Steel Cage Research Articles

In vivo description of body growth and chemical components of egg-laying pullets

In order to describe the growth potential and body chemical composition using the Gompertz function, a total of 360 one-day-old commercial pullets of four different strains (Dekalb White and Brown, and Lohmann White and Brown) (90 pullets/strain) were allotted in stainless steel cages in environmentally controlled room from 1 to 18 weeks of age. Hens were provided water and a unique diet (mash form) throughout 18 weeks and in 15-d-intervals six pullets from each strain had the body composition measured until 18 weeks of age using DXA method. Concomitantly to the DXA measurements, a group of pullets were euthanized and had their body and feather chemical composition determined in order to devise equation to correlate DXA measurements with body chemical composition. Feather composition was determined using chemical analysis. Analyzing the same pullet throughout the aforementioned period using DXA method allowed reducing the error in the prediction of bird growth. The genetic strains assessed in the current research exhibited few differences regarding body and feather growth and their bodily chemical components. The growth parameters described herein are in accordance with those described in literature. With the accurate description of genetic growth rate potential, the amount of nutrient required for maintenance purposes and growth may be predicted though the association of growth curves with factorial models.

Two Porcheddu’s quakeproof buildings in Messina reconstruction

The Porcheddu Company of Turin (importer in North Italy of the Hennebique building system) was charged of 13 projects in Messi-na, after the 1908 quake: the study of the unpublished material in the Porcheddu archive, hosted at DISEG in the Turin Polytechnic sketches out two construction sites for quake-proof housings, the economical homes for the “Unione Messinese” in the Orto Botanico district, with a reinforced concrete frame and the Homes for the State Employees with pillars made of a prefabricated steel cage and on site poured concrete. The two different construction systems testify the business and law debate on quake-proof buildings.

Evaluation of grooming behaviour and apparent digestibility method in cats.

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the behavioural time budget for grooming and grooming patterns for shorthair and longhair cats, and to assess the effect of grooming behaviour on apparent digestibility of nutrients in domestic cats ( Felis catus) by comparing hair-included faeces and hair-removed faeces. A total of 10 adult domestic cats, with a mean ± SD body weight of 4.3 ± 0.89 kg and a mean ± SD age of 3.5 ± 1.38 years, were used for behavioural observation. Cats were housed individually in stainless steel cages at the animal hospital. The cats' behaviour was recorded on a webcam videotaping system for one 24 h period; then, faecal samples were collected and analysed to measure apparent digestibility. There was no significant difference between longhair and shorthair cats in behavioural time budget for grooming and grooming patterns. The apparent digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, crude ash, acid detergent fibre (ADF) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) of hair-removed faeces was significantly higher than that of hair-included faeces: about 6% ( P <0.01), 7% ( P <0.01), 14% ( P <0.01), 12% ( P = 0.01) and 10% ( P <0.01), respectively. There was no difference in grooming patterns between longhair cats and shorthair cats. Also, the digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, crude ash, ADF and NDF has been underestimated by approximately 6%, 7%, 14%, 12%, and 10%, respectively, when they have been calculated using the conventional digestibility method for domestic cats.

Effects of coat length and faecal hair removal on measured nutrient digestibility in cats.

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of coat length and faecal hair removal on measured nutrient digestibility in longhair and shorthair cats. A total of 14 adult domestic cats, with a mean ± SD body weight of 4.5 ± 1.21 kg and a mean ± SD age of 3.3 ± 1.38 years, were used for a nutrient digestibility trial. The nutrient digestibility of cats was measured by hair-included faeces and hair-removed faeces. Food was provided twice daily (09:00 h and 16:00 h) and water was provided ad libitum. Cats were adapted to a steel cage and diet for 16 days before a 10 day collection period. During the collection period, food offered, food refused and faecal output were measured daily and used for digestibility analysis. The digestibility of dry matter, crude protein and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) of longhair cats was underestimated by 8% ( P = 0.02), 9% ( P = 0.04) and 14% ( P = 0.04), respectively. In shorthair cats, the digestibility of dry matter, crude protein and crude ash increased by 4% ( P = 0.01), 5% ( P = 0.02) and 15% ( P <0.01), respectively, with hair-removed faeces. The nutrient digestibility between longhair and shorthair cats showed no difference when hair-included faeces were used. However, when using hair-removed faeces, the digestibility of NDF and amino acids in longhair cats were about 4-8% higher than in shorthair cats ( P <0.05). This study showed that the nutrient digestibility values were affected by whether the hair in faeces was removed or not. Removing hair from faeces is a more precise method with which to evaluate the apparent nutrient digestibility of domestic cats.

ELECTRONIC MONITORING SYSTEM FOR MEASURING HEART RATE AND SKIN TEMPERATURE IN SMALL RUMINANTS

Abstract The electronic monitoring of physiological responses is essential for managing animal production systems considering market demands for animal welfare. The objective of this study was to design, build, and test an electronic monitoring system, with recording and wireless transmission capability, for measuring the heart rate and skin temperature in small ruminants. The system had two components: a mobile base unit, mounted on the animal under study, and a fixed base unit. Wireless communication between the mobile and fixed units was performed using a Xbee Series 2 radio frequency transceiver whereas data were recorded and transferred to a secure digital card in the mobile unit. The device was mounted in Santa Ines crossbred sheep using reference equipment while the animals were restrained in steel cages. Subsequently, the device was validated in free-living Dorper sheep in two collection periods (morning and afternoon). The results indicated that the monitoring system accurately measured physiological responses and efficiently recorded and transmitted data, particularly heart rate data. However, one of the limitations was low energy autonomy.

Bacterial Colonization and Partial Degradation of Plastic Debris in California Coastal Waters

Several studies have addressed the role of microbes associated with plastic marine debris. However, little is known about the nature of microbes attaching to plastic in coastal areas, and how it could potentially impact humans.The goal of this project is to evaluate the microbial diversity on plastic marine debris, specifically the more abundant types of floating plastic (ex. single‐use plastic bags) made of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) in coastal waters. Our hypothesis is that microbes will colonize plastic and that the diversity and abundance of microbial communities will be directly influenced by plastic resin type. We are also interested in colonization of plastic by pathogenic species and/or species with potential to degrade plastic.Three plastic resin types (high density polyethylene (HDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), and polypropylene (PP)) were placed in stainless steel cages, submerged to approx. 50 cm depth in Southern California coastal waters and retrieved at 4 different time points between 3 and 40 days along with water samples for comparative purposes. Two sample sets were collected between May 2016 and May 2017. DNA was extracted and 16S rRNA metagenomic tag sequencing was used to differentiate the microbial community. Colonies grown parallel on Salt Water Agar and Vibrio‐specific media were characterized by 16S amplicon sequencing. In addition, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to analyze the breakdown of plastic over time and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to visualize the biofilms attached to plastic on day 40.Our results indicate that over 40% of the sequences obtained are from unclassified organisms. The three plastic resin types exhibited a diverse assemblage of heterotrophic bacterial taxa, while in water samples photosynthetic genera were the most prevalent. There were differences between plastic resin types and the surrounding water, as well as temporal differences. We did not find evidence of Vibrio cholerae either by 16S metagenomic sequencing or by 16S sequencing of colonies isolated on ChromAgar Vibrio. However, other potentially pathogenic genera such as Francisella and Rickettsia were present on plastic at earlier sampling time points. In addition, all three plastic resins showed signs of chemical degradation over time, and SEM revealed a rich biofilm containing diatoms, bacterial, and protist populations.Together, this study indicates that there are differences in the microbial communities growing on coastal marine plastic debris with potential implications for human health and the environment.Support or Funding InformationThis work was supported by NU College of Letters &amp; Sciences internal grants, the 2016 NU Presidential Award, as well as crowd funding through the Experiment website (DOI 10.18258/7301).This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Wall thickness control in biotubes prepared using type-C mold

A type-C mold based on in-body tissue architecture was previously developed for preparing small-diameter biotube vascular grafts with a 2-mm diameter and approximately 1-mm wall thickness. In this study, the type-C mold was modified for preparing large-diameter biotubes with controlled wall thicknesses. Four types of molds were assembled by inserting silicone center rods (outer diameters 11, 13, 15, 17mm) into stainless steel cages (inner diameter 19mm) and surgically embedded in the abdominal subcutaneous pouches of Holstein cows. After 8-12weeks, connective tissues occupied the rod-cage gap in the molds to form biotubes. The wall thickness of the biotubes obtained after removing the molds was approximately 1-3mm, which corresponded to approximately 80% of each gap distance. The breaking strength almost linearly increased with the wall thickness of the biotubes. The strength of the biotubes with wall thickness over 1.5mm was higher than that of beagle blood vessels. The thickest biotubes were as strong as bovine pericardium and can be used as an alternative trachea graft because of their adequate lumen-holding force.

Reply to the comment by M. Genge and M. Van Ginneken on paper entitled “Unmelted cosmic metal particles from the Indian Ocean”

Reply to the comment by M. Genge and M. Van Ginneken on paper entitled “Unmelted cosmic metal particles from the Indian Ocean”

Strengthening Mini Silo Construction Made of Reinforced Concrete Blocks with Carbon Fiber Lamellae

The use of prefabricated mini silo structures enables us to build containers for grain or animal feed and to transport the structural elements to the installation site. Traditional types of strengthening of concrete structures are steel and concrete cages. Polymer materials are widely used in construction. The methods of strengthening modern materials, such as lamellae, are being increasingly used. The issue of strengthening the structures with composite polymer materials is relevant.

Ezra Pound and Du Fu: Gazing at Mt. Tai

Confined to a six-by-six-foot outdoor steel cage, Ezra Pound saw a series of mountain hills from a few miles to the east of Pisa. The poet compared one of these small 800-metre hills to the sacred Chinese Mt. Tai, which becomes the most common geographical name in The Pisan Cantos. Pound’s poetic summoning of this particular mountain is related to the fact that Mt. Tai is historically and culturally connected to the philosophy of Confucius, who personally ascended the mountain several times. Pound, as a devout Confucian disciple, closely follows the philosophical doctrines and attempts to mentally trace the footsteps of Confucius. This paper will argue how Pound’s poetic evocation of the mountain shares a striking similarity to an eighth-century Chinese poem called “Gazing at Mt. Tai,” which was written by the famous literatus - Du Fu 杜甫(712 – 770 ). In spite of living in two completely different eras and countries, Pound’s and Du Fu’s reference to Mt. Tai demonstrates the confluence of their poetic spirits. Neither of them ascended mountain personally. They instead made use of their poetic imagination to follow the paths of Confucius and perceived the mountain as an earthly paradise, one which represents tranquillity and serenity away from the moral and physical corruption of the external world.

Pseudo-static Analysis of Fabricated Steel Cage Concrete Frame Structure

In this paper, the stress bearing behavior of three different frame structure groups (allcast- in-place RC, all-cast-in-place steel cage concrete and fabricated steel cage concrete) which under horizontal low cyclic reciprocating force will be analyzed theoretically. Simulation results show that, in these three structures, all-cast-in-place steel cage concrete structure has the maximum bearing capacity, and fabricated steel cage concrete structure is next to it. However, fabricated structure will produce stress concentration phenomenon in its nodes. So, strengthening the connection parts has to be considered. Meanwhile, in these three structures, beam end is where maximum stress can be produced, which illustrates that the damage of concrete is first occurred at beam end and meets the needs of “strong column and weak beam” seismic design standards.

Analysis of roller bearing cages

The aim of this paper is to detail the creation of a roller bearing model with flexible body cages in the Adams program suite for subsequent dynamic analysis and to obtain information about kinematic and dynamic relationships of steel and plastic cages under various operating conditions. The bearing model was made to closely resemble its real-life counterpart, which allows us to estimate load conditions, dynamic conditions of individual bearing parts and interactions between them.

Short communication: Salivary haptoglobin and chromogranin A as non-invasive markers during restraint stress in pigs

The objective of present study was to investigate changes in salivary components during restraint to identify potential markers of stress. Pigs were subjected to a nasal snare stress (Experiment 1) or an immobilization stress (Experiment 2) by being enclosed in a steel cage. Saliva was collected before, during and after the stress, respectively. Salivary cortisol, serum amyloid A (SAA), haptoglobin (HP), chromogranin A (CgA), amylase, K+, Ca2+ and lactoferrin content were detected. The results showed that in Experiment 1, HP and CgA content increased significantly at 10min during the restraint (P<0.05, P<0.05), in agreement with the significantly increased cortisol and SAA levels (P<0.01, P<0.05), while amylase, K+ and lactoferrin concentrations did not significantly change. In Experiment 2, salivary HP and CgA concentrations also changed significantly during the restraint (P<0.01, P<0.01), yet cortisol, SAA, amylase, K+ and lactoferrin levels did not show obvious change. The results confirmed that salivary HP and CgA content may be useful candidate biomarkers to monitor the physical state in pigs during stress.

Improved surface properties of AISI-304 by novel duplex cathodic cage plasma nitriding

In this work, novel duplex plasma nitriding is carried out on AISI-304 steel at fixed temperature of 400°C, using aluminum and austenite steel cages. The influence of (1-h) aluminum cage nitriding is investigated before (pre) and after (post) the (4-h) austenite steel cage nitriding. The treated samples are characterized using Vickers hardness tester, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive spectroscopy. The results show that the post aluminum cage nitriding achieves excellent film quality, the highest surface hardness with aluminum nitride as a leading phase. This study shows that by using cathodic cages of various materials, cathodic cage plasma nitriding (CCPN) system can be effectively used for quick duplex treatment in a single setup.

Influence of the cage on the friction torque in low loaded thrust ball bearings operating in lubricated conditions

The authors investigated analytically, and experimentally the friction torque in a modified 51100 thrust ball bearing. The operating tests and modeling were made at very low axial load in lubricated conditions by using only three balls and a standard steel cage. Two analytical friction moments in the ball–cage contacts based on the friction in the hydrodynamic lubricant film, were developed. An analytical methodology to evaluate the film thickness in the ball – cage contacts was developed, as well. The experiments were conducted by using spin–down method for two viscosities and for rotational speeds between 60 and 240rpm. Both experiments (with three balls without cage, and three balls mounted in the cage) have been made to validate the proposed models.

Research on the Key Technique for the Integral Moulding of the Formwork for Plate or Box Beam Steel Cage

The processing and binding for the steel bars of prefabricated plate or box beams are the most important link in the prefabrication of plate or box beams. The key to a well-performed prefabrication lies in how to improve the quality of the prefabricated plate or box beams, the precision of the prefabrication, and a prefabrication cycle as short as possible. The design for the formwork of steel cage is based on the size of the plate beam. After the binding and moulding of the steel cage on the formwork, the whole is hoisted onto a prepared pedestal, and supported and then the whole part will be concreted. The formworks for bottom-and-web plates and top plate of the steel cage are designed separately based on the size of the box beam, on which the steel cages are bounded and moulded; the whole is hoisted by the gantry crane and then the whole part is assembled inside the formwork. And we also research on the construction method of the integral moulding of the formwork for steel cage. This construction technique will improve the construction efficiency as well as ensure the binding precision of the steel cage without affecting the integral hoisting of the cage and it will effectively control the size of the plate beam

A combination of GFRP sheets and steel cage for seismic strengthening of shear-deficient corner RC beam-column joints

This paper is focused on the performance of a proposed scheme for seismic strengthening of shear deficient joints of 3D reinforced concrete (RC) corner beam-column connections. This technique is composed of a combination of GFRP sheets and a steel cage, and does not require perforating the existing concrete elements to anchor the FRP sheets. Two similar full-scale beam-column connections were made without any transverse reinforcement in their joint region. One of which was tested in its as-built condition, taken as the control specimen, while the other one was tested after strengthening. Seismic behaviour of these specimens was studied under a cyclic loading pattern imposed simultaneously with a constant column’s axial load. Comparison of the test results of these specimens revealed a noticeable improvement in the seismic response of the strengthened specimen. This achievement along with the application feasibility of this technique indicates the suitability of the proposed strengthening scheme for practical applications. Finally, the experimentally obtained joint shear strength of the control and retrofitted specimens are compared to the one estimated by the relationships of the softened strut-and-tie model and ACI-318, respectively. This comparison revealed a satisfactory prediction of joint shear strength for both specimens, the as-built and the strengthened one.

Flexural Behavior of External Beam-Column Reinforced Concrete Assemblages Externally Strengthened with Steel Cages

Flexural Behavior of External Beam-Column Reinforced Concrete Assemblages Externally Strengthened with Steel Cages

Political criticism in Turgay Nar’s play titled Gizler Çarşısı&lt;p&gt;Turgay Nar’ın Gizler Çarşısı oyununda politik eleştiri

Ever since Modernist and Capitalist systems started to steer human life, critical approaches towards these two phenomenon have treated as subjects in literary works. In such literary works, which question human being's perception of ethics, the relationship between power and person brings along the options of being included in the system and rejecting it. Standing against the "inevitable ending" which turns human being into an automat defined as "a bureaucratic steel cage" by Weber, Marx has relatively more optimistic attitude about the possibility of human to escape from the system.In his theatre play titled Gizler Çarşısı, Turgay Nar narrates how human is corrupted through violence and control methods of power within the scope of hierarchical relations in the world. Messages that the author aims to give to readers/audience may differ in almost every stage; yet the main theme can be read as tragedy of human being which keeps to be objectified in front of the power. The strength behind money and power ensures a control over crowds via violence, memory impairment and amnesia. The author ironically narrates how humanbeing comes into power and then systematically puts pressure on the same species in order to disidentify them and include them into the system. Accordingly, civilization does not prevent humanbeing's insanity; the one who feeds this wild order and sacrifices oneself to it is nothing else than humanbeing. In the work, it is also emphasized that humanbeing is going to face "blinding and corruption" as soon as the questioning about the world comes to an end.In his work titled Gizler Çarşısı, Turgay Nar ironically narrates how Beşikçi, an ordinary citizen, is systematically desensitized by the power and turned into a beast that does not hesitate to kill even his own child, through symbolical characters. ÖzetModernizm ve Kapitalizm sisteminin insanoğlunun hayatına yön vermeye başlamasıyla bu iki olguya yönelik eleştirel yaklaşımlar, edebî eserlerde sıkça işlenmiştir. İnsanın etik algısının da sorgulandığı bu tür eserlerde iktidar-birey arasındaki ilişki, sisteme dâhil olma veya sisteme karşı çıkma tercihlerini de beraberinde getirmektedir. Weber’in “bürokratik demir kafes” olarak tanımladığı ve insanın bir otomat haline dönüştürüldüğü “kaçınılmaz son”a karşı çıkan Marx; insanın sistemden uzaklaşabileceği konusunda daha iyimser bir tavır sergiler.Turgay Nar, Gizler Çarşısı adlı tiyatro metninde insanın dünyada hiyerarşik ilişkiler sarmalında iktidarın şiddet ve kontrol yöntemleriyle nasıl çürümeye uğratıldığını anlatır. Yazarın, okuyucuya/seyirciye vermek istediği mesajlar, hemen her sahnede değişse de ana tema iktidar karşısında nesneleşen insanın trajedisi olarak okunabilir. İktidar ve paranın gücü, kalabalıklar üzerinde şiddet, unutkanlık, hafıza kaybı gibi vasıtalarla denetim sağlar. Yazar, insanın iktidara geldikten sonra hemcinsi üzerinde sistematik bir baskı kurarak onu kimliksizleştirip sisteme dâhil ettiğini ironik bir tarzda bu eserinde işler. Buna göre, uygarlık, insanoğlunun cinnetini durduramamıştır; bu vahşi düzeni emziren ve kendini ona tutsak/kurban eden de insanın kendisidir. Eserde, dünyayla ilgili sorgulamanın kesildiği an insanın “körleşme ve çürüme”yle karşı karşıya kalacağı tehlikesi de dile getirilir.

Prospective Randomized Clinical and Radiographic Evaluation of a Novel Bioabsorbable Biocomposite Tibial Tuberosity Advancement Cage Implant.

To evaluate the suitability of a novel bioabsorbable biocomposite cage (BC) implant for use in tibial tuberosity advancement (TTA) surgery in dogs with cranial cruciate ligament (CrCL) disease and to compare radiographic osteotomy healing scores and complications between groups that received either a BC or stainless steel cage (SSC). Prospective randomized clinical study. Dogs with unilateral CrCL rupture (n=56). TTA was performed in 60 consecutive dogs using either a BC (30 dogs) or SSC (30 dogs). Patient parameters, 6 week and 6 month postoperative radiographic osteotomy healing scores, time elapsed to postoperative rechecks, and complications were compared between groups. Osteotomy healing was graded using a 5-point (0-4) scale. Data were analyzed using Wilcoxon Rank Sum tests and χ(2) tests with significance set at P<.05. Fifty-six dogs (30 BC, 26 SSC) had complete medical and radiographic records at 6 months for inclusion in data analysis. Three complications occurred in the BC group (1 major, 2 minor) and 2 occurred in the SSC group (2 minor). There was no statistical difference in patient parameters, 6 week healing scores, or complications between BC and SSC groups. Healing scores at 6 months were significantly higher in the BC group (3.3 ± 0.52) compared to the SSC group (2.9 ± 0.69; P=.04). Based on improved BC osteotomy healing scores 6 months after surgery with no significant differences in complications compared to SSC, BC TTA cages are a viable alternative to SSC.