Influence of social dominance on production,welfare and the quality of meat from beef bulls

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of social dominance on some indicators of welfare, production and meat quality of young bulls. A total of 60 bulls of the Gasconne breed, 9 months old, housed indoors were used. Indices of success order were calculated to reflect social dominance of each bull into three ranking categories (low, middle and high). Blood samples were taken to measure cortisol, lactate, glucose, creatine kinase, non-esterified fatty acid and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (N/L). M. longissimus samples were analysed in terms of pH, water holding capacity (WHC), texture, colour and sensorial attributes. Social rank influenced cattle stress response, which had an effect on productive performance but not on meat quality traits, with the exception of the sensory traits. These results emphasize the importance of implementing best management practices during pre-harvest handling of cattle in order to modulate any possible risk factor for social stress.     

Relaxing the universal quantifier of the division in fuzzy relational databases

In a previous paper, we presented an approach to calculate relational division in fuzzy databases, starting with the GEFRED model. This work centered on dealing with fuzzy attributes and fuzzy values and only the universal quantifier was taken into account since it is the inherent quantifier in classical relational division. In this paper, we present an extension of that division to relax the universal quantifier. With this new system we can use both absolute quantifiers and relative quantifiers irrespective of how the function of the fuzzy quantifier is defined. We also include a comparison with other fuzzy division approaches to relax the universal quantifier that have been published. Furthermore, in this paper we have extended the fuzzy SQL language to express any kind of fuzzy division. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Solid solutions of mixed metal Mn3−xMgxFe4(PO4)6 orthophosphates: Colouring performance within a double-firing ceramic glaze

Solid solutions of mixed metal Mn_3−xMg_xFe₄(PO₄)₆ orthophosphates (x = 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, and 3) were prepared for the first time (from coprecipitate powders calcined up to 1000 °C) and characterized by thermal analysis, XRD, SEM/EDX, UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy and colour measurements (CIE-L*a*b*). Orthophosphate (Mn,Mg)_3−yFe_4+z(PO₄)₆ solid solutions isotypic to Fe₇(PO₄)₆ structure (triclinic P-1(2) spatial group) formed successfully as the major crystalline phase within the studied range of compositions, accompanied only by variable quantities of α- and/or β-Mg₂P₂O₇ diphosphates as secondary phases. Noteworthy, the obtained solid solutions were tested as potential ceramic dyes and exhibited an interesting interaction upon enamelling within a double-firing ceramic glaze: considerable amounts of Fe segregated from the solid solutions to be stabilized as hematite particles (α-Fe₂O₃) in the ceramic glaze and conferring the glaze an intense dark-brown colouration, which was almost independent of the amount of Mg doping. Thus, the obtained solid solutions with a minimized Mn content (especially Mg₃Fe₄(PO₄)₆ composition, without Mn) could serve as low-toxicity Fe reservoirs to stabilize hematite in double-firing glazes and produce an interesting dark-brown colouration, being an alternative to other brown ceramic pigments containing hazardous metals (i.e. Cr, Ni, Zn, or Sb).     

New polymer-supported photocatalyst with improved compatibility with polar solvents. Synthetic application using solar light as energy source

A new kind of supported photocatalysts derived from low-crosslinked polystrene, containing Rose Bengal and pyridinium groups, is described. Such polymers are capable to catalyze the quantitative synthesis of 5-hydroxy-5H-furan-2-one from 2-furoic acid in methanol, via singlet oxygen, using solar light as the energy source.     

Foldover Plans for Resolution IV Designs with 11 to 16 Factors

When there is a concern about the best way to apply the foldover technique to a Resolution IV fraction, it is often helpful to consult the literature available. Unfortunately, foldover plans for Resolution IV designs with 11 ≤ k factors are not provided. This article shows a methodology for the selection and classification of foldover plans for two‐level fractional factorial designs with 11 to 16 factors based on an exhaustive search and computer programming. The recommended foldovers are presented. This research extends the current foldover plans available for Resolution IV designs. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determination of the Synthetic Cannabinoids JWH-122, JWH-210, UR-144 in Oral Fluid of Consumers by GC-MS and Quantification of Parent Compounds and Metabolites by UHPLC-MS/MS

The consumption of synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) has significantly increased in the last decade and the analysis of SCs and their metabolites in human specimens is gaining interest in clinical and forensic toxicology. A pilot study has been carried out using a combination of an initial last generation gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) screening method for the determination of JWH-122, JWH-210, UR-144) in oral fluid (OF) of consumers and an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS) confirmatory method for the quantification of the parent compounds and their metabolites in the same biological matrix. OF samples were simply liquid-liquid extracted before injecting in both chromatographic systems. The developed methods have been successfully validated and were linear from limit of quantification (LOQ) to 50 ng/mL OF. Recovery of analytes was always higher than 70% and matrix effect always lower than 15% whereas intra-assay and inter-assay precision and accuracy were always better than 16%. After smoking 1 mg JWH-122 or UR-144 and 3 mg JWH-210, maximum concentration of 4.00–3.14 ng/mL JWH-122, 8.10–7.30 ng/mL JWH-210 ng/mL and 7.40 and 6.81 ng/mL UR-144 were measured by GC-MS and UHPLC-HRMS respectively at 20 min after inhalation. Metabolites of JWH 122 and 210 were quantified in OF by UHPLC-HRMS, while that of UR144 was only detectable in traces. Our results provide for the first time information about disposition of these SCs and their metabolites in consumers OF. Last generation GC-MS has proven useful tool to identify and quantify parent SCs whereas UHPLC-HRMS also confirmed the presence of SCs metabolites in the OF of SCs consumers.     

Compact hierarchical identity-based encryption based on a harder decisional problem

We generalize the decisional problem that was used to prove the security of a well-known hierarchical identity-based encryption scheme by Boneh, Boyen and Goh. We argue that our new problem is strictly harder than the original problem, and thus the security of the aforementioned cryptographic primitive is laid on even stronger foundations.