Slow release somatotropin in dairy heifers and cows fed two levels of energy concentrate. 2. Plasma hormones and metabolites

Fifty Holstein dairy cows (26 primiparous) were used to evaluate effects of level of concentrate and of slow release recombinant bST on plasma hormones and metabolites. Blood was sampled at wk 14 and 20 of lactation, which was 5 and 11 wk after the first bST injection. In addition, at d 3 and 10 after the third bST injection, diurnal profiles of somatotropin and metabolites were studied in 7 bST cows and 5 control cows by blood sampling every 20 min over 6 h. Supplementation by bST enhanced plasma somatotropin and insulin-like growth factor-I but did not significantly affect plasma concentrations of triiodothyronin and insulin. The bST supplementation increased plasma NEFA at wk 14 and reduced uremia at wk 20. Primiparous cows showed higher plasma NEFA and triiodothyronin than multiparous cows at both sampling periods, higher insulin-like growth factor I, and lower beta-hydroxybutyrate at wk 14, and higher glucose and lower insulin at wk 20. In the diurnal kinetic study, bST supplementation did not alter bST spike frequency and duration but increased spike magnitude, the area under the curve above the baseline, and the baseline mean. Sixty-one to 56% of the increase over controls in plasma bST total area was due to increase in the area under the curve above baseline. Preprandial NEFA were increased by bST at d 10.     

Photodecomposition of Bil3 films

The effect of illumination on the transmittance and the structure of Bil₃ films was investigated. Photoexcitation was found to induce structural variation and decomposition of the films into metallic bismuth and free iodine. Moreover, measurements of the electrical conductivity during heating show thermal decomposition of the films and it was found that the temperature of decomposition depends on the thickness of the film.     

Identification of the components of the electroluminescencespectrum of PE excited in uniform fields

The electroluminescence (EL) of insulating polymers is a subject of great interest because it gives insight into aging and breakdown processes. While most of the studies performed on polyolefins are under divergent field configurations, a uniform field is used more and more. However, a convincing interpretation of the emission spectrum has not been given up to now, and some discrepancies have appeared between the spectra recorded under divergent and uniform fields. Wavelength-resolved EL spectra are carried out on metalized polymeric films biased under different ac and dc voltage levels. We show that the light emission consists of two different components with typical field dependence and spectral distribution. One is associated with the luminescence of the polymer, the other is due to photon emission from the metallic layers through the radiative decay of surface plasmons excited by the injection current. The proposed interpretation reconciles the observations made under divergent and uniform fields and allows us to discuss the nature of the chromophores involved in EL     

Transport Properties of K_xV_2O_5·nH_2O Nanocrystalline Films

Five different compositions of K x V 2 O 5 ·nH 2 O(where x=0.00,0.0017,0.0049,0.0064 and 0.0091 mol) were prepared by the sol-gel process.Electrical conductivity and thermoelectric power were measured parallel to the substrate surface in the temperature range of 300-480 K.The electrical conductivity showed that all samples were semiconductors and that conductivity increased with increasing K content.The conductivity of the present system was primarily determined by hopping carrier mobility.The carrier density was evaluated as well.The conduction was confirmed to obey non-adiabatic small polaron hopping.The thermoelectric power or Seebeck effect,increased with increasing K ions content.The results obtained indicated that an n-type semiconducting behavior within the temperature range was investigated.     

Heating and cooling energy demand and related emissions of the German residential building stock under climate change

The housing sector is a major consumer of energy. Studies on the future energy demand under climate change which also take into account future changes of the building stock, renovation measures and heating systems are still lacking. We provide the first analysis of the combined effect of these four influencing factors on the future energy demand for room conditioning of residential buildings and resulting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Germany until 2060. We show that the heating energy demand will decrease substantially in the future. This shift will mainly depend on the number of renovated buildings and climate change scenarios and only slightly on demographic changes. The future cooling energy demand will remain low in the future unless the amount of air conditioners strongly increases. As a strong change in the German energy mix is not expected, the future GHG emissions caused by heating will mainly depend on the energy demand for future heating.     

Slow release somatotropin in dairy heifers and cows fed two levels of energy concentrate. 1. Performance and body condition.

Fifty-two Holstein dairy cows (27 primiparous) were used in a 2 x 2 factorial design during wk 9 to 39 of lactation to assess the effects of slow release recombinant bST (500 mg injected at 14-d intervals) and the effects of the level of energy concentrate in the diet on dairy performance. After a winter period, cows were turned out to pasture at wk 24 of lactation. During winter, cows given low concentrate (2.5 vs. 5.4 kg DM/d) ate significantly more corn silage (13.9 vs. 11.9 kg DM/d), so that treatment had no significant effect on any measured parameter. The milk yield of bST-supplemented cows increased by 2.1 kg/d (11.0%) throughout the total experimental period. The response did not differ according to parity. Milk fat content and SCC were not altered, but milk protein was lower (.8 g/kg) from cows receiving bST during winter, and lactose increased (.5 g/kg). Lactation curves of bST-supplemented cows showed a cyclic response in milk production. Gross efficiency of milk yield was improved (.18 units) by bST administration without change in diet digestibility. No difference due to bST was found in the health or reproduction of cows. Live weight change did not differ among the groups. Multiparous cows gained body condition (bST-supplemented animals gained less than controls: .1 vs. .7 point on a five-point scale; NS). Control primiparous cows gained body condition (.1 point) but bST-supplemented cows significantly lost body condition (1.4 point).     

Maximal functional capacity in patients with endomyocardial fibrosis

We evaluated objectively the cardiocirculatory dysfunction of patients with EMF, and related the functional class (FC-NYHA) to the data obtained by analysis of maximal functional capacity. We studied 55 subjects, divided into three groups: group 1 (G1) 21 (38.1%) normal persons, group 2 (G2) seven (12.7%) patients with EMF who were in FC I or II, and group 3 (G3) 27 (49%) patients in FC III or IV. Maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) and O2 pulse index (PO2max) were obtained using a Beckman computerized gas analyser. The mean values were significantly different among the three groups. We conclude that the greater the clinical impairment, the greater the alterations that occur in the indices of cardiac function.     

Aniline in vegetable and fruit samples from the Canadian total diet study

An isotope dilution method based on solvent extraction followed by GC–MS analysis was developed and used to determine aniline in vegetable and fruit samples collected from the Canadian total diet study. Aniline was not detected in any of the 23 vegetable samples from the 2005 total diet study at a method detection limit of 0.01 mg kg^–1. Among the 16 fruit samples, it was detected only in apple samples, with an average concentration of 0.278 mg kg^–1. Aniline was not detected in apple samples collected in the 2002, 2003, 2006 or 2007 total diet studies, but it was detected in the apple samples collected from the 2001 and 2004 studies, at concentrations of 0.085 and 0.468 mg kg^–1, respectively. The average aniline concentration for the 2001, 2004 and 2005 apple samples was 0.277 mg kg^–1. Good repeatability of the method was observed with replicate analysis of apple samples, with relative standard deviations (RSD) ranging 3.8–21% and an average of 11%.     

Origin of the pozzolanic effect of rice husks

Rice husk ash has been used in many countries as a low cost concrete admixture because of its role as a filler and a pozzolan. A study is made of an ash produced in Senegal to establish the existence and origin of silica. Two calcinated rice husk ashes were studied. X-Ray diffraction analysis revealed the presence of quartz whose origin may be attributed to contamination and/or re-crystallisation of silica in the calcination. Amorphous silica was detected by scanning electron microscopy and microanalysis, its presence is concentrated on the interior and exterior surfaces of the uncalcinated husk which may promote a pozzolanic action on the surface of the husk and therefore enable its use in lightweight concrete.