ME Values Research Articles

Comparing Regional Patterns of Individual Movement Using Corrected Mobility Entropy

ABSTRACTIn this paper, we propose a correction of the Mobility Entropy indicator (ME) used to describe the diversity of individual movement patterns as can be captured by data from mobile phones. We argue that a correction is necessary because standard calculations of ME show a structural dependency on the geographical density of observation points, rendering results biased and comparisons between regions incorrect. As a solution, we propose the Corrected Mobility Entropy (CME). We apply our solution to a French mobile phone dataset with ∼18.5 million users. Results show CME to be less correlated to cell-tower density (r = –0.17 instead of –0.59 for ME). As a spatial pattern of mobility diversity, we find CME values to be higher in suburban regions compared to their related urban centers, while both decrease considerably with lowering urban center sizes. Based on regression models, we find mobility diversity to relate to factors like income and employment. Additionally, using CME reveals the role of car use in relation to land use, which was not recognized when using ME values. Our solution enables a better description of individual mobility at a large scale, which has applications in official statistics, urban planning and policy, and mobility research.

Evaluating the Potential of Three-Dimensional Laser Surface Scanning as an Alternative Method of Obtaining Morphometric Data

External anatomical measurements have a long tradition in morphometric studies. Recently, three-dimensional laser surface scanners have revolutionized the way such measurements can be obtained. The aim of this study was to quantify measurement error (hereafter ME) and reliability of several linear skull measurements of the red fox obtained with three different techniques: using calipers, and by analyzing two- and three-dimensional digital images. Differences between observers had the highest ME values for most traits, followed by method and replicate. Inter-observer variability contributed the most to total ME. Measurements obtained from calipers and two-dimensional digital images showed high agreement, validating their use in traditional morphometric studies. The laser surface scanner was unreliable when compared with the reference in almost half the traits. To achieve greater accuracy, in future studies full advantage of the device's capabilities should be taken. Objects should be scanned in high defini...

Chemical composition, energy, and amino acid digestibility in 7 cottonseed co-products fed to growing pigs.

The objective of this study was to determine the chemical composition, DE and ME contents, and apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of AA in 7 cottonseed co-products fed to growing pigs. The 7 cottonseed co-products were: cottonseed meals (solvent extracted) with CP level of 46%, 50%, and 55% (46CSM, 50CSM, and 55CSM), cottonseed protein with CP level of 50% and 55% (50CSP and 55CSP), fermented cottonseed meal (CSMF), and expelled cottonseed meal (CSME). The DE and ME contents of the 7 test ingredients were measured using 48 crossbreed barrows (BW: 44.1 ± 4.2 kg) and 8 diets (including a corn-soybean meal basal diet) in a completely randomized design. The AID and SID of AA of the 7 test ingredients were determined using 7 crossbreed barrows (initial BW: 67.4 ± 8.5 kg) in a 6 × 8 Youden square design with 6 periods and 8 diets (including one N-free diet). The DE and ME values of the 7 cottonseed co-products varied from 12.72 to 15.63 MJ/kg and 12.24 to 14.83 MJ/kg, respectively. Among the 7 cottonseed co-products, 55CSP and CSME had the greatest (P < 0.05) ME and DE values compared to the other cottonseed co-products. In addition, 55CSP had the greatest (P < 0.05) AID and SID of all the AA tested except for Gly and Pro. In contrast, 46CSM or 55CSM had the lowest (P < 0.05) AID and SID of all the AA tested except for Gly and Pro. The 55CSP also had the greatest (P < 0.05) concentrations of standardized ileal digestible CP and all the AA tested except for Gly and Pro. In conclusion, the chemical composition, energy, and AA digestibility of cottonseed co-products with different processing techniques varied widely. Based on the energy and AA digestibility, cottonseed protein with CP level of 55% is a better dietary ingredient for growing pigs compared with the other cottonseed co-products.

Interview with Antri Antoniou, a Prolific Young Writer from Cyprus

Interview with Antri Antoniou, a Prolific Young Writer from Cyprus Demetra Charalambous (bio) Antri Antoniou was born in Cyprus in 1980. She is a University of Cyprus graduate and works as a teacher in public elementary schools. Antri has made a spectacular entrance into the world of children's and young adult literature, in Cyprus and in Greece, and has rightfully gained an important place among Greek authors. A prolific writer, since her first publication in 2012, she has already published seven books—five of which have been recognized with awards and honors. Antri's writing has brought a breath of fresh air to Greek-Cypriot children's literature, in relation to both style and content. In 2017, she was selected by Aarhus 39—a competitive part of the International Children's Literature Hay Festival, Aarhus, that engages the top European authors under the age of forty. The following interview sheds light on different aspects of Antri's successful and even more promising writing career. How did you come to be an author? Was it a childhood dream? It was indeed. One of my first memories is my attempt to write fairytales at the age of six. And I did not just write fairytales. I kept telling people that when I grow up I'd become a writer. I don't really know where it came from, but it was a need that I felt early on and throughout all the stages of my life. Literature has always been a constant value for me. I read and wrote a lot—poetry, short stories, articles, plays. I don't remember ever being as much interested or more excited about anything else compared to writing. Click for larger view View full resolution Did you face any challenges as a young author in a small country with a limited reading audience? At first, I didn't know anyone in the field of children's literature, and no one knew me. That changed gradually. I am now friends with quite a few other authors. And becoming a member of the Cyprus Board on Books for Young people (CYBBY) has been quite beneficial for me. However, I still feel cutoff from what takes place in the wider cultural scene in Greece. Athens, as the Greek capital, is culturally [End Page 67] innovative and favors new ideas and young authors. For those of us who live and work far away from Athens, things are substantially more difficult... How hard was it to get your career started? For several years, all my efforts were focused on writing short texts for very young readers. I was trapped in my conviction that this was what I did best, which was wrong. I was writing mediocre stories. It was during an evening in December of 2010 that I wrote, without any prior planning, the first chapter of Mpeladomagnitis (Trouble Magnet), which would become my first published book. In the following five months, I completed this 30,000-word text and mailed it to Psychogios Publications. Shortly after, I received the first ever acceptance of a manuscript of mine. Click for larger view View full resolution How easy and how soon did your next books come? My second book, Pinelopi (Penelope), was swiftly and easily published. It was in bookstores just one year after the publication of my first book. After that, though, a failed third attempt for publication made me stay away from writing for quite some time... That is, until I realized how empty my life felt without it. So I started writing again. Writing more and better, experimenting, studying, working hard. And fortunately, my hard work brought results: Contracts with four big publishing houses in Greece, literary awards, and an unexpected European distinction. I think no matter how many more rejected manuscripts I have in the future, I will definitely continue to write. Writing brings balance into my life. [End Page 68] Tell us some more about your books, their style, themes, content... All of my books are contemporary realistic novels, addressed to middle-school children (nine to twelve years old) or teenagers. They often deal with social issues, such as friendship, self-confidence, obesity, sibling relations, adolescence...

Effect of using different fertilizers sources on forage sorghum yield, digestibility and energy parameters by In vitro Gas Test production

The effect of using different rates of organic and mineral fertilization on forage sorghum was studied. An experiment was conducted at the Agricultural Research and Experimental Station, Cairo University in 2013 and 2014 summer seasons. The experiment was performed in a randomized complete design with three replicates. The experiment included five treatments; the T1 (control)= 100% mineralization, T2 (C6M0) =100% compost, T3 (C4.5M25%) = 25% minerals + 75% compost, T4 (C3M50%)= 50% minerals+50% compost and T5 (C15M75%) = 75% minerals+25% compost. The results showed significant increases in plant height, stem thickness, fresh weight and dry weight for the T3 compared with the other treatments, while means value were 152.4 cm, 1.047 cm, 22.96 ton. /fed and 6 ton/fed, respectively. Moreover, T3 (C4.5M25%) led to increasing the content of CP and NFE and did not affect the EE and ash. While this treatment led to increasing the content of NDF%, ADF% and decreasing the content of hemi cellulose and higher content of cellulose compared to the other treatments. The results of gas parameters correct (GP ml /200 mg DM), gas production structure fraction (GPSF %) and gas production non-structure fraction (GPNSF %) recorded the best values with the T2 (C6M0). The highest values of each of (GP ml / 200 mg. DM), (GPSF %) and (GPNSF %) was recorded in the 1st and 2nd cut, while the T4 (C3M50%) gave the highest value in the 3rd cut. The T2 recorded the highest values ​​of ME (MJ / Kg. DM) in the 1st cut and the net energy lactation (NELMJ/kg.DM) in the 2nd cut. The short-chain fatty acids (SCFA, s m mol / ml. gas) showed the highest values ​​in the 1st and 2nd cut, while for the T4 (C3M50%) showed the highest values ​​in the 3rd cut. The T2 recorded a significant increase in dry matter and organic matter digestibility in the 1st cut followed by the T4 which recorded the highest value in the 1st cut. The economic study proved that the T3 (C4.5M25%) has the highest profit (2.29 L.E.), the T4 = (2.46 L.E.) and the lowest return of the T2 = 100% organic gave a profit of (1.90 L. E.). The T2 gave the highest digestive value for the 1st and 2nd cut, followed by the T4 which gave the highest digestive value in the 3rd cut. Finally, we can conclude that the T2 is the best treatment in terms of feeding animal and the size of the crop in the 2nd cut is like the size of the crop in the 3rd cut of the T4, which gave the best economic feasibility using the 2nd cut of the T2 to provide the time of cultivation for another crop. In addition, necessary work of the digestion and feeding trails on the animal on these 2nd cut of T2 which gave positive results in order to link the amount of yield in the 1st and 2nd cut and digestion factors and measure the amount of meat produced to determine the economic efficiency in obtaining a good crop in arms of quantity and quality and reduce the crop duration to provide land for cultivation another crop as well as reducing the mineral contamination of the fertilizer-producing soil.

Living in Question

September 11 and the following months found Rothschild's students asking: "Why is there suffering?" "What has real value for me and for my society?" and, most resoundingly, "Is there a God?" She had few answers. The value that came to the forefront in her post-September 11 teaching was the value of living in question.

Can imaging kinetic parameters of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging be valuable in predicting clinicopathological prognostic factors of invasive breast cancer?

Background Intrinsic molecular profiling of breast cancer provides clinically relevant information that helps tailor therapy directed to the specific tumor subtype. We hypothesized that dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) derived quantitative kinetic parameters (CD-QKPs) may help predict molecular tumor profiles non-invasively. Purpose To determine the association between DCE-MRI (CD-QKPs) and breast cancer clinicopathological prognostic factors. Material and Methods Clinicopathological factors in consecutive women with biopsy-confirmed invasive breast cancer who underwent breast DCE-MRI were retrospectively reviewed. Analysis of variance was used to examine associations between prognostic factors and CD-QKPs. Fisher's exact test was used to investigate the relationship between kinetic curve type and prognostic factors. Results A total of 198 women with invasive breast cancer were included. High-grade and HER2+ tumors were more likely to have a washout type curve while luminal A tumors were less likely. High-grade was significantly associated with increased peak enhancement (PE; P = 0.01), enhancement maximum slope (MS; P = 0.03), and mean enhancement ( ME, P = 0.03), while high clinical lymph node stage (cN3) was significantly associated with increased MS and time to peak (tP; P = 0.01). HER2+ tumors were associated with a higher PE ( P = 0.03) and ME ( P = 0.06) than HER2- counterparts, and ER-/HER2+ tumors showed higher PE and ME values than ER+/HER2- tumors ( P = 0.06). Conclusion DCE-MRI time-intensity CD-QKPs are associated with high tumor grade, advanced nodal stage, and HER2+ status, indicating their utility as imaging biomarkers.

Nutrient composition, in vitro true digestibility and methane production potential of feed resources of North Western Himalayan region

The present study assessed the nutrient composition, in vitro digestibility and methane production potential of the commonly fed feed resources of North Western Himalayan region. The feed resources were collected from different parts of North Western Himalayan region and dried at 60°C until constant weight and used for further analysis. The in vitro digestibility and methane production potential were determined using the in vitro gas production technique. The results indicated that in concentrates, cereal grains had significantly high ME value, high digestibility,low methane production potential and low methane energy loss as compared to brans. In roughages, tree fodders, had significantly high digestibility, high ME value, low methane production potential and low methane energy loss as compared to grasses and crop residues. In this study, there was strong negative correlation between OM and methane production; and strong positive correlation between ash, lignin, ADF, cellulose and NDF contents and methane production in concentrates. In contrast to concentrates, in roughages strong positive relationship wasobserved between OM contents and methane emission. Positive correlations between NDF, HC, cellulose and methane production; and negative relationship between methane production and lignin, ash and EE contents were also observed in roughages. Regression equations developed for predicting methane production showed high level of predictability for concentrates as compared to roughages. The data on nutrient composition, methane production potential reported for various feedstuffs in this study could be utilized judiciously in formulating low methaneemission diets for feeding ruminants in the region.

Valor nutritivo de los recursos alimenticios procesados procedentes de pastos naturales en South-West, Nigeria

El valor nutritivo de recursos forrajeros de pastos naturales alimenticios en la estación seca para los animales en pastoreo fueron evaluados a partir de su composición química y producción de gas in vitro. Los recursos forrajeros incluyen forrajes conservados (henos y ensilado), planta arbustiva (hojas de Leucaena leucocephala) utilizando como control los forrajes del pasto natural durante la estación seca. El contenido de proteína bruta (CP) de los recursos forrajeros osciló de 59 a 171 g/k-l de materia seca (DM), siendo las hojas de L. leucocephala las que presentaron el mayor (p

Synthesis, spectroscopic characterization, and biological screening of levofloxacin based organotin(IV) derivatives

Four new organotin (IV) complexes with general formula R3SnL/R2SnL2, where R = CH3, n-C4H9, C6H5 and L = Levofloxacin, were synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, FT-IR and NMR (1H and 13C) spectroscopy. Spectroscopic data suggested a six-coordinated geometry for diorganotin(IV) derivatives and a five-coordinated geometry for triorganotin(IV) derivatives. The value of Me–Sn–Me bond angle for di- and trimethyltin complexes using the Lockhart equation, were 150° and 116°, respectively, that corresponded to six and five-coordinate geometry, accordingly. The ligand and its complexes were screened for their antibacterial, antifungal, cytotoxic, and free radical scavenging (DPPH) antioxidant activities. The biological data indicated those as potentially bioactive in each field of the study. Accumulated data of DNA interaction with the synthesized complexes based on UV-Vis, cyclic voltammetry and viscometry suggested an intercalative mode of the interaction.

Validation of water sorption‐based clay prediction models for calcareous soils

AbstractSoil particle size distribution (PSD), particularly the active clay fraction, mediates soil engineering, agronomic and environmental functions. The tedious and costly nature of traditional methods of determining PSD prompted the development of water sorption‐based models for determining the clay fraction. The applicability of such models to semi‐arid soils with significant amounts of calcium carbonate and/or gypsum is unknown. The objective of this study was to validate three water sorption‐based clay prediction models for 30 calcareous soils from Iran and identify the effect of CaCO3 on prediction accuracy. The soils had clay content ranging from 9 to 61% and CaCO3 from 24 to 97%. The three water sorption models considered showed a reasonably fair prediction of the clay content from water sorption at 28% relative humidity (RMSE and ME values ranging from 10.6 to 12.1 and −8.1 to −4.2, respectively). The model that considers hysteresis had better prediction accuracy than the other two that do not. Moreover, the prediction errors of all three models arose from under‐prediction of the clay content. The amount of hygroscopic water scaled by clay content decreased with increasing CaCO3 content. The low organic carbon content of the soils and the low fraction of low‐activity clay minerals like kaolinite suggested that the clay content under‐predictions were due to large CaCO3 contents. Thus, for such water‐sorption based models to work accurately for calcareous soils, a correction factor that considers the reduction of water content due to large CaCO3 content should be included.

Digestion and nitrogen balance using swine diets containing increasing proportions of coproduct ingredients and formulated using the net energy system.

Rising feed expenditures demand that our industry pursues strategies to lower the cost of production. One option is the adoption of the NE system, although many producers are hesitant to proceed without proof that NE estimates are reliable. The objective of this experiment was to compare the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of energy and nutrients and the N retention (NR) of diets formulated using the NE system with increasing quantities of coproduct ingredients. The 5 dietary treatments included a control corn-soybean meal diet (CTL); the CTL plus 6% each of corn distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS), corn germ meal, and wheat middlings and NE equal to the CTL by adding soybean oil (CONS-18); the CONS-18 diet, without oil added, with NE content lower than the CTL (DECL-18); the CTL plus 12% each of corn DDGS, corn germ meal, and wheat middlings and NE equal to the CTL by adding soybean oil (CONS-36); and the CONS-36 diet, without oil added, with NE content lower than the CTL (DECL-36). Diets were formulated for both the growing period (GP; 40 to 70 kg) and the finishing period (FP; 70 to 110 kg). Forty gilts (PIC 337 × C22 or C29; 38.5 ± 0.4 kg initial BW) were randomly assigned to treatment and received feed and water ad libitum (8 pigs per treatment). For the last 13 d of the GP and FP, pigs were transferred to metabolism crates, where 2 total urine and fecal collections (d 4 to 6 and d 11 to 13) were performed. The GP fed diets with coproduct ingredients had lower ATTD of DM, N, and GE than those fed the CTL ( < 0.050). The ATTD of N and GE progressively decreased as coproduct inclusion increased from 0 to 18 to 36% in the FP ( < 0.010). In the GP and FP, there were no differences in ATTD of DM, N, or GE between CONS-18 and DECL-18 or between CONS-36 and DECL-36 ( > 0.050). The NR declined on all coproduct diets in the GP ( = 0.010) and tended to decline in the FP ( = 0.079). There were no differences in NR between CONS-18 and DECL-18 or between CONS-36 and DECL-36 ( > 0.050). In conclusion, digestion of diets containing up to 36% coproducts and formulated using NE resulted in expected DE and ME values; NR of diets with coproducts was lower than that of the simple CTL, which is not related to the accuracy of the energy estimations but rather to other factors such as imbalances in the AA concentrations or to postabsorptive energy metabolism, factors not accounted for by the current energy systems approach.

Prediction of metabolisable energy content of commercial total mixed rations (TMR) for lactating dairy cows based on gas production measured into two TMR fractions

The aim was to estimate the ME content of TMR samples for lactating dairy cows based on 24h gas production (GP) measured in two TMR fractions obtained by sieving that were considered proxy representations of their forage and concentrate contents. Samples of TMR for lactating cows, collected at 15 Italian dairy farms, were dried and fractionated using an apparatus composed of four sieves (mesh diam. of 6.00, 2.36, 1.18, 0.60mm) and a bottom pan. The particles retained by the 6.00, 2.36 and 1.18mm sieves were bulked to create a fraction named “Long” (L), while particles retained by the 0.60mm sieve and the bottom pan created a fraction named “Fine”(F). Samples of whole TMR and of F and L fractions were fermented in rumen fluid (220mg of dried sample into graduated 100ml glass syringes with 30ml of diluted rumen fluid) to measure GP at 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24, 48 and 72h of incubation, and GP at 24h was used in multiple equations to predict the ME content. The L fraction was the main part of the TMR (633±61.7g/kg DM) and contained more aNDFom (391 vs 185g/kg DM; P<0.01), less starch (213 vs 394g/kg DM; P<0.01) and less CP (132 vs 181g/kg DM; P<0.01) than the F fraction. The 24h GP measured on the F fraction was 17% higher (P<0.01) than in the L fraction lending to a 25% increase in the predicted ME content of the F fraction (12.1 vs 9.7MJ/kg DM, P<0.01). When the GP of the two fractions were summed on the basis of their relative weights in each TMR to obtain a calculated GP of the whole TMR, this did not differ from that directly measured on the original TMR sample. The ME values of the TMR had substantial variability among samples and the highest ME values measured for the F and L fractions were 13.23 and 10.82MJ/kg DM, respectively. The inclusion of these F and L fraction values in TMR samples that had the lowest ME concentrations (e.g. 10.0–10.4MJ/kg DM), as an hypothetical consequence of an improvement in nutritive quality of the dietary feed components, resulted in a calculated ME increment of about 0.5–0.6 and 0.8–1.0MJ/kg DM, respectively. These simulations suggest appreciable ME variations in cases of substituting nutritionally extreme forages and/or concentrates with corresponding feeds of different nutritive quality.

Development and validation of equations to predict the metabolizable energy value of corn for pigs.

Three experiments were conducted with the aim of developing and validating an equation to predict the ME of corn for pigs from its chemical composition, physical characteristics and particle size. Exp. 1: Eight lots of corn were ground in a hammer mill, using 5 sieves with different screen opening sizes, generating 40 batches of ground corn. The chemical composition (DM, CP, ether extract, crude fiber, ADF, NDF, and ash) and physical characteristics (bulk density- BD and 1,000-kernel weight- TKW) were determined in the 8 lots and geometric mean diameter (GMD) and N-corrected ME (AMEn) were determined in the 40 batches of corn. The AMEn values were determined in 16 metabolism assays with pigs. Mathematical models were adjusted by regression analysis, based on the Akaike Information Criterion. Based on statistical parameters ( = 0.76 and prediction error = 1.05%), number of predictor variables, and easiness of measurements, an equation with 2 segments was chosen: y = 2845.41 + 0.9385 × BD - 20.8784 × CP, if GMD ≤ 522.98 and y = 3105.75 - 0.4978 × GMD + 0.9385 × BD - 20.8784 × CP, if GMD > 522.98. Exp. 2 and 3: Sixty four gilts (Exp. 1; 29.5 ± 3.8 kg) and 64 barrows (Exp. 2; 29.3 ± 3.6 kg), 1 lot of corn, and 3 particle sizes (GMD = 483, 632, and 904 µm) were used in a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement with 2 methods of diet formulation, differing in ME value of corn: "FIX" (value from nutrient composition table) vs. "ESTIMATED" (estimated for each particle size using the equation developed in Exp. 1). In Exp. 2, ADFI was greater ( < 0.05) and feed efficiency was lower ( < 0.05) in the diet with GMD of 904 µm compared to the diets with GMD of 632 or 483 µm, but only for diet formulation by the FIX method. In the treatments with GMD of 483 µm, gilts fed with the diet formulated by the ESTIMATED method had greater ( < 0.10) ADFI, backfat, fat area, and fat:meat ratio than gilts fed the diet formulated by the FIX method. In Exp. 3, particle size and formulation method did not affect ( > 0.10) growth performance and carcass traits of barrows. The equation developed was effective to adjust the ME value of corn, considering particle size variation. However, improvement to the proposed equation is necessary to achieve greater precision for predicting corn ME. Validation of the equation with more lots of corn of different chemical compositions and densities appears necessary to assess the efficacy of the equation regarding the variation of the other predicting variables.

Comparison of Energy Estimates of Mixed Diets Obtained from RIVIGPT and In-vivo Digestibility Trial in NariSuwarna X Kenguri F1 Sheep

To compare the energy estimates of mixed diets obtained from rumen in vitro incubation for gas production (RIVIGP) and digestion trial (DT) in NariSuwarna X Kenguri F1 sheep, twenty four sheep were divided into six groups of five each. Six mixed diets were prepared by using sugarcane trash and concentrate feed mixture in the ratio of T-1 80:20, T-2 70:30, T-3 60:40, T-4 50:50, T-5 40:60 and T-6 30:70. The feeding trial was carried out for the duration of six weeks with an adjustment period of five weeks and collection period of one week. The metabolisable energy (ME, MJ kg-1 DM) content of diets at maintenance level of intake obtained by DT for diets-1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 were 6.7, 6.9, 7.4, 7.2, 7.8 and 9.4 respectively. The corresponding ME values obtained from RIVIGP were 5.3, 5.9, 6.2, 7.5, 8.6 and 9.4 respectively. The difference between the ME obtained from DT (digestion trial) and ME predicted from RIVIGPT was found to be 10.7 per cent. The mean ME output (Maintenance + weight gain) for the diets-1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 were 6.37, 6.34, 7.38, 7.70, 8.06 and 8.27 respectively. The ME intake estimated from ME obtained from DT and RIVIGP for the diets-1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 were 4.91 and 3.79, 5.02 and 4.22, 7.63 and 6.46, 7.74 and 8.13, 8.76 and 9.81, 11.42 and 11.85 respectively. Hence, the observed performance of NariSuwarna x Kenguri F1 sheep expressed in terms of the total ME output was accountable to the extent of 97.0 and 99.6% of ME intake estimates obtained from ME values derived by DT and RIVIGP respectively.

Digestibility of energy and lipids and oxidative stress in nursery pigs fed commercially available lipids.

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the impact of lipid source on GE and ether extract (EE) digestibility, oxidative stress, and gut integrity in nursery pigs fed diets containing 10% soybean oil (SO), choice white grease (CWG), palm oil (PO), distillers' corn oil with approximately 5% FFA (DCO-1), or distillers' corn oil with approximately 10% FFA (DCO-2). Fifty-four barrows weaned at 28 d of age were fed a common starter diet for 7 d, group fed their respective experimental diets for an additional 7 d, and then moved to metabolism crates and individually fed their respective diets for another 10 d. Following this period, a 4-d total fecal and urine collection period was used to determine apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of GE and EE and to determine the DE and ME content of each lipid source (11.03 ± 0.51 kg final BW). Following the last day of fecal and urine collection, pigs were given an oral dose of lactulose and mannitol and fed their respective experimental diets with urine collected for the following 12 h. A subsequent urine collection occurred for 5 h to determine thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and isoprostane (IsoP) concentrations. Following this urine collection, serum was obtained and analyzed for TBARS and endotoxin concentrations. Soybean oil had the greatest ( < 0.05) DE (9,388 kcal/kg) content compared with DCO-1, DCO-2, CWG, and PO (8,001, 8,052, 8,531, and 8,293 kcal/kg lipid, respectively). Energy digestibility was greatest for SO compared with the other lipid sources ( < 0.05). The ATTD of EE averaged 85.0% and varied slightly (84.4 to 85.6%) among treatments. Differences in ME content among lipids were similar to those reported for DE, with ME values for DCO-1, DCO-2, CWG, PO, and SO being 7,921, 7,955, 8,535, 8,350, and 9,408 kcal/kg lipid, respectively. Metabolizable energy as a percentage of DE did not differ among lipid sources. Pigs fed lipid diets had greater ( < 0.05) serum TBARS compared with pigs fed the control diet, but no differences were observed in urinary TBARS excretion among the lipid treatments. Urinary IsoP excretion differed among treatments ( < 0.01) but was highly variable (34.0 to 104.6 pg). However, no differences were observed among treatments for the urinary lactulose:mannitol ratio and serum endotoxin. These results indicate that DE and ME content of SO are greater than that of other lipid sources evaluated, but feeding these lipids has no effect on gut integrity while producing variable effects on oxidative stress.

In situ and in vitro ruminal starch degradation of grains from different rye, triticale and barley genotypes

In recent years, advances in plant breeding were achieved, which potentially led to modified nutritional values of cereal grains. The present study was conducted in order to obtain a broad overview of ruminal digestion kinetics of rye, triticale and barley grains, and to highlight differences between the grain species. In total, 20 genotypes of each grain species were investigated using in situ and in vitro methods. Samples were ground (2 mm), weighed into polyester bags, and incubated in situ 1 to 48 h in three ruminally cannulated lactating dairy cows. The in vitro gas production of ground samples (1 mm) was measured according to the ‘Hohenheim Gas Test’, and cumulative gas production was recorded over different time spans for up to 72 h. There were significant differences (P<0.05) between the species for most parameters used to describe the in situ degradation of starch (ST) and dry matter (DM). The in situ degradation rate (c) and effective degradability (assuming a passage rate of 8%/h; ED8) of ST differed significantly between all grains and was highest for rye (rye: 116.5%/h and 96.2%; triticale: 85.1%/h and 95.0%; barley: 36.2%/h and 90.0% for c and ED8, respectively). With respect to DM degradation, the ranking of the species was similar, and predicted c values exhibited the highest variation within species. The in vitro gas production rate was significantly higher (P<0.05) for rye than for triticale and barley (rye: 12.5%/h; triticale: 11.5%/h; barley: 11.1%/h). A positive relationship between the potential gas production in vitro and the maximal degradable DM fraction in situ was found using all samples (r=0.84; P<0.001) as well as rye (P=0.002) and barley (P<0.001) alone, but not for triticale. Variation in ruminal in situ degradation parameters within the grain species resulted from the high c values, but was not reflected in the ED estimates. Therefore, the usage of mean values for the ED of DM and ST for each species appears reasonable. Estimated metabolisable energy concentrations (ME, MJ/kg DM) and the estimated digestibility of organic matter (dOM, %) were significantly lower (P<0.05) for barley than for rye and triticale. Rye and triticale dOM and ME values were not significantly different (P=0.386 and 0.485).

Vladislav Solotarjow and the Russian way of playing the accordion: a case study

Abstract Name: Elisa van Kesteren Research supervisor: Stefan Petrovic Title of the Research: The Russian way of playing the accordion: a case study related to the Chambersuite of Vladislav Solotarjow Research question: Does the Russian way of playing the bayan exist and if so, how can I achive this in my own artistic practice? Summary of the results: Russian music is very particular. Through the centuries of this huge country’s history, art has always been of great importance, no matter what the political situation was. The world still honors their cultural heritage, their literature, dance and music. Russian music has always touched and inspired me so it was obvious to specialize during my master in this subject. Becoming myself a performing musician I wanted to investigate what this Russian music is about. What are the characteristics and how do Russian performers play? I wanted to get as close as possible to the ‘Russian way of playing’. Focusing on Vladislav Solotarjow’s ‘Chambersuite’ or ‘Sentimental pieces to Alexander Blok’, made me develop my Russian way of playing. I have done this through listening, analyzing and comparing recordings, from Mika Vayrynen a Scandinavian bayanist and one of Russia’s most important bayanists Friedrich Lips and making my own recordings. This research has proved to me that the Russians play very expressive, with a lot of passion and freedom. Both their music and their instrument are very colorful. I have achieved many of these characteristics in my own playing, even adding my own personal style to it in the end. Only the colorfulness of sound was still missing sometimes. Wondering about my technique and musical decisions, I took the chance to compare the two instruments with each other. My accordion built in Western Europe (Castelfidardo, Italy) versus the Russian-built Bayan (Moscow). It was really helpful to investigate the history of the instrument, the history of Russia and their music in order to get as close as possible to the Russian way of playing. Furthermore, reading about Solotarjow’s life, analysing his composition and listening to different recordings, greatly improved my understanding of this music. These things have helped me to develop my artistic practice. The part of the research that directly involved my artistic practice has been of great value for me. It has enriched my expressive pallet by including more freedom in my playing in many different aspects. I have concluded that it is possible to achieve the Russian way of playing. I have also found that besides having background information about the history of the country, knowledge about the composer and the composition, it is important to have or to imagine the Russian soul. Next to this, it is also important to be open to a different way of playing. A way of playing that might be unfamiliar to a performer. Biography: My name is Elisa van Kesteren and was born in Leeuwarden, The Netherlands. I started playing the accordion at the age of eight. After graduating for the Bachelor Degree here at the Royal Conservatory in 2014, I continued studying with An Raskin and will graduate for the Master degree this year. I am a member of the very recently founded accordion ensemble “The Blackboxes”, have a great interest for Russian but also contemporary music and teach at the moment in various music schools.

IN VITRO RUMINAL AND POST-RUMINAL PROTEIN DEGRADATION OF UNTREATED AND TREATED SOYBEAN MEAL

This study was designed to determine the characteristics of rumen fermentation, and post-ruminal protein digestion of untreated and treated soybean meal (SBM) using gas production (GP) technique and three step in situ/in vitro procedures. Soybean meal (SBM) was treated by autoclaving, roasting, with ethanol and mixed by various proportions of Acacia saligna (AS) leaves (1:3, 1:1, 3:1) ratios. The results showed that the highest cumulative GP was observed in untreated SBM followed by treated SBM with ethanol, roasted SBM and SBM+AS (3:1). The lowest mean values of GP were obtained in SBM+AS (1:3), autoclaved SBM and SBM+AS (1:1). The predicted metabolizable energy (ME, MJ/kg DM) and net energy (NE, MJ/kg DM) varied widely in substrates and was particularly high in untreated SBM, while SBM+AS (1:3) had significantly the lowest values of ME and NE. The highest mean values of NH3-N concentration were obtained with untreated SBM, while the lowest was obtained with autoclaved SBMand followed by SBM+AS (1:3), ethanol-treated SBM and roasted SBM. Rumen degradable protein (RDP, %) varied from 33.6% in autoclaving SBM to 62.4% in SBM+AS (3:1). Intestinal protein digestion (IPD, %) content was highest in autoclaving-SBM, roasting SBM and untreated SBM and lowest mean value of IPD was recorded in SBM+AS (1:1).The highest mean values for VFA concentrations were obtained with SBM+AS (3:1)and SBM treated with ethanol followed by SBM plus A. saligna leaves (1:3). The lowest mean value of VFA concentration was obtained by autoclaving SBM or roasting SBM. It is concluded that autoclaving SBM, ethanol- treated SBM and mixing SBM with Acacia leaves (1:3) could be used advantageously to reduce RDP and increase the bypass protein but the autoclaving SBM showed the best treatment on improving the intestinal protein digestion of SBM.

Are Very Small Emission Quantum Yields Characteristic of Pure Metal-to-Ligand Charge-Transfer Excited States of Ruthenium(II)-(Acceptor Ligand) Chromophores?

Metal to ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) excited state emission quantum yields, ϕem, are reported in 77 K glasses for a series of pentaammine and tetraammine ruthenium(II) complexes with monodentate aromatic acceptor ligands (Ru-MDA) such as pyridine and pyrazine. These quantum yields are only about 0.2-1% of those found for their Ru-bpy (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine) analogs in similar excited state energy ranges (hνem). The excited state energy dependencies of the emission intensity are characterized by mean radiative decay rate constants, kRAD, resolved from ϕem/τobs = kRAD (τobs = the observed emission decay lifetime; τobs(-1) = kRAD + kNRD; kNRD = nonradiative decay rate constant). Except for the Ru-pz chromophores in alcohol glasses, the values of kNRD for the Ru-MDA chromophores are slightly smaller, and their dependences on excited state energies are very similar to those of related Ru-bpy chromophores. In principle, one expects kRAD to be proportional to the product of (hνem)(3) and the square of the transition dipole moment (Me,g).(2) However, from experimental studies of Ru-bpy chromophores, an additional hνem dependence has been found that originates in an intensity stealing from a higher energy excited state with a much larger value of Me,g. This additional hνem dependence is not present in the kRAD energy dependence for Ru-MDA chromophores in the same energy regime. Intensity stealing in the phosphorescence of these complexes is necessary since the triplet-to-singlet transition is only allowed through spin-orbit coupling and since the density functional theory modeling implicates configurational mixing between states in the triplet spin manifold; this is treated by setting Me,g equal to the product of a mixing coefficient and the difference between the molecular dipole moments of the states involved, which implicates an experimental first order dependence of kRAD on hνem. The failure to observe intensity stealing for the Ru-MDA complexes suggests that their weak emissions are more typical of "pure" (or unmixed) (3)MLCT excited states.