Early decision support for net zero energy buildings design using building performance simulation

This paper aims to investigate the use of building performance simulation tools as a method of informing the design decision of NZEBs. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of a simulation-based decision aid, ZEBO, on informed decision-making using sensitivity analysis. The objective is to assess the effect of ZEBO and other BPS tools on three specific outcomes: (i) knowledge and satisfaction when using simulation for NZEB design; (ii) users’ decision-making attitudes and patterns, and (iii) performance robustness based on an energy analysis. The paper utilizes three design case studies comprising a framework to test the use of BPS tools. Two types of data were collected, mainly preference and performance data. The preference data were used to collect information from participants using self-reported metrics. The performance data were used to collect information on the energy performance of the final design. The energy evaluations were compared with the results of a quantitative assessment of the overall design performance. Finally the results were compared and presented. The paper provides results that shed light on the effectiveness of sensitivity analysis as an approach for informing the design decisions of NZEBs

Palm oil formulation as 34 % mayonnaise and evaluation of its biological efficacy against citrus mealybug, Planococcus citri under laboratory and field conditions

The use of environmentally friendly pesticides using palm oil derivatives as palm oil methyl ester (PME) carrier solvents has been reported. PME-based glyphosate isopropylamine nanoemulsion in the water against weeds has been the subject of numerous studies as well as palm oil methyl ester molluscicidal against golden apple snails. This study's major goal was to formulate palm oil in an appropriate formulation form and assess its insecticidal effectiveness against citrus mealybug, Planococcus citri. Palm oil was formulated as 34% oil in water emulsion (O/W) (mayonnaise). The new mayonnaise formulation successfully passed all physical and chemical testing requirements set out by pesticide organizations for (O/W) emulsions. Under laboratory conditions, it was biologically evaluated against nymphs and adults of the citrus mealybug, Planococcus citri, with serial concentrations. It had considerable insecticidal activity against all study stages, although the impact on nymphs was significantly greater than that on adults. This was evident from its LC50 values, which were 53.52 and 58.58 mg/ml for nymphs and adults, respectively. The citrus mealybug, Planococcus citri, in its adult, nymphs, and gravid stages, was tested using the new palm oil 34% mayonnaise formulation in the field. The highest mortality percentages were seen in the nymphs, followed by adults and then the gravid stage. After additional research, the newly developed palm oil formula might be employed to combat the citrus mealybug, Planococcus citri

Phenotypic and Genotypic Identification of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci from Different Sources

Enterococci are reservoirs for transmission of the most clinically important antimicrobial resistances such as vancomycin resistance. Therefore, this work aimed to determine the occurrence of enterococci and their respective vancomycine resistance genes (vanA and vanB) from different sources. Two hundred and twenty-four samples from chickens, turkey, fish and human urine, as well as, two types of human food including milk (raw and milk from mastitic animals) and sausage were tested for isolation of Enterococcus species. The isolates were identified morphologically and biochemically using catalase test, sodium chloride tolerance and growth at pH 9.6 and 10- 45˚C. The vancomycin resistance profile of the isolates was verified by both disc diffusion and agar dilution methods. The genotypic enterococcal identification at both genus and species levels and their vancomycine resistance genes were also ascertained using PCR amplification of the respective genes for 28 isolates. Enterococci isolation rate was 70% of the examined samples with a higher percentage of vancomycine resistance (53.5%) and the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranged from 16 to 512 µg/mL. Molecular identification of 28 enterococcal isolates revealed the dominance of E. faecalis (42.8%) and clarified a higher proportion of vanA (78.5%) and vanB (67.8%) genes. In conclusion, administration of the antimicrobials mainly vancomycin may be considered as a pronounced stress factor in the veterinary and human practices. In addition, VRE can act as a reservoir for vancomycin resistance

Rice Bran as an Alternative Feedstuff in Broiler Nutrition and Impact of Liposorb® and Vitamin E-Se on Sustainability of Performance, Carcass Traits, Blood Biochemistry, and Antioxidant Indices

The impact of dietary rice bran with or without feed additives on the performance, carcasses, and blood profiles of chickens was examined. A total of 245 unsexed one-week-old broiler chicks were divided into seven groups, with seven replications of five chicks each. The treatments were: (1) control, (2) 5% rice bran, (3) 5% rice bran + 0.5 g/kg of Liposorb®, (4) 5% rice bran + 1 g/kg of vitamin E-Se, (5) 10% rice bran, (6) 10% rice bran + 0.5 g/kg Liposorb®, and (7) 10% rice bran + 1 g/kg of vitamin E–selenium. Considering the entire experimental period, it did not affect the in vivo performance of the broilers. However, all the experimental diets decreased dressing % compared with the control (p < 0.01) and the worst values were obtained for the 10% RB groups (75.7, 75.9, and 75.8%, respectively, for 10%RB, 10%RB + Liposorb, and 10%RB + Vit. E-Se groups). All the experimental diets decreased (p < 0.01) the albumin/globulin ratio due to an increased level of serum globulins. Differences in lipid profiles, antioxidants, and immunity parameters in plasma were not related to dietary treatments. In conclusion, the use of rice bran up to 10% in diets had no harmful effect on the overall growth performance of the broilers from 1 to 5 weeks of age. Still, carcass characteristics were negatively affected, except for heart percentage. In addition, the supplementation of Liposorb® or vitamin E-Se to rice bran diets did not recover these harmful effects. Thus, rice bran could be utilized at 10% in broiler diets when growth performance was considered; further research is required

Methyl 2-({6-[(1-meth­oxy-2-methyl-1-oxopropan-2-yl)carbamo­yl]pyridin-2-yl}formamido)-2-methyl­propano­ate

In the title compound, C17H23N3O6, the two meth­oxy­carbonyl C—O—C=O planes are inclined at dihedral angles of 5.3 (4) and 83.9 (4)° with respect to the central pyridine ring. An intra­molecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bond generates an S(5) ring motif. In the crystal, mol­ecules are linked into a chain along the c axis via C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds

EFFECT OF COMPOST FERTILIZATION LEVELS ON GROWTH, YIELD AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF SANDY SOIL GROWN AMMI VISNAGA PLANTS

The present investigation was conducted at the nursery of Fac. of Agric., Minia Univ. during the two successive seasons of 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 to explore the most suitable level of compost for Ammi visnaga plants grown in sandy soil. All studied vegetative growth characters (plant height, branch number and herb dry weight/plant); yield parameters (number of umbels/plant and seed yield per plant and per fed); and chemical constituents (photosynthetic pigments and herb percent and content of N, P and K) were gradually increased parallel to the increase in compost level added to the soil. However, no clear difference was obtained, for all prementioned traits, between the medium compost level (12.5 ton/fed) and the high one (17.5 ton/ fed). In general, seed yield per fed, due to medium or high compost rate was increased by about 30%

Dust-Acoustic Solitary Waves in Magnetized Dusty Plasma with Dust Opposite Polarity

The nonlinear propagation of small but finite amplitude dust-acoustic solitary waves (DAWs) in magnetized collision less dusty plasma has been investigated. The fluid model is a four component magnetized dusty plasma, consisting of positive and negative dust species, isothermal electrons and ions in the presence of an external magnetic field. A reductive perturbation method was employed to obtain the Zakharov Kuznetsov (ZK) equation for the first-order potential. The effects of the presence of positively charged dust fluid, the external magnetic field, and the obliqueness are obtained. The results of the present investigation may be applicable to some plasma environments, such as cometary tails, upper mesosphere and Jupiter\u27s magnetosphere

Impact of increasing dietary oil concentrations with a constant energy level on the tolerance of broiler chickens to a high ambient temperature

Broiler males (n= 140) were used in a straight-run experimental design and distributed randomly among four treatment groups with seven replicates per treatment and five broilers per replicate. During 21–42 d old, the chickens were fed iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenous diets containing four levels of dietary vegetable oils (DVO), of 2.7, 4, 6 and 8%. During d 25–27, 31–33, and 38–40 of age, broilers were exposed to heat stress for 4 h a day (1000–1400 h) at 34 ºC, 70–75 % relative humidity. Feeding an 8% DVO diet significantly increased body weight gain compared to the other DVO levels. The feed conversion ratio, protein conversion ratio, metabolizable energy conversion ratio and European production index were significantly enhanced due to feeding an 8% DVO diet compared to a diet containing 6% DVO. Feeding 8% DVO significantly increased the meat protein and lipid percentages, compared to the control group (2.7 % DVO), but decreased the plasma low-density lipoprotein, very-low-density lipoprotein and lymphocytes. Feeding 8% DVO significantly increased the mean cell volume and mean cell hemoglobin, and bursa weight and percentage compared to the control. In addition, 6 and 8% DVO significantly increased the plasma total antioxidant capacity compared to the control group, but decreased the malondialdehyde. Thus, broilers fed a diet containing 8% DVO have an increased tolerance to heat stress, as evidenced by increasing the productive performance, meat quality, blood hematological and biochemical traits, antioxidants and immunity

Perinatal-lethal Gaucher disease presenting as hydrops fetalis

Perinatal-lethal Gaucher disease is very rare and is considered a variant of type 2 Gaucher disease that occurs in the neonatal period. The most distinct features of perinatal-lethal Gaucher disease are non-immune hydrops fetalis. Less common signs of the disease are hepatosplenomegaly, ichthyosis and arthrogryposis. We report a case of Gaucher's disease (type 2) diagnosed in a newborn who presented with Hydrops Fetalis

The impact of multi-enzyme fortification on growth performance, intestinal morphology, nutrient digestibility, and meat quality of broiler chickens fed a standard or low-density diet

This research aimed to study the impact of supplementation of three multi-enzyme levels (0, 0.1, and 0.2% of feed) and two levels of dietary treatments [standard diet (SD) and low-density diet (LDD)] on growth performance, carcass traits, digestibility, and meat quality of broilers from 1 to 38 days of age. A total of 216 1-day-old Arbor Acres broiler chicks were randomly assigned to a factorial experiment (2 × 3) comprising six dietary treatments, each with six replicates and each replicate with six chickens. The results showed that the LDD significantly reduced body weight gain by 5.0%, compared with the SD. Multi-enzymes significantly improved body weight gain and the production index (PI) relative to the SD. The feed conversion ratio was significantly enhanced with increased multi-enzymes from 1 to 21 days. A significant relation between the multi-enzyme concentration and type of dietary treatment was observed in body weight gain and feed conversion ratio from 1 to 21 days of age. Nitrogen-free extract digestibility was significantly increased by using the SD diet compared with using the LDD. Multi-enzyme supplementation improved the digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, crude fiber, and nitrogen-free extract in the LDD. A significant relationship was found between the multi-enzyme concentration and type of dietary treatment on the pancreas, liver, and intestinal length percentages. The meat dry matter concentration was significantly higher in the LDD group than in the SD group. The low-density diet significantly reduced the total revenue compared with the SD, whereas broilers fed the SD recorded significantly higher total revenue and economic efficiency than those fed the LDD. The low-density diet significantly increased economic efficiency compared with the SD. Multi-enzymes significantly increased the total revenue, net revenue, and economic efficiency than the standard set. In conclusion, using multi-enzymes in broiler diets improved body weight gain. The LDD with multi-enzymes showed enhanced body weight gain compared with the SD without multi-enzymes