Methane production,rumen fermentation,and diet digestibility of Holstein and Jersey dairy cows being divergent in residual feed intake and fed at 2 forage-to-concentrate ratios

Improving feed efficiency of dairy cows through breeding is expected to reduce enteric methane production per unit of milk produced. This study examined the effect of 2 forage-to-concentrate ratios on methane production, rumen fermentation, and nutrient digestibility in Holstein and Jersey dairy cows divergent in residual feed intake (RFI). Before experimental onset, RFI was estimated using a random regression model on phenotypic herd data. Ten lactating Holstein and 10 lactating Jersey cows were extracted from the herd and allocated to a high or low pre-experimental RFI group of 5 animals each within breed. Cows were fed ad libitum with total mixed rations either low (LC) or high (HC) in concentrates during 3 periods in a crossover design with a back-cross and staggered approach. Forage-to-concentrate ratio was 68:32 for LC and 39:61 for HC. Cows adapted to the diets in 12 to 24 d and feces were subsequently collected on 2 d. Afterward, gas exchange was measured in respiration chambers and rumen liquid was collected once after cows exited the chambers. Pre-experimental RFI was included in the statistical analysis as a class (low and high RFI) or continuous variable. Methane per kilogram of dry matter intake (DMI) was lower for Holsteins than Jerseys and the response to increased concentrate level was more pronounced for Holsteins than Jerseys (27.2 vs.13.8%); a similar pattern was found for the acetate:propionate ratio. However, methane production per kilogram of energy-corrected milk (ECM) was unaffected by breed. Further, total-tract digestibility of neutral detergent fiber was higher for Jerseys than Holsteins. For RFI as a class variable, DMI, methane production regardless of the expression, and digestibility were unaffected by RFI. For RFI as a continuous variable, DMI was lower and methane per kilogram of DMI was higher for cows with negative (efficient) than positive (inefficient) RFI values, and neutral detergent fiber digestibility was higher for Holsteins with negative than positive RFI values, but not for Jerseys. Daily methane production and methane per kilogram of ECM were unaffected by RFI. In conclusion, methane per kilogram of DMI of Jerseys was lowered to a smaller extent in response to the HC diet than of Holsteins. When pre-experimental RFI was used as a continuous variable, higher methane per kilogram of DMI was found for cows with negative RFI than positive RFI values, but not for methane per kilogram of ECM. These findings call for validation in larger studies.     

An electrochemical technique for the reduction of aromatic nitro compounds

A preparative technique for the electroreduction of aromatic nitro compounds using a copper cathode, a lead anode and a porous pot diaphragm with 30–40% H₂SO₄ as the anolyte and 30–40% H₂SO₄ containing 2–3% Ti(SO₄)₂ as the catholyte is reported. Nitrobenzene, dinitrobenzenes, nitrotoluenes, phenols, phenetoles and nitrochlorobenzenes have been reduced by this method. Slightly modified techniques were employed for some compounds such as 2-nitro-m-xylene. The results of some pilot plant studies are also reported. The studies indicate that on smaller scales this technique may be competitive with metal/acid systems with the additional advantage of less pollution problems.     

Ficolin-2 Plasma Level Assesses Liver Fibrosis in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Fibrosis is the strongest predictor for disease-specific mortality in non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLD), but the need for liver biopsy limits its diagnosis. We assessed the performance of plasma ficolin-2 (FCN-2) as a biomarker of fibrosis identified by an in silico discovery strategy. Two hundred and thirty-five morbidly obese (MO) subjects with biopsy-proven NAFLD stratified by fibrosis stage (F0, n = 44; F1, n = 134; F2, n = 46; F3/F4, n = 11) and 40 cirrhotic patients were enrolled. The cohort was subdivided into discovery (n = 76) and validation groups (n = 159). The plasma level of FCN-2 and other candidate markers was determined. FCN-2 was inversely correlated with the stage of liver fibrosis (ρ = −0.49, p < 0.001) independently of steatosis (p = 0.90), inflammation (p = 0.57), and ballooning (p = 0.59). In the global cohort, FCN-2 level decreased significantly in a stepwise fashion from F0/F1 (median 4753 ng/mL) to F2–F3–F4 (2760 ng/mL) and in cirrhotic subjects (1418 ng/mL). The diagnostic performance of FCN-2 in detecting F ≥ 2 was higher than other indexes (APRI, FIB-4) (AUROC 0.82, 0.68, and 0.6, respectively). The accuracy improved when combined with APRI score and HDL values (FCNscore, AUROC 0.85). Overall, the FCN-2 plasma level can accurately discriminate liver fibrosis status (minimal vs. moderate/advanced) significantly improving the fibrosis diagnostic algorithms.     

Dietary intakes and food sources of fat and fatty acids in Guatemalan schoolchildren: A cross-sectional study

Background  

Consumption of healthy diets that contribute with adequate amounts of fat and fatty acids is needed for children. Among Guatemalan children, there is little information about fat intakes. Therefore, the present study sought to assess intakes of dietary fats and examine food sources of those fats in Guatemalan children.     

Characteristics of traditionally processed shea kernels and butter

The traditional production of shea butter requires a heat treatment of the nuts. This study compared the end products derived by two commonly used heat treatments, namely smoking and boiling followed by sun‐drying. Neither treatment influenced the moisture content of the kernels (8–10%), but the boiling treatment resulted in more free fatty acids (FFA) (6%) and a higher fat content (41%) of kernels. A sensory panel preferred shea butter from boiled kernels because of its soft texture and intense smell. This butter also had the highest values for moisture content (2%), unsaponifiable matter (7%), tocopherol compounds (125 mg g^?1), peroxide value (8 meq O₂ kg^?1), iodine value (53 mg I₂ 100 g^?1) and FFA (2%). Minor variations were noticed in the fatty acid profile. Aside from the use of butter from both boiled and smoked kernels in cosmetics, the butter from smoked kernels will be more suitable for food purposes.     

A Water Surface Wave-Height Radio Telemeter

ABSTRACT

This paper discusses the evolution of a telemetric device that enables the remote measurement of surface wave height on a freshwater lake. The basic instrumentation package uses an anchored, insulated metal probe as a capacitive sensor element to determine peak wave amplitudes up to 1 m; the probe also serves as the mechanical support for a lightweight UHF radio-link antenna. The principal system design considerations and circuit details of the baseband signal processing stages are included; representative test results are documented.     

Laser chemical vapor deposition of TiC on tantalum

Laser chemical vapor deposition (LCVD) of titanium carbide (TiC) coatings onto tantalum substrates using hydrogen gas, titanium tetrachloride (TiCl₄) and either methane (CH₄) or acetylene (C₂H₂) source gasses was investigated. The influences of the molar ratio of the source gases and the deposition temperature on the phase assemblage, composition, and morphology of the coatings was examined. Using C₂H₂, nearly stoichiometric coatings were produced at 1000°C and at a TiCl₄/C₂H₂ ratio of 1/0.4. Stoichiometric coatings were also produced using CH₄ but the deposition temperature was 400°C higher and a much larger fraction of the carbon source was required compared to C₂H₂. Although deposition rates were much slower when using CH₄, the coatings exhibited a smoother surface finish and had a higher density compared to those produced using C₂H₂. The suitability of CH₄ and C₂H₂ as carbon sources for depositing stoichiometric, phase-pure coatings is discussed in light of these results.     

Artificial intelligence and natural magic

Robotics with AI is part of a long tradition that has run from ancient times that treated the precursors of robots, the automata, as part of Natural Magic or conjury. Deception is an integral part of AI and robotics; in some ways they form a science of illusion. There are many robot tasks, such as caring for the elderly, minding children, doing domestic chores and being companionable, that involve working closely with humans and so require some illusion of animacy and thought. We discuss how the natural magic of robotics is assisted by the cultural myth of AI together with innate human predispositions such as zoomorphism, the willing suspension of disbelief and a tendency to interpret AI devices as part of the social world. This approach provides a justifiable way of meeting the goals of AI and robotics provided that researchers do not allow themselves to be deceived by their own illusions.     

Selective doping of silicon by rapid thermal and laser assisted processes

The selective doping technique, made by the combination of spin-on dopant (SOD) source deposition, rapid thermal annealing (RTA) and laser treatments is proposed as an innovative process for large area devices, like silicon solar cells.Rapid thermal diffusion (RTD) is first carried out from phosphorus SOD layers to form a lightly doped junction followed by pulsed laser irradiation to induce overdoping in selectively chosen regions.Here we present extensive study on the dependence of selective doping efficiency through different working variables, such as dopant source dilution, diffusion temperature and time for RTPs, and power and translation velocity for lasers. Electrical and structural characterizations have been performed by using several techniques: SIMS, stripping-Hall, four-point probe resistivity, SEM and TEM analysis.The combined use of these processes has been applied to the realization of selective emitter structures for silicon solar cells.     

Kinetics of decarburisation of levitating liquid iron drops by carbon dioxide

Decarburisation experiments were carried out by levitating liquid iron droplets in a flowing gas stream containing carbon dioxide at 1723K. Decarburisation of liquid iron droplets by carbon dioxide can be adequately described by the mixed control of gas phase mass transport and dissociative chemisorption of carbon dioxide. Carbon monoxide in the gas phase does not have any significant effect on the rate of decarburisation. The rate of decarburisation decreases significantly with increase in sulphur content in the melt and this effect can be quantitatively explained using the Langmuir isotherm. Adsorption coefficient of sulphur is found to be 200. Influence of phosphorus and chromium in the melt on the rate of decarburisation is negligibly small.