. In the 55-d experimental period, the goslings received 2 main treatments： supplementation of Bacillus subtilis spores in the feed and addition of photosynthetic bacteria （PSB） to the pond water. Both B. subtilis spores and PSB treatments significantly suppressed water counts of Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli, Salmonella and Shigella, and LPS concentrations in pond water and in gosling blood （P〈0.05）. As the result, the two treatments significantly improved gosling weight gain and carcass quality, marked by enhanced breast and leg muscle percentages and reduced subcutaneous fat proportions （P〈0.05）. Moreover, the improved effects of B. subtilis spores and PSB treatments were additive. In the second experiment, 1 160 adult geese were induced to start egg laying from May throughout the summer months. The geese were separated equally into control and experimental flocks to fit into 2 integration production units, with a density of 1 bird m-2 meter on pond water. Experimental flock geese were treated with B. subtilis spores in feed and PSB in the pond water for the duration of the study. Such treatment combination significantly depressed the growth of E. coli, Salmonella and Shigella in the pond water and reduced LPS concentrations both in pond water and in geese blood （P〈0.01）. As a result, egg fertility, fertile and set egg hatchabilities were all improved in the treated flock. Results from both growing goslings and breeding geese demonstrated that water bacteria pollution can be competitively reduced by supplementation with B. subtilis spores via the feed and addition of PSB in pond water, each of which reduces LPS contamination to geese and improves production performances. Micro- ecological agents such as B. subtilis spores and PSB improve water quality and provide a simple ecological technique for the ＂water fowl-fish＂ integrative production system.

Raising on Water Stocking Density Reduces Geese Reproductive Performances via Water Bacteria and Lipopolysaccharide Contaminations in “Geese-Fish” Production System

This study was carried out to unravel the mechanism of reductions in production performances in high stocking density geese flocks during summer months in ＂geese-fish＂ production system. Experiment 1 observed the water bacterial growth, lipopolysaccharde concentrations in water and geese blood, and geese reproductive performances from summer to winter, in two flocks with varying on water stocking densities. Results showed that counts of total bacteria, Escherichia coli and Salmonella in water, as well as water and geese plasma LPS concentrations, exhibited a tendency decreasing from the highest levels in summer, to intermediate levels in autumn, and to the lowest values in winter. Such seasonal decreases in bacteria and LPS concentrations were associated with similar seasonal decreases in embryo mortality during incubation. In addition, embryos dead or showing development retardation by day 25 of incubation contained copious LPS in allantoic fluid, in contrast to the negligible amount in normal developing embryos. Raising on water stocking density elevated bacteria counts, LPS concentrations in water and geese plasma, and decreased egg fertility but increased embryo mortality during incubation. In experiment 2, exogenous LPS treatment to the geese depressed egg laying, reduced egg hatchability, caused sickness behavior in the goslings hatched. In experiment 3, exogenous LPS directly administered to day 8 and 18 embryos during incubation dose dependently increased mortality and decreased hatchability, and caused sickness behavior in the goslings hatched. It is concluded that the raising on water geese stocking density stimulates pathogenic bacteria growth in water, which via LPS contamination impaires embryo development in incubation and therefore reduces geese reproductive performance and gosling quality during the hot summer months.

Association of polymorphisms of Nramp1 gene with immune function and production performance of large white pig

The present research was designed to study the association of polymorphism of natural resistance-associated macrophage proteinl （Nrampl） with some immune function and the production performance in Large White pig. The PCR-RFLP technique was applied to analyze the correlation between the polymorphisms of Nrampl gene and immune function [value of Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes （PMN） obtained by Nitroblue Tetrazolium （NBT） Reduction and effect of Cytotoxin in Monocyte] and production performance in 165 Large White pigs. The results showed that there was one Nde I restriction locus in Large White pig, and both values of PMN by NBT Reduction and effect of Cytotoxin in Monocyte in genotype BB were higher than those in genotype AB （P〈0.05）. Simultaneously, the weight of 180-day-old pigs with genotype BB was higher than that with genotype AB （P〈0.05）. The results indicated that there was a significant correlation between different genotypes of Nrampl gene and Immune function and production performance, and it can be regarded as a candidate gene of disease resistance. All these results provide valuable reference to further studies of pig disease resistance.

Effects of Fermentation Product Containing Phytase on Productive Performance,Egg Quality,and Phosphorous Apparent Metabolism of Laying Hens Fed Different Levels of Phosphorus

This study investigated the effects of fermentation product containing phytase （FPP） that was fermented using waste vinegar residue （WVR） as substrate from Aspergillusficuum NTG-23 on productive performance, egg quality, and phosphorus apparent metabolism of laying hens. First, 375 22-wk-old Jinghong hens were allocated into 5 treatments （5 replicates of 15 hens each） in an 8-wk experiment for evaluating the parameters of productive performance, egg quality, serum, and tibia. Experimental diets contained 4% FPP and 96% corn-soybean diet. The levels of dicalciurn phosphate （DCP） were 1.34, 1.01, 0.67, 0.34 and 0%. Next, thirty 31-wk-old Jinghong hens were fed 5 types of diets for evaluating phosphorous apparent metabolism rate. Egg productive rate, egg weight, feed conversion ratio, Haugh unit, egg albumen height, serum calcium, tibia ash, tibia ash calcium and tibia breaking strength were not different significantly among 5 treatments. The significant difference of average daily feed intake was not appeared when the DCP content of corn-soybean-FPP diet was reduced to 0.67%; the eggshell hardness, eggshell thickness and serum phosphorus were not reduced significantly until the DCP content of corn-soybean-FPP diet was reduced to 0.34%. The yolk color was improved when the laying hens fed deficient DCP corn-soybean-FPP diet. A 22.14% reduction in excreta phosphorus was observed when the laying hens fed low phosphorus （0.67% DCP） corn-soybean-FPP diet. A 30% elevation of phosphorus apparent metabolism rate was obtained when the DCP content of corn-soybean-FPP diet was decreased from 1.34 to 1.01%. The reducing cost of layer diet was totalized about 120 CNY 1000 kg1 diet when the content of DCP was 0.67% in corn-soybean-FPP diet. These results indicated that FPP could be applied in laying hen as a potential, cost-effective and rational application of WVR.

Physical simulation of fluid flow and production performance in extra-low permeability porous media

For extra-low permeability reservoirs, with a permeability of about 0.3×10?3 μm2, fluid flow and production performance in cores were studied. A long core holder with a multi-location piezometric measurement was specially designed. An artificial long core, about 700 mm long and with a cross section of 45mm×45mm, was used. In the experiment, pressure distribution along the core can be measured in real time. Single phase flow in the core was investigated. Different modes of production in long cores were also simulated including natural depletion, water flooding, and advanced water flooding. Through physical simulation, flow parameters were collected and production characteristics in extra-low permeability cores were studied. From experimental results, it can be seen that fluid flow in extra-low permeability cores is different from that in high permeability cores. Transmission of pressure in extra-low permeability cores is very slow, and it needs a long time for the pressure to become stable. The distribution curve of pressure along the core is nonlinear and the production rate in extra-low permeability reservoirs decreases sharply. The development effects of different production modes in extra-low permeability cores were compared with one another. Among the production modes, advanced water flooding has much potential for effective development of extra-low permeability reservoirs. Natural depletion and conventional water flooding can also be used in early production periods. In addition, the countermeasures and some ideas especially for the potential development of extra-low permeability reservoirs are suggested.

Effects of Low Protein Diets Supplemented with Ami-no Acids on Production Performance,Carcass Qual-ity and Input-output Ratio of Pigs

[ Objectives ] To study the effects of low-protein diets supplemented with amino acids on the production performance, carcass quality and input-output ratio of fattening pigs and growing-finishing pigs. [ Methods] Two studies were conducted on fattening pigs and growing pigs respectively. Pigs in two experimental groupswere fed with low-protein diets supplemented with amino acids and normal diets respectively, and the initial weight, final weight, feed consumption and car- cass index of the tested pigs were measured. [ Results] The average final weight of fattening pigs in test group was 2.4 kg lower than that in control group, while the difference was not significant （P 〉 0.05 ）. The average daily gain of fattening pigs in test group was 60 g lower than that in control group, indicating that low protein diets had a tendency to decrease the growth rate （P 〉 0.05 ）, and reduction of daily weight gain in low protein diet pigs reached 7.6%. The development of pigs in low protein diet group was poor, however, the difference was not significant. Carcass backfat thickness in low-protein diet group was slightly higher than that in control group, the difference was significant （ P 〈 0.05 ）. There was no significant difference in input-output ratio between low-protein diet group and control group. Finalweight of growing-finishing pigs in low-protein diet group was 3.22 % lower than that in control group, the average daily weight gainwas 6.91% lower than that in control group, feed intake in test group was 5.48% lower than that in control group, and difference between the two treatments was significant （P 〈 0.05 ）. Feed meat ratio in low-protein diet group improved, however, the difference was not significant（P 〉0.05）. [ Conclusions] Production performance of the pigs would be decreasedand the input-output ratio could not be improvedwhen the adding contents of crude protein in diets was reduced 3% -4%. Therefore, it is recommended that the crude protein level should be enough when pigs were fed with low-protein diets.

Mechanism of the Effect of Bacillus coagulans on Production Performance of Laying Hens in Late Laying Period

[Objective]The paper was to investigate the mechanism of Bacillus coagulans preparation in improving production performance of laying hens in late period of laying.[Method]A total of 648 individuals of"Jingfen 1"laying hens(66 weeks of age)in late period of laying were randomly divided into four groups,six replicates each group,and each group had 27 individuals of laying hens.The laying hens in control group were fed with basal diet,and those in experimental groupsⅠ,Ⅱ and Ⅲ were fed with the basal diets added with 3.33×10^6,1×10^7,3.33×10^7 CFU/g B.coagulans,respectively.The pretrial lasted one week,and the formal test lasted eight weeks.[Result]Compared with the control group,the laying rate in group Ⅰ increased significantly,and the feed-gain ratio in experimental group Ⅱ decreased noticeably while the spleen index increased remarkably;the alkaline phosphatase activities and blood calcium content in experimental groups Ⅰ,Ⅱ and Ⅲ increased significantly(P<0.05),while the triglyceride content decreased remarkably(P<0.05);the urea content in experimental groups Ⅰ and Ⅱ decreased obviously(P<0.05).Adding B.coagulans significantly increased the specific activity of amylase,lipase and protease in various intestinal mucosa of small intestine(P<0.05);adding B.coagulans significantly increased the content of follicle-stimulating hormone(FSH)and estradiol(E2),and significantly increased the mRNA expression of follicle stimulating hormone receptor gene(FSHR).[Conclusion]B.coagulans preparation could significantly improve the production performance of laying hens in late period of laying;appropriately enhance the immune capacity of laying hens;improve the serum biochemical indicators;increase the activity of digestive enzymes in the small intestine;and promote the release of gonadal hormone and the mRNA expression of FSHR gene in the ovary.

Production Performance of Root Systems of Four Forage Legume Species and Their Development Characteristics in Loess Plateau,China

Production performance of four forage legumes species of Medicago sativa,Onobrychis viciifolia,Lotus corniculatus and Galega officinalis were determined,including plant height,above-ground biomass per unit area,tillers per unit area,fertile tillers per unit area,shoot /leaf ratio and fresh /dry matter weight ratio,and the distribution characteristics of their root systems in 0- 100 cm soil layers with 10 cm interval were studied. Results showed that the average aboveground fresh biomass(4 a and 5 a) of four forage legumes species successively were L. corniculatus 】 M. sativa 】 O. viciifolia 】 G. officinalis. The average plant heights in two years successively were O. viciifolia 】 M. sativa 】 G. officinalis 】 L. corniculatus. Tillers per unit area of four forage legume species in two years successively were M. sativa 】 L. corniculatus 】 O. viciifolia 】 G. officinalis. Fertile tillers per unit area in two years were O. viciifolia 】 M. sativa 】 L. corniculatus 】 G. officinalis. Average shoot /leaf ratio in two years were G. officinalis 】 M. sativa 】 O. viciifolia 】 L. corniculatus. Average moisture contents of four forage legume species in two years successively were G. officinalis 】 L. corniculatus 】 M. sativa = O. viciifolia. The distribution characteristics of root systems of four forage legumes species in 0- 100 cm soil layers were as follows: the root weights of M. sativa in 0- 40 cm soil layers accounted for about 98. 3% of total root weight,that of O. viciifolia in 0- 30 cm soil layers was 85. 8%,that of L. corniculatus in 0- 10 cm soil layers was 80%,and that of G. officinalis in 0- 40 cm soil layers was 81. 4%. The results suggested that L. corniculatus was suited to plant in slighter degraded pasture to control water and soil erosion in early stage,G. officinalis with strong lateral roots was adapted to degraded grassland in the Loess Plateau where soil nutrient was poor,while O. viciifolia and M. sativa with potentially strong main root were fit for water and soil conservation in the losses plateau for long term.

Effect of Dietary Mulberry Leaves on Productive Performance,Egg Quality and Blood Biochemistry in Laying Hens

[Objective] The aim was to provide more information about the possible use of mulberry leaves in hen diets.[Method] Two hundred ninety two Hyline Gray laying hens, 48 wk old, were randomly allotted into four groups with 73 chickens per group. Each group was fed for 6 wk with diets that contained dried mulberry leaves at 0, 5, 10, or 15%. [ Result] The rate of egg production, egg weight, egg mass, feed intake, body weight, blood glucose level, total blood cholesterol, and triglyeride, and cholesterol of egg yolk in the dietary mulberry leaf groups were lower than the 0% mulberry leaves group. Compared with the 0% group, the feed required to produce 1 kg of eggs was 12.8% more in the 15% dietary mul- berry leaf group. Body weight and cholesterol of egg yolk decreased significantly in this group （P 〈0.05）. Blood glucose and triglyerides in the 15% dietary mulberry leaf group were significantly lower than in the 0 and 5% dietary mulberry leaf groups （P 〈0.05）. Yolk color in all treatments was higher than in the 0% group （P 〈0.05）, and Roche pigmentation score increased by 2 -2.9. One -deoxynojirimycin was detected from egg white in all treatments, and its content varied significantly between groups （ P 〈0.05）. E Conclusion] This study reflected the hypoglycemic and lipid -low- ering effects of mulberry leaves on productive performance and egg quality in laying hens. The suggested proportion of dietary mulberry leaves was 5% -10%.

Efficiency Evaluation of Effect of Direct Grain Subsidy Policy on Performance of Rice Production

Using the DEA analysis method,on the basis of the national panel data from 2002 to 2014,this paper made a comparative analysis on the rice production performance before and after the implementation of direct grain subsidy policy,and made an empirical analysis on the relationship between the direct grain subsidy policy and the changes in the rice production performance. The results showed that the effect of the direct grain subsidy policy on promoting the rice production performance is declining year by year,largely because drop of scale efficiency. Besides,there are problems of serious redundancy in agricultural subsidy,unreasonable resource allocation,leading to low performance and resource waste of rice production.

Investigation Into the Market-Orientated New Product Development Performance

The effect that the market orientation brings to product innovation performance is reported and the degree of product innovativeness is explored. The interdepartmental integration inside the company is also investigated. A series of hypotheses were developed aiming at presenting a conceptual framework to clarify how market orientation contributes to product innovation performance-moderated by the degree of product innovativeness and affected by the interdepartmental integration. Survey data from 36 business units were analyzed based on the respondents in the research. The statistic results suggest a substantial positive effect of market orientation on product innovation performance. Under the condition of incremental innovativeness among the samples, the more innovative the product is, the more improvements in product innovation performance would be achieved. A variety of particular interdepartmental integration mechanisms have been certified to lend more supports to establishing market orientation and improving product innovation performance.

Typical Correlation Analysis between Forage Type Triticale Production Performance and Different Pilot Ecological Factors

Domestic and foreign researches on triticale mainly focus on hereditary traits and excellent characteristics,but there are few reports on triticale yield and quality in the severe cold pastoral areas of Gansu and Qinghai.In this study,Gannong 2 triticale cultivars have been bred and planted in typical ecological areas according to the characteristics of different ecological regions.By studying the relationship between quality traits and various ecological factors,the effects of different ecological factors on the quality of Triticale hay have been clarified,which provides a reasonable basis for future triticale breeding and large-scale and targeted planting layout.The production performance and nutritional qualities of Triticale Trial in Maqu County,Gansu Province and Gannong No.2 in Dulan County,Qinghai Province are obviously superior to other pilot sites.Through reasonable fertilization,the production performance and nutritional quality of triticale are the best.Triticale production performance is significantly related to climatic factors in different pilots.The most suitable planting area for Gannong 2 is Maqu County,Gansu Province.

Effects of Cottonseed Meal on Production Performance and Egg Quality of Hisex Laying Hens

[Objective]In order to research on effect of different content of cottonseed meals on production performance and egg quality of Hisex laying hens. [Methods]120 Hisex laying hens of 37 weeks old are chosen,randomly divided into four groups and three repetitions are set in each group,there are 10 hens in each repetition. Group I is the control group,II,III and IV are experimental groups. Cottonseed meal contents are respectively 5%,10% and 15%,with test cycle of 10 weeks,effects of different cottonseed meal dosages on Hisex laying hens production performance and egg quality are observed. [Results]When the diet is added with 5% to 15% of cottonseed meal,the average laying rate,average egg weight and feed-gain ratio all show downward trends when compared with that of the control group,but with no significant difference（ P 〉 0. 05）; eggshell strength,eggshell thickness,Haugh unit,egg shape index all show no significant difference（ P 〉0. 05）,with the increasement of cottonseed meal,the color of egg yolk got brighter,egg yolk color of 15% added group increased by 12%,show a significant difference with that of control group（ P 〈0. 05）. [Conclusion]When the feed was added with 15% cottonseed meals,it has an unconspicuous effect on laying performance and egg quality of Hisex laying hens,but whether it had an effect on animal health and food safety or not,a further systematic research is needed.

Measurement and Analysis of Production Performance of Rural Households in Jinzhai County, Anhui Province

Using a multi-input multi-output production technology and survey data from Jinzhai County, western Anhui Province, China, the author first measured the production performance of rural households their efficiency, economy of scale, and productivity during 19781997, and then related the measured production performance with institutional change, market access, and other factors. Preliminary results show that: 1) performance differs a great deal across households and over time; 2) institutional changes and market accessibility have played a major role in improving performance; 3) depending on the specific resources, their effects are variable.

Effect of Different Additive Combinations on Production Performance of Layer

To explore the effect of different additive combinations on double-low rapeseed cake （meal） utilization and layer production performance, we randomly divided 756 Roman brown shell layers around 50 weeks age into seven groups to detect production performance, of which group 1 was control group supplied with basic diet （added with 9% double-low rapeseed cake）, while groups 2 -7 were experimental groups added with Chinese herbal medicine, enzyme preparation, pro- biotics and peptide antibiotics in basic diet. The results showed that group 4 added with Chinese herbal medicine ＋ enzyme preparation ＋ peptide antibiotics re- ceived the best effect, resulting in significantly increased laying rate （70.50%, P 〈 0.05 ）, significantly reduced feed-egg ratio （2.46, P 〈 0.05 ）, and extremely increased egg Haugh unit （P 〈0.01 ）. This indicated that adding combination of Chinese herbal medicine ＋ enzyme preparation ＋ peptide antibiotics in layer bas- ic diet could improve egg production performance and egg quality of layers.

Effects of Different Compound Trace Element Premixed Materials on Beef Cattle Production Performance and Anti-oxidation Capacity

In this study,the effects of two types of premixed materials with different combinations of trace elements on the production performance and antioxidant capacity of simmental beef cattle were examined.Fifteen healthy simmental beef cattle of similar weight(approximately 330 kg),the same age(12 months),without castration,and a good physique were divided into three groups,with five beef cattle in each group.Food of Group Ⅰ beef cattle was supplemented with a commercially marketed 5% compound trace element premixture for fine beef cattle.Food of Group Ⅱ beef cattle was supplemented with a 5% compound microelement premixture for beef cattle that was designed to address local nutrient deficiencies and surpluses.In the blank control group,the beef cattle were not fed a premixture.The pretest period was 15 days,and the test period was divided into prefattening(45 days)and postfattening(45 days)stages.Body weight and body size indices were recorded at 1,2 and 3 months,and blood samples were collected regularly.In Group Ⅰ,the daily weight gain increased significantly by 15.7% compared with that of the control group.The largest daily weight gain was in Group Ⅱ,which increased by 31.6% compared with that in the control.During the test period of 90 days,the body size indices of the three different groups increased in different months,with significant increases in the indices for both test groups compared with those of the control.In Group Ⅰ,the activity of CP,the total activity of SOD and Cu-Zn-SOD increased significantly(p<0.05)compared with those in the control group,with a highly significant increase observed in GSH-PX activity(p<0.01).In Group Ⅱ,the increases in the activity of CP and the total activity of SOD and Cu-Zn-SOD were highly significant compared with those in the control group(p<0.01).In addition,a significant increase was observed in GSH-PX activity(p<0.05).Based on pretest results,the concentrations of Cu,Zn,Mo,Mn,Se and Co in the blood of experimental beef cattle were lower than those of the normal range.After feeding for 90 days,the concentrations of Cu,Zn,Mo,Mn,Se and Co in the blood of Groups Ⅰ and Ⅱ were significantly higher than those in the control group(p<0.05).The concentrations of elements in the blood of Group Ⅱ were close to the appropriate levels.Thus,the effects of the specifically designed compound microelement premixture on the prevention of nutrient imbalances and control of beef cattle nutrition metabolism and the production of fattened beef cattle were significant.

Effects of Plant Oil Mixture on Production Performance,Carcass and Beef Quality in Beef Cattle

[Objective] To study the effects of plant oil mixture on production performance, carcass and beef quality in beef cattle. [Method] Single-factor randomized blocks design was used. Sixteen healthy Yanbian yellow bulls having close body weight were selected and randomly divided into four groups, four cattle per group. Been oil, safflower oil and sunflower oil were mixed respectively at a volume ratio of 11：5：4. The oil blend was added to the daily diets of beef cattle respectively at a proportion of 4%, 5% and 6%. The effects of the plant oil mixture on production performance, carcass and beef quality were investigated. [ Result.] Compared with the control cattle, the experimental cattle had significantly lower feed intake （P 〈 0.05）, non-significantly higher efficiency of feed utilization, and significantly lower digestibility of crude fiber and calcium （P 〈 0.05）. With the increasing level of plant oil, the digestibility of dry matter showed a decreasing trend. The digestibility of dry matter was significantly lower in the cattle fed on the plant oil mixture at a level of 6% than in the control （ P 〈 0.05）. The plant oil mixture had no effect on the digestibility of crude protein, ether extract, crude ash, nitrogen-free extract and phosphorus. With the increasing level of plant oil, the serum content of high-density lipoprotein showed an increasing trend. The serum content of high-density lipoprotein was significantly higher in the cattle fed on the plant oil mixture at a level of 6% than in the control （ P 〈 0.05）. With the increasing level of plant oil, the content of total cholesterol showed an increasing trend, whereas the content of low-density lipoprotein showed a decreasing trend. Moreover, other indicators did not change significantly. The experimental cattle had larger eye muscle area and better beef quality than the control group. The content of crude protein and ether extract in beef increased with the increasing level of plant oil. [ Conclusion] The plant oil mixture added to the daily feed decreases intake and digestibility of crude fiber and calcium but has no remarkable effect on production performance of beef cattle. The addition also increases eye muscle area and improves beef quality, thereby improving quality of carcass and beef. The proportion of the plant oil mixture should be added at a proportion lower than 5%.

Effects of Chinese Herbal Additive on Immunologic Functions and Productive Performance of Dairy Cows during Heat Stress

[Objective] To study effects of Chinese herbal additive on immunologic functions and productive performance of dairy cows, [Method] A total of 20 healthy dairy cows were randomly divided into control group and experimental group. They were respectively fed a common basal diet and the basal diet containing 100 g Chinese herbal additives. The trial lasted for 49 d. [ Result] The 4% fat corrected milk yield （FCM） production, milk yield after weight correction, quantity of solid-not-fat and ash content in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group （ P 〈 0.01 ）. The total lymphocytes （LYM） number of peripheral blood, the percentage of lymphocytes, and IgG concentration in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group on Day 14, 28 and 42 （ P 〈 0.01 ）. [ Conclusion] The Chinese herbal additive can enhance the lactation performance and immunologic function of dairy cows.