Commercial Mineral Research Articles

Behavior of Nitrate-Nitrogen and Nitrite-Nitrogen in Drinking Water.

Nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) and nitrite-nitrogen (NO2-N) are constituents of the nitrogen cycle. NO3-N is toxic to humans, primarily due to its reduction to NO2-N. In Japan, NO3-N and NO2-N levels in tap water must not exceed 10 mg/L and only NO2-N alone not 0.04 mg/L, respectively. In this study, we verified the effect of microorganisms and ultraviolet (UV) to increase of NO2-N in water. First, all tested drinking-waters including tap water and commercial mineral water in PET bottles had < 2 mg/L NO3-N and undetectable levels (< 0.01 mg/L) of NO2-N. However, we found that NO2-N was generated in tap water left to stand at room temperature for several days, leading to increases in CF and TC counts and reduction of NO3-N. We also demonstrated that direct UV and sunlight irradiation of NO3-N-containing drinking water generated NO2-N in 1-2 h, with NO2-N reaching > 0.04 mg/mL by 4-6 h. On the other hand, NO3-N and NO2-N were undetectable in commercially purified water.

The system of main categories of integral assessment of mining technologies

The evaluation of rationality and efficiency of mining technologies of mining operations and the development of solid commercial minerals deposits as a whole is given. It is considered and justified as big and rather topical problem. Methodological framework of its solution is represented by a system of evaluation categories the base of which is represented by criteria, indices and parameters of mining technologies. Original component of evaluation system is a some kind of sub-system of evaluation criteria. Indices for each type of criteria representing in some extent their content are represented as a central unit, the parameters of mining technologies are represented as components of evaluation system, and subsequently substantial expression of criteria, and indices.

Reformulated mineral trioxide aggregate components and the assessments for use as future dental regenerative cements

Mineral trioxide aggregate, which comprises three major inorganic components, namely, tricalcium silicate (C3S), dicalcium silicate (C2S), and tricalcium aluminate (C3A), is promising regenerative cement for dentistry. While mineral trioxide aggregate has been successfully applied in retrograde filling, the exact role of each component in the mineral trioxide aggregate system is largely unexplored. In this study, we individually synthesized the three components, namely, C3S, C2A, and C3A, and then mixed them to achieve various compositions (a total of 14 compositions including those similar to mineral trioxide aggregate). All powders were fabricated to obtain high purity. The setting reaction of all cement compositions was within 40 min, which is shorter than for commercial mineral trioxide aggregate (~150 min). Over time, the pH of the composed cements initially showed an abrupt increase and then plateaued (pH 10–12), which is a typical behavior of mineral trioxide aggregate. The compression and tensile strength of the composed cements increased (2–4 times the initial values) with time for up to 21 days in an aqueous medium, the degree to which largely depended on the composition. The cell viability test with rat mesenchymal stem cells revealed no toxicity for any composition except C3A, which contained aluminum. To confirm the in vivo biological response, cement was retro-filled into an extracted rat tooth and the complex was re-implanted. Four weeks post-operation, histological assessments revealed that C3A caused significant tissue toxicity, while good tissue compatibility was observed with the other compositions. Taken together, these results reveal that of the three major constituents of mineral trioxide aggregate, C3A generated significant toxicity in vitro and in vivo, although it accelerated setting time. This study highlights the need for careful consideration with regard to the composition of mineral trioxide aggregate, and if possible (when other properties are satisfactory), the C3A component should be avoided, which can be achieved by the mixture of individual components.

Analyses of anti-wear and extreme pressure properties of castor oil with zinc oxide nano friction modifiers

The present work investigated the tribological properties of zinc oxide nano friction modifiers (FM) based castor oil in different concentrations between steel surfaces. The nano lubricants were prepared by dispersing zinc oxide nano FMs of varying weight percentage. The anti-wear and extreme pressure tests were conducted using a four-ball test rig. The surfaces of the tested balls were characterized using scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive system and three dimensional profilometer. After the tribo tests it was observed that both anti-wear and extreme pressure properties of the castor oil samples enhanced with the addition of ZnO nano friction modifiers up to a certain concentration of zinc oxide (0.1%) nano friction modifiers, beyond which not much improvement in the coefficient of friction was noticed but wear rate increased. The formation of tribo film due to the adsorption and adherence of nano friction modifiers on the surfaces were responsible in reducing the wear properties. The results show that castor oil can be a good choice as a green lubricant for the replacement of commercial mineral oils, with optimal additivation.

Mineralogy and Formation Conditions of Novoshirokinsky Base Metal–Gold Deposit, Eastern Transbaikal Region, Russia

This article presents the new mineralogical, fluid inclusion, and isotopic data for ores of the Novoshirokinsky base metal–gold deposit. Mineralogical sequence is supplemented and specified. The mineral assemblages containing native gold are studied. Morphology, grain size and chemical composition of native gold are described. Major parameters and composition of mineralizing fluids of the main ore stages at the deposit are estimated: main base metal (mid-temperature conditions, fluid salinity 3.1–13.1 wt % equiv NaCl) and carbonate–base metal (low-temperature conditions, fluid salinity 1.0–12.9 wt % equiv. NaCl). Sulfur isotopic composition of sulfides from commercial mineral assemblages has been studied. The δ34S value (+10.5 ± 1‰) of mineralizing fluid has been calculated. The Novoshirokinsky deposit is similar to epithermal deposits and is spatially related to the Late Jurassic porphyry system. Evidence is provided on carbonate rocks of basement involved in the ore-forming process.

Rendimento do feijoeiro comum em função da aplicação de fertilizantes minerais nitrogenados em cobertura

With the intention to reduce losses of nitrogen (N) resulting from soil fertilization, several modified nitrogen fertilizers are being made available to growers. This study aimed to evaluate the response of common beans to nitrogen fertilizers applied in topdressing. The experiment was conducted in Vacaria, Southern of Brazil, on an Oxisol with 516 g kg-1 clay, pH = 5.2 and 46 g kg-1 organic matter. The experimental area was previously an apple orchard for twenty years. The treatments included the following commercial mineral fertilizers: conventional urea, Super N®, Kimcoat N®, Nitro Mais®, Super Nitro®, Producote®, Sulfammo Meta 29® and ammonium nitrate, all applied at a rate of 60 kg ha-1, in topdressing, in addition to a control without application of N. The availability of N in soil, N in the leaves, protein in the grain, mass of 1,000 grains, and grain yield was evaluated. The average grain yield across treatments was 3,770 kg ha-1 and was not affected by any N fertilizer applied at topdressing. In addition, N fertilizers did not affect any soil and plant evaluated attribute, including N availability in the soil 21 days after application. Thus, soil organic matter supplied all N needed to the plants, mainly due to the good rainfall distribution.

Comparison of performance and emissions of a CRDI diesel engine fuelled with biodiesel of different origin

In the present paper, laboratory produced, animal origin biofuels (swine lard and turkey lard had been used as raw material for biofuel production) were evaluated in terms of physicochemical parameters and compared with commercial mineral diesel fuel and its mixture with rapeseed oil methyl esters. Basing on the results of physicochemical parameters assessment, mixtures containing 75% share of bio-component were preselected for further engine tests. The engine tests were performed on a medium-duty, turbocharged, Common Rail, Direct Injection (CRDI) diesel engine, using factory control maps. The scope of experiments included steady state measurements for two rotational speeds (1500 and 3000 RPM), for which full load sweep had been performed. Two injection strategies were utilized: single pulse (for 3000 RPM) and multi-pulse injection (1500 RPM). The research covered evaluation of engine performance parameters and full exhaust emissions. Furthermore, detailed combustion analysis was performed.The study confirmed that high quality fuel can obtained from waste fatty material. The mixtures containing up to 75% of bio-component are suitable for modern CRDI combustion engines, though slight deterioration of engine performance parameters can be expected. An average brake specific fuel consumption increased by 13% compared to reference, for biodiesel mixtures derived from animal fatty material. At the same time a 3% increase against rapeseed oil/diesel mixture was recorded. This was correlated with a minor reduction of brake fuel conversion efficiency, but the average drop didn’t exceed 2% for all examined biodiesels.A significant reduction in exhaust gas emissions was observed, when comparing biofuel operation to reference diesel. The use of swine lard methyl ester/diesel mixture caused average reduction of hydrocarbon concentration (THC) by 13%, carbon monoxide (CO) by 22% and carbon dioxide (CO2) by 7%. The turkey biodiesel emission results were respectively: 9%, 20% and 6% reduced. NOx emission increased on average by 7% for both animal origin biofuels.

Tribological behavior of refined, bleached and deodorized palm kernel as an alternative lubricant

The effects of zinc dialkyl dithiophosphate (ZDDP) concentration on tribological behavior of the Refined, Bleached, and Deodorized (RBD) palm kernel were analyzed using a pin-on-disk tribotester. RBD palm kernel was selected as a base lubricant due to its availability, low price, renewability, and being environmentally friendly. Commercial mineral oil (SAE 40) was used for comparison. The tests were performed at 2.5 m/s sliding speed under 9.8 N applied load for 60 minutes at 25°C temperature (±2°C). Worn surface of the pin was measured by the optical microscope to understand the wear mechanism involved. Compared with SAE 40, experimental results show that the addition of 5 wt% of ZDDP reduced the coefficient of friction to 21%. However, the anti-wear property was still lower, approximately at 23%. Besides, the tribological behavior of RBD palm kernel was improved with ZDDP additive concentration above 1 wt% where the best performance was at 5 wt%. At this concentration level, ZDDP additive was able to protect the surface against wear and oxidation and, at the same time, reduce coefficient of friction, wear rate, and surface roughness values.

Are there Viruses in Industrial Bioleaching Econiches?

Detailed descriptions of the consortia present in commercial mineral processing operations have emerged in recent years, improving our understanding of the biology and the ecology of bioleaching. In spite of this progress, one of the aspects of biomining microbial ecology that remains un-tackled is that of virus-host interactions. The effects of viruses on the dynamics of the bioleaching microbial consortia and their impact in metal recovery is presently unknown. To begin addressing this issue we asked a basic question: ¿Are there viruses in industrial bioleaching econiches? In this work, we answer that question experimentally, assessing the number and types of viral particles recovered in the leachates from different industrial settings, using epifluorescence and transmission electron microscopy. Findings emerging from this work point to an almost null presence of viral particles in the leachates from mineral processing operations, possibly due to structural stability issues of the particles in the extreme acidic and highly oxidant conditions favoured by their potential microbial hosts. In turn, DNA-loaded viral-size vesicles of presently unknown function are frequent and abundant in all samples analysed.

The effect of source of supplemental dietary calcium and magnesium in the peripartum period, and level of dietary magnesium postpartum, on mineral status, performance, and energy metabolites in multiparous Holstein cows

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of feeding different supplemental sources of Ca and Mg in the peripartum period, and different dietary levels of Mg postpartum, on plasma mineral status, performance, and aspects of energy metabolism in transition dairy cows. Multiparous Holstein cows (n = 41) were used in a completely randomized design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments starting at 28 d before expected parturition. Main effects were source assignments (CS = common sources of supplemental Ca and Mg, or MA = a blend of common and commercial mineral sources with supplemental minerals primarily from a commercial Ca-Mg dolomite source; MIN-AD, Papillon Agricultural Company Inc., Easton, MD) beginning at 21 d before due date; cows were further randomized within source treatments to 1 of 2 levels of Mg supplementation (LM = formulated postpartum diet Mg at 0.30% of dry matter (DM), or HM = formulated postpartum diet Mg at 0.45% of DM) beginning within 1 d after parturition. Final treatment groups included the following: common source, low Mg (CS-LM, n = 11); common source, high Mg (CS-HM, n = 11); MIN-AD, low Mg (MA-LM, n = 10); and MIN-AD, high Mg (MA-HM, n = 9). Treatment diets were fed and data collected through 42 d in milk. Postpartum plasma Mg concentrations tended to be higher for cows fed HM and cows fed CS, but no effects were observed on peripartum plasma Ca concentrations. Peripartum plasma P concentrations were higher for cows fed MA. Dry matter intake (DMI) in the prepartum period was higher for cows fed MA (CS = 15.9 vs. MA = 16.8 kg/d) and postpartum DMI was higher in some groups depending on week. Plasma nonesterified fatty acid concentrations were lower for cows fed MA during both the prepartum and postpartum periods. A source by level interaction was observed for postpartum plasma β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) concentrations such that cows fed CS-LM had numerically higher BHB and cows fed MA-LM had numerically lower BHB (geometric means; CS-LM = 7.9, CS-HM = 6.9, MA-LM = 6.3, and MA-HM = 7.3 mg/dL) than cows fed the other 2 treatments. Higher milk fat yield, milk fat content, and fat- and energy-corrected yield during wk 1 for cows fed MA resulted in source by week interactions for these outcomes. This study demonstrated that varying supplemental Ca and Mg sources and feeding rates had minimal effect on plasma Ca status despite differences in plasma Mg and P concentrations. Effects on DMI and plasma energy metabolites suggest an opportunity for strategic use of mineral sources in the transition period to promote metabolic health.

The Geochemical Features of Epithermal Gold-Telluride (Au-Te) Ores of the Podgolechnoe Deposit (Central Aldan Ore District, Yakutia)

The Central Aldan ore district is a geologically unique area, representing the conjunction zone of the ancient structures of the Archean–Proterozoic crystalline shield, overlain by the Vendian–Cambrian sedimentary cover. The latter was formed in the Mesozoic by intensive alkaline magmatism. Within the Central Aldan ore district, most of primary gold-ore deposits are confined to the sedimentary cover. Until recently it was considered that only ancient complexes in the crystalline basement contain commercial Au-U mineralization. As a result of the geological exploration works over the period of 2003–2006, the Podgolechnoe deposit was discovered. Gold mineralization in this deposit occurs both in rocks of sedimentary cover and crystalline basement. Ore bodies in rocks of the crystalline basement (A-type alkaline deposits) contain epithermal gold-telluride (Au-Te) mineralization, which is new for Central Aldan ore district. This work presents results of the study of geochemical composition of the Podgolechnoe deposit ores and their comparison with typical epithermal gold-ore deposits. In total, 15 samples were studied. The homogeneity of the sample collection, the correlation between Au and other elements, the enrichment coefficients of elements-admixtures, and the REE distribution were analyzed. It was established that gold ores of the Podgolechnoe deposit are geochemically heterogeneous, but, in general, they correspond to the geochemical spectrum characteristic of the gold ores of A-type epithermal deposits. In contrast to Au-U deposits, common in the studied area, ores of the Podgolechnoe deposit show no correlation between gold and uranium.

Effects of phosphorus supplementation in high-grain diets on blood, chemical and physical parameters of bones of feedlot Nellore bulls

The study was conducted to evaluate the effects of phosphorus supplementation (PS) on blood, chemical and physical parameters from bones of feedlot Nellore bulls. Forty-two animals were distributed in a completely randomised design consisting of three treatments and 14 replicates. The treatments consisted of no supplementary phosphorus (P; T1; 2.4 g P/kg DM), a commercial mineral supplement formulated according to recommendations from the main Brazilian industries of mineral supplements for feedlot beef cattle (T2; 4.2 g P/kg DM) and dicalcium phosphate (T3; 5.0 g P/kg DM) in high-grain diets. The animals submitted or not to PS had similar calcium (Ca) and P values, Ca : P ratio, specific gravity, cortical thickness and bone mineral density in the 12th rib. However, a decrease in magnesium (Mg) concentration was observed in the 12th rib in T1 and T3 treatments throughout the study (P &lt; 0.05). The animals in T1 had lower cortical thickness of the metacarpus (P &lt; 0.05), without compromising its resistance and stiffness (P &gt; 0.05). To evaluate the P status in the animals, we performed the needle test, which allowed an assessment of differences in bone strength on the basis of the resistance to needle penetration on the transverse process (TP) of the lumbar vertebrae. Throughout the trial period, no animals were positive for the needle test conducted in the transverse processes of the lumbar vertebrae. The PS significantly changed parathyroid hormone and alkaline phosphatase concentrations (P &lt; 0.05) and the animals in T1 had lower concentrations of these hormones. However, there was no effect of PS on the concentration of Ca and P in the serum of animals (P &gt; 0.05). The inclusion of a mineral mix supplement in T2 resulted in higher Mg concentrations in the serum of animals (P &gt; 0.05). P supplementation for Nellore bulls, fed high proportions of concentrate during the feedlot period, resulted in no benefits in neither chemical nor physical properties of their bones and the level in the control diet appeared adequate in these circumstances.

Friction and wear response of vegetable oils and their blends with mineral engine oil in a reciprocating sliding contact at severe contact conditions

Although many studies investigating the tribological performance of pure vegetable oils have been conducted, a better understanding of vegetable oil tribological performance at extreme conditions is still needed. Similarly, little work has been carried out to study the influence of the vegetable oils on the performance of a lubricant formed from a blend of vegetable oil and conventional mineral engine oil. This work presents the tribological performance of vegetable oils, and their blends with mineral oil, in a high temperature and contact pressure reciprocating contact. Palm- and soybean-based vegetable oils were mixed with a commercial mineral engine oil at a 1:1 ratio by volume. The conventional mineral oil was also tested to provide a benchmark. The pure palm oil exhibited lower friction than soybean oil, but for the wear performance, this was reversed. The friction performance of the palm oil was competitive to that of the mineral engine oil. The mineral engine oil was far superior in wear resistance over both vegetable oils. When blended with mineral engine oil, both vegetable oils demonstrated a reduction in coefficient of friction when compared to their pure oil states. An improvement in the wear performance was observed for both a blend of palm oil and mineral engine oil (25% improvement) and that of soybean and mineral engine oil (27% improvement). This work shows that for palm oil and soybean oil, the performance of a blended oil is influenced by its vegetable oil component and that tribological characteristics of vegetable oils are dominant. That said, the significant limitation of these vegetable oils is their ability to provide a satisfactory level of wear resistance. It is suggested that any future work in this area should have a greater emphasis on the enhancement of wear resistance.

Commercial Mineral Enhanced Dairy By-Products as Sodium Replacers, Antioxidants and Calcium Fortifiers in Sausages

Sausages are perceived as high in Na and with a too high Na:K ratio. Frankfurter type sausages are regarded as important contributors of sodium in the diet and thereby of health risks. Surplus products from the dairy industry are various mineral powders enriched in either potassium, calcium, or phosphate and include various amounts of lactose. Sausages were produced at 3 sodium levels (equivalent to 13, 15, and 17 g NaCl/kg sausage) using 4 different milk ingredients (a dried skimmed milk powder, a calcium enriched milk powder, a potassium enriched powder, and a lactose enriched powder). The sausages with added calcium and potassium enriched milk powders resulted in the hardest sausages when compared at the same sodium level. Milk mineral addition also produced whiter and less red sausages. No effect on rancidity after 6 wk at chill (4 °C) storage was observed by adding milk minerals, when compared with adding dried skimmed milk powder. A significant advantage of using these milk minerals in sausages is that the Na:K ratio can be reduced from an unhealthy (in this study 36) to a far healthier ratio ( ̴ 2) with limited or no taste changes. High additions of milk calcium (6 g/kg), where Ca-phosphates prevail, added as milk mineral, had no influence on sensory bitterness or aftertaste as typically observed for CaCl2 additions. Ca additions to sausages are presently presumed to be an advantage with respect to human nutrition.

Friction and Wear Phenomena of Vegetable Oil–Based Lubricants with Additives at Severe Sliding Wear Conditions

ABSTRACTThe tribological responses of palm oil and soybean oil, combined with two commercial antiwear additives (zinc dialkyl dithiophosphate and boron compound), were investigated at a lubricant temperature of 100°C and under severe contact conditions in a reciprocating sliding contact. The friction coefficient of palm oil with zinc dialkyl dithiophosphate was closest to the commercial mineral engine oil, with a 2% difference. The soybean oil with zinc dialkyl dithiophosphate produced a 57% improvement in wear resistance compared to its pure oil state. The existence of boron nitride in vegetable oils was only responsive in reduction of wear rather than friction. The response of commercial antiwear additives with vegetable oils showed a potential for the future improvement in the performance of vegetable oils.

Subunit vaccine candidates against Aeromonas salmonicida in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss.

Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. salmonicida is the etiological agent of furunculosis and a major fish health problem in salmonid aquaculture worldwide. Injection vaccination with commercial mineral oil-adjuvanted bacterin vaccines has been partly successful in preventing the disease but in Danish rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss, Walbaum) aquaculture furunculosis outbreaks still occur. In this study we tested the efficacy of experimental subunit vaccines against A. salmonicida infection in rainbow trout. We utilized in silico screening of the proteome of A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida strain A449 and identified potential protective protein antigens that were tested by in vivo challenge trial. A total of 14 proteins were recombinantly expressed in Escherichia coli and prepared in 3 different subunit vaccine combinations to immunize 3 groups of rainbow trout by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection. The fish were exposed to virulent A. salmonicida 7 weeks after immunization. To assess the efficacy of the subunit vaccines we evaluated the immune response in fish after immunization and challenge infection by measuring the antibody levels and monitoring the survival of fish in different groups. The survival of fish at 3 weeks after challenge infection showed that all 3 groups of fish immunized with 3 different protein combinations exhibited significantly lower mortalities (17–30%) compared to the control groups (48% and 56%). The ELISA results revealed significantly elevated antibody levels in fish against several protein antigens, which in some cases were positively correlated to the survival.

Removal of vanadium from industrial wastewater using iron sorbents in batch and continuous flow pilot systems

This study investigated the removal of vanadium from real industrial wastewater by using six iron materials: commercial iron sorbent (CFH-12), commercial mineral sorbent (AQM), blast furnace sludge (BFS), steel converter sludge (SCS), ferrochrome slag (FeCr) and slag from a steel foundry (OKTO). Batch tests revealed that CFH-12 (ferric oxyhydroxide) removed vanadium most efficiently, which was explained by its high iron content and the amorphous form of the iron, and that the sorption followed the Langmuir isotherm. With a dosage of 10 g/l and an initial vanadium concentration of 58.2 mg/l, 91–94% removal rates for vanadium were achieved in the studied pH range (3–9). Other sorbents showed significantly lower efficiency than CFH-12, with the exception of BFS at acidic pH (93%). Based on the batch test results, CFH-12 was selected for a pilot study made on site. The pilot study demonstrated the feasibility of CFH-12 to remove vanadium at high temperature (80 °C) from concentrated industrial wastewater with fluctuating water quality (vanadium concentration varied from 51 to 83 mg/l, pH about 9 (at 25 °C)). Leaching of impurities (mainly S, Ca, Mg and K) into the effluent occurred during the first day, but subsequently good quality effluent was produced (e.g. <0.1 mg/l V). During the pilot study, the amorphous iron material of CFH-12 was crystallized into a hematite-like phase (Fe1.67 H0.99 O3), and goethite (FeO(OH)) with a higher average pore diameter, probably due to the hot process conditions to which CFH-12 was exposed for over five days.

Effect of Supplementation of Area Specific Mineral Mixture on Serum Mineral Status of Cattle in Different Agro-climatic Zones of Chhattisgarh State

In the present study effect of feeding area specific mineral mixture on the serum mineral status of cattle in different agro climatic zones (plateau, plain and hills) of Chhattisgarh state was studied. The soil and fodder mineral status of different zones were analyzed. Macro minerals were below desired level in soil of hill region followed by plateau and plain whereas Mg level in soils of different zones were well above the critical level. Soil Fe, Mo concentration was above whereas Mn, Co, Zn concentration was deficient in all the three zones. Cu level was normal in hill region whereas, it was lower in Plateau and Plain. Fodder concentration of Cu, Zn exhibited direct relationship with soil mineral status whereas no direct association was observed for Ca and p concentration. In each zone fifteen cattle were selected and divided into three groups for different dietary treatments like negative control-no mineral supplementation; control-commercial mineral mixture supplementation @ 80 gm/day and treatment-area specific mineral mixture @ 80 gm/day. No significant relationship between fodder and serum mineral status could be established, indicative of unsuitability of fodder mineral status in assessing the mineral status. Serum concentration of specific minerals at different zones revealed no significant difference in response to commercial and area specific mineral mixture supplementation. Supplementation of area specific mineral mixture was not essential for agro-climatic zones of Chhattisgarh.

Protective Effect of Chemical and Biological Mycotoxin Binder on Growth Performance, Serum Biochemistry and Carcass Traits in Broiler Chicks Fed on Aflatoxin Contaminated Diet

A total of 210 one-day-old dual purpose chicks of mixed sex were used to determine the activity of the chemical (based on organic acids salt) or biological (containing live yeast, yeast cell wall and some enzymes) commercial mycotoxin binder and minerals and to evaluate the protective effects of the binder on performance, carcass quality, some blood biochemical changes and immune status of broilers fed with Aflatoxin B1. The chicks were randomly allotted into 6 equal groups, the first group fed on the basal diet without any supplementation and considered as control, while groups 2 – 3 fed on the same basal diet with chemical and biological mycotoxin binder supplementation through drinking water respectively, while group 4 – 6 fed as mentioned for the first three groups with aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) contamination from 22th days of broiler age at a rate of 1mg of AFB1/Kg diet. It was found that aflatoxin feed contamination without mycotoxin binder supplementation significantly (P≤0.05) reduced the growth performance and deteriorated the feed efficiency parameters compared with broiler chicken group fed on the same diet without aflatoxin B1 contamination. On the other hand, chemical or biological mycotoxin binder supplementation with aflatoxin B1 contamination counteract the deleterious effect of aflatoxin B1 and significantly (P≤0.05) improved the growth performance compared with broiler chicken fed on the contaminated diet without mycotoxin binder supplementation. Our data indicated that mycotoxin binder supplementation significantly (P≤0.05) improved the immune response via increase the serum proteins level and improvement the WBCs level especially lymphocytes and neutrophils, phagocytic activity and index, antibodies production and immune organs weight of broiler chicken compared with control group fed on the basal diet without mycotoxin binder supplementation. It can be concluded that biological binder more immune stimulant in broiler chicken compared with chemical mycotoxin binder source.

Individual Learning Route as a Way of Highly Qualified Specialists Training for Extraction of Solid Commercial Minerals Enterprises

In view of changing educational paradigm (adopting of two-tier system of higher education concept - undergraduate and graduate programs) a need of using of modern learning and information and communications technologies arises putting into practice learner-centered approaches in training of highly qualified specialists for extraction and processing of solid commercial minerals enterprises. In the unstable market demand situation and changeable institutional environment, from one side, and necessity of work balancing, supplying conditions and product quality when mining-and-geological parameters change, from the other side, mining enterprises have to introduce and develop the integrated management process of product and informative and logistic flows under united management system. One of the main limitations, which keeps down the developing process on Russian mining enterprises, is staff incompetence at all levels of logistic management. Under present-day conditions extraction and processing of solid commercial minerals enterprises need highly qualified specialists who can do self-directed researches, develop new and improve present arranging, planning and managing technologies of technical operation and commercial exploitation of transport and transportation and processing facilities based on logistics. Learner-centered approach and individualization of the learning process necessitate the designing of individual learning route (ILR), which can help the students to realize their professional facilities according to requirements for specialists for extraction and processing of solid commercial minerals enterprises.