Poultry feed metabolizable energy determination using total or partial excreta collection methods

The aim of this work was to compare the efficiency of total (TC) or partial (PC) collection excreta methods to determine metabolizable energy in poultry feeds. A number of 180 12- to 21-day-old broilers were distributed into two treatments of six replicates of 10 birds each. A reference-diet was formulated to supply broiler requirements, and the test-diets consisted of 60% of reference diets and 40% of corn or soybean meal. Celite was added at 1% to the diets as a marker. Excreta and diet samples were analyzed for dry matter, energy, nitrogen, and acid-insoluble ash (AIA). AME of corn determined by partial collection (PC) was higher (3544 kcal/kg) as compared to total collection (TC) (3133 kcal/kg). However, no difference were observed for soybean meal (1797 vs. 1821 kcal/kg) between both methods. Marker recovery rates in the excreta were 101, 111, and 96% for the basal-diet, and the test-diets with corn or soybean meal, respectively. This result indicates the importance of marker recovery rate in the excreta to evaluate feed AME and digestibility.

Flexural strength of acrylic resin repairs processed by different methods: water bath, microwave energy and chemical polymerization

Denture fractures are common in daily practice, causing inconvenience to the patient and to the dentists. Denture repairs should have adequate strength, dimensional stability and color match, and should be easily and quickly performed as well as relatively inexpensive. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the flexural strength of acrylic resin repairs processed by different methods: warm water-bath, microwave energy, and chemical polymerization. Material and methods: Sixty rectangular specimens (31x10x2.5 mm) were made with warm water-bath acrylic resin (Lucitone 550) and grouped (15 specimens per group) according to the resin type used to make repair procedure: 1) specimens of warm water-bath resin (Lucitone 550) without repair (control group); 2) specimens of warm water-bath resin repaired with warm water-bath; 3) specimens of warm water-bath resin repaired with microwave resin (Acron MC); 4) specimens of warm water-bath resin repaired with autopolymerized acrylic resin (Simplex). Flexural strength was measured with the three-point bending in a universal testing machine (MTS 810 Material Test System) with load cell of 100 kgf under constant speed of 5 mm/min. Data were analyzed statistically by Kruskal-Wallis test (p<0.05). Results: The control group showed the best result (156.04 +/- 1.82 MPa). Significant differences were found among repaired specimens and the results were decreasing as follows: group 3 (43.02 +/- 2.25 MPa), group 2 (36.21 +/- 1.20 MPa) and group 4 (6.74 +/- 0.85 MPa). Conclusion: All repaired specimens demonstrated lower flexural strength than the control group. Repairs with autopolymerized acrylic resin showed the lowest flexural strength.

Two thermal methods to measure the energy fluence of a brief exposure of diagnostic x rays

This paper describes two simple thermal methods for measuring the energy fluence in J/cm 2 from a diagnostic x-ray exposure. Both detectors absorb essentially 100% of the radiation and give a signal that is directly proportional to the energy fluence of the x-ray beam. One detector measures the thermal effect when a pulse of x rays is totally absorbed in the pyroelectric detector of lead-zirconium-titanate (PZT). The other detector measures the expansion of a gas surrounding a lead disk detector in a photoacoustic chamber. The increased pressure of the gas is transmitted through a 1-mm duct to a sensitive microphone. Both detectors have previously been used to measure the energy fluence rate of continuous x-ray beams in the same energy region using a chopped beam and a lock-in amplifier. Measurement of the energy fluence of a pulse of radiation eliminates the need for the beam chopper and lock-in amplifier and results in a simple, rugged, and inexpensive dosimeter. Either method can be combined with the area of the beam to give an estimate of the imparted energy to the patient from a diagnostic x-ray exposure.

Support area as an indicator of environmental load: Comparison between Embodied Energy, Ecological Footprint, and Emergy Accounting methods

Environmental aspects have been acknowledged as an important issue in decision making at any field during the last two decades. There are several available methodologies able to assess the environmental burden, among which the Ecological Footprint has been widely used due to its easy-to-understand final indicator. However, its theoretical base has been target of some criticisms about the inadequate representation of the sustainability concept by its final indicator. In a parallel way, efforts have been made to use the theoretical strength of the Emergy Accounting to obtain an index similar to that supplied by the Ecological Footprint. Focusing on these aspects, this work assesses the support area (SA) index for Brazilian sugarcane and American corn crop through four different approaches: Embodied Energy Analysis (SA(EE)), Ecological Footprint (SA(EF)), Renewable Empower Density (SA(R)), and Emergy Net Primary Productivity (SA(NPP)). Results indicate that the load on environment varies accordingly to the methodology considered for its calculation, in which emergy approach showed the higher values. Focusing on crops comparison, the load by producing both crops are similar with an average of 0.04 ha obtained by SA(EE), 1.86 ha by SA(EF), 4.24 ha by SA(R), and 4.32 ha by SA(NPP). Discussion indicates that support area calculated using Emergy Accounting is more eligible to represent the load on the environment due to its global scale view. Nevertheless, each methodology has its contribution depending of the study objectives, but it is important to consider the real meaning and the scope of each one. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Digestibility and metabolizable energy of maize gluten feed for dogs as measured by two different techniques

Maize gluten feed (MGF) is a co-product of wet milling of maize, and is composed of structures that remain after most starch, gluten and germ has been extracted from the grain. Although currently used in dog foods, its digestibility and energy values have not been documented. Two techniques were used to determine nutrient digestibility of MGF for dog foods. Both techniques used extruded diets fed to Beagle dogs, with six replicates per diet. The first study used a difference method in which 300 g/kg of a reference diet was replaced by MGF. Based on the difference method, the coefficient of total tract apparent digestibility (CTTAD) of MGF was 0.53 for dry matter (DM), 0.69 for crude protein (CP), 0.74 for fat, 0.99 for starch, and 0.55 for gross energy (GE). The calculated metabolizable energy (ME) of MGF was 7.99 MJ/kg (as-fed). The second study used a regression method and included a basal diet and a basal diet with 70, 140 and 210 g MGF/kg of diet (as a substitute for maize starch). Maize gluten feed inclusion resulted in a linear reduction of CTTAD of DM (R(2)=0.99; P<0.001), CP (R(2)=0.95; P=0.002), fat (R(2)=0.87; P=0.009). starch (R(2)=0.81; P<0.001), and GE (R(2)=0.99; P<0.001). Faecal production increased linearly from 56 g to 107 g/dog/d (R(2)=0.99; P<0.001), with a linear reduction of faecal DM (R(2)=0.99: P<0.001) and a linear increase in faecal lactic acid concentration (P<0.02). Both urine (R(2)=0.77; P=0.029) and faeces (R(2)=0.92: P=0.019) showed a linear reduction in pH. Results of ingredient MAD obtained by the regression and difference methods were close (6% or less of variation) for CP, fat, and starch, and also for ME content (1.4% higher for the difference method), but the two methods disagreed on calculated CTTAD of DM and organic matter. The high dietary fiber content of MGF (382 g/kg) may explain the low digestibility of this ingredient. Maize gluten feed could be a useful ingredient for formulations designed to have low energy or reduce the urine pH of dogs. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The amount of solar energy made available for the production of a sabia (Mimosa caesalpinaefolia Benth.) seed has a determinating effect on its becoming dormant

The amount of solar energy made available for the production of a sabid seed varied as a function of the time of the year, the face of the plant in which, the position in the plant on which and the position in the pod in which it was produced.Variation in solar energy availability as a consequence of the time of the year was a direct consequence of latitude. At 21degrees5'22 S the highest amounts of Global Solar Radiation (GSR) reaching the site where the experiment was conducted took place during the months from November through February. During these months there were no marked differences between any two of the amounts of GSR reaching faces North (N), South (S), West (W) East (E). From February through November (period during which the sabid plants of this study flowered and the resulting seeds matured and were harvested) the total GSR's were the lowest and marked differences were found between faces N and S, with face N receiving much more GSR than face S. During that period, faces W and E received practically the same amount of GSR and it was much less than that received by face N and much more than the one received by face S.The amount of biological energy made available for the development of a seed seemed also to vary according to a dry matter partitioning strategy by the plant -the central third of the plant seemed to be the one receiving the highest amounts of energy, followed either by the upper or the lower third of the plant- it was not very clear which third of the plant immediately followed the central one. The partitioning of biological energy at the pod level also seemed to follow a strategy by which the central seeds would be the ones to receive more, followed by the proximal seeds and these by the distal ones.This availability of energy seemed to have a direct effect on seed size, weight and on the percentage of seeds which showed a degree of dormancy deep enough to prevent their germinating under the conditions of a standard germination test.The implications of these results for the improvement of methods for the overcoming of dormancy of sabia seeds are discussed.

Understanding the Crystallization Mechanism of a Wollastonite Base Glass Using Isoconversional, IKP Methods and Master Plots

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Step Counting and Energy Expenditure Estimation in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Healthy Elderly: Accuracy of 2 Motion Sensors

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Energy expenditure during daily activities as measured by two motion sensors in patients with COPD

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Resting energy expenditure and carbohydrate oxidation are higher in elderly patients with COPD: a case control study

Background: Elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) usually have a compromised nutritional status which is an independent predictor of morbidity and mortality. To know the Resting Energy Expenditure (REE) and the substrate oxidation measurement is essential to prevent these complications. This study aimed to compare the REE, respiratory quotient (RQ) and body composition between patients with and without COPD.Methods: This case-control study assessed 20 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease attending a pulmonary rehabilitation program. The group of subjects without COPD (control group) consisted of 20 elderly patients attending a university gym, patients of a private service and a public healthy care. Consumption of oxygen (O-2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) was determined by indirect calorimetry and used for calculating the resting energy expenditure and respiratory quotient. Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) were also measured. Percentage of body fat (%BF), lean mass (kg) and muscle mass (kg) were determined by bioimpedance. The fat free mass index (FFMI) and muscle mass index (MMI) were then calculated.Results: The COPD group had lower BMI than control (p = 0.02). However, WC, % BF, FFMI and MM-I did not differ between the groups. The COPD group had greater RQ (p = 0.01), REE (p = 0.009) and carbohydrate oxidation (p = 0.002).Conclusions: Elderly patients with COPD had higher REE, RQ and carbohydrate oxidation than controls.

Analysis of failed commercially pure titanium dental implants: A scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive spectrometer X-ray study

Background: the failure of osseointegration in oral rehabilitation has gained importance in current literature and in clinical practice. The integration of titanium dental implants in alveolar bone has been partly ascribed to the biocompatibility of the implant surface oxide layer. The aim of this investigation was to analyze the surface topography and composition of failed titanium dental implants in order to determine possible causes of failure.Methods: Twenty-one commercially pure titanium (cpTi) implants were retrieved from 16 patients (mean age of 50.33 +/- 11.81 years). Fourteen implants were retrieved before loading (early failures), six after loading (late failures), and one because of mandibular canal damage. The failure criterion was lack of osseointegration characterized as dental implant mobility. Two unused implants were used as a control group. All implant surfaces were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive spectrometer x-ray (EDS) to element analysis. Evaluations were performed on several locations of the same implant.Results: SEM showed that the surface of all retrieved implants consisted of different degrees of organic residues, appearing mainly as dark stains. The surface topography presented as grooves and ridges along the machined surface similar to control group. Overall, foreign elements such as carbon, oxygen, sodium, calcium, silicon, and aluminum were detected in failed implants. The implants from control group presented no macroscopic contamination and clear signs of titanium.Conclusion: These preliminary results do not suggest any material-related cause for implant failures, although different element composition was assessed between failed implants and control implants.

Analytical Methods in Photoelectrochemical Treatment of Phenol

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Fungal diversity associated with Brazilian energy transmission towers

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Determination of jet energy calibration and transverse momentum resolution in CMS

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Activation energy for the reverse eutectoid reaction in hypo-eutectoid Cu-Al alloys

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)