Productive performance of naked neck chickens that were fed leaf meal shrubs

ABSTRACT Objective. To compare the productive performance of naked neck chickens (phases of initiation, growth and final) that were fed meals Gliricidia sepium, Cajanus cajan and Morus alba leaves. Materials and methods. 192 chickens, 1-84 days of age were distributed in a randomized block design with three experimental groups (5% of shrub in the diet), 48 animals/ group, eight replicates/ treatment, six animals/ reply and three animals/ sex in each replicate were used. The control group consumed diet based on corn and soybeans. They were reared on floor. Weighed every seven days. Weight gain, voluntary intake, conversion, balance and efficiency of feed utilization were calculated. Results. The highest total feed intake and average daily gain in rearing were 37.43g 9509.96 g respectively for M. alba (p<0.05), which also presented the best efficiency of energy and protein. Meanwhile, G. sepium showed the lowest values. Conclusions. It is possible to replace 5% of corn and soy in the diet of naked neck chickens, with the inclusion of leaf meal M. alba and get a favorable productive behavior. RESUMEN Objetivo. Comparar el comportamiento productivo de pollos cuello desnudo (fases de inicio, crecimiento y final) que se alimentaron con harinas de hojas de Gliricidia sepium, Cajanus cajan y Morus alba. Materiales y métodos. Se utilizaron 192 pollos, de 1-84 días de edad que se distribuyeron en un diseño de bloques al azar, con tres grupos experimentales (5% de arbustivas en la ración), 48 animales/ grupo, ocho réplicas/ tratamiento, seis animales/ réplica y tres animales/ sexo, en cada réplica. El grupo control consumió dieta a base de maíz y soya. Se criaron en piso. Se pesaron cada siete días. Se calcularon la ganancia de peso, el consumo voluntario, la conversión, el balance y la eficiencia en la utilización de alimentos. Resultados. El mayor consumo total de alimento y la ganancia promedio diaria en la crianza fueron de 9509.96 g y 37.43g, respectivamente, para M. alba (p<0.05), donde también se presentó la mejor eficiencia en el uso de la energía y la proteína. Mientras, la G. sepium presentó los valores más bajos. Conclusiones. Es posible sustituir el 5% de maíz y soya, en la dieta de pollos cuello desnudo, con la inclusión de harina de hojas de M. alba y obtener un favorable comportamiento productivo.

Triplet Exciton Generation in Bulk-Heterojunction Solar Cells based on Endohedral Fullerenes

Organic bulk-heterojunctions (BHJ) and solar cells containing the trimetallic nitride endohedral fullerene 1-[3-(2-ethyl)hexoxy carbonyl]propyl-1-phenyl-Lu3N@C80 (Lu3N@C80-PCBEH) show an open circuit voltage (VOC) 0.3 V higher than similar devices with [6,6]-phenyl-C[61]-butyric acid methyl ester (PC61BM). To fully exploit the potential of this acceptor molecule with respect to the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of solar cells, the short circuit current (JSC) should be improved to become competitive with the state of the art solar cells. Here, we address factors influencing the JSC in blends containing the high voltage absorber Lu3N@C80-PCBEH in view of both photogeneration but also transport and extraction of charge carriers. We apply optical, charge carrier extraction, morphology, and spin-sensitive techniques. In blends containing Lu3N@C80-PCBEH, we found 2 times weaker photoluminescence quenching, remainders of interchain excitons, and, most remarkably, triplet excitons formed on the polymer chain, which were absent in the reference P3HT:PC61BM blends. We show that electron back transfer to the triplet state along with the lower exciton dissociation yield due to intramolecular charge transfer in Lu3N@C80-PCBEH are responsible for the reduced photocurrent

Experimental evidence of parametric decay processes in the variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket (VASIMR) helicon plasma source

Decay waves have been observed in the megahertz range in the helium plasma generated by the variable specific impulse magnetoplasma rocket magnetoplasma thruster. They are measured using one of the tips of a triple probe connected to a 50 Ω input of a spectrum analyzer via a dc block (a small capacitor). The maximum amplitude of all waves is in the center of the plasma and does not appear correlated to the radial electron density or temperature profiles. The waves seem to be generated close to the helicon antenna that was 91 cm “upstream” from the measuring Langmuir probe. A possible explanation is parametric decay of the large amplitude helicon wave that also generates the plasma.This project was proudly supported by the International Science Linkages programme established under the Australian Government’s innovation statement Backing Australia’s Ability

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (3rd edition)

In 2008 we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, research on this topic has continued to accelerate, and many new scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Accordingly, it is important to update these guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Various reviews have described the range of assays that have been used for this purpose. Nevertheless, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to measure autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. For example, a key point that needs to be emphasized is that there is a difference between measurements that monitor the numbers or volume of autophagic elements (e.g., autophagosomes or autolysosomes) at any stage of the autophagic process versus those that measure fl ux through the autophagy pathway (i.e., the complete process including the amount and rate of cargo sequestered and degraded). In particular, a block in macroautophagy that results in autophagosome accumulation must be differentiated from stimuli that increase autophagic activity, defi ned as increased autophagy induction coupled with increased delivery to, and degradation within, lysosomes (inmost higher eukaryotes and some protists such as Dictyostelium ) or the vacuole (in plants and fungi). In other words, it is especially important that investigators new to the fi eld understand that the appearance of more autophagosomes does not necessarily equate with more autophagy. In fact, in many cases, autophagosomes accumulate because of a block in trafficking to lysosomes without a concomitant change in autophagosome biogenesis, whereas an increase in autolysosomes may reflect a reduction in degradative activity. It is worth emphasizing here that lysosomal digestion is a stage of autophagy and evaluating its competence is a crucial part of the evaluation of autophagic flux, or complete autophagy. Here, we present a set of guidelines for the selection and interpretation of methods for use by investigators who aim to examine macroautophagy and related processes, as well as for reviewers who need to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of papers that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a formulaic set of rules, because the appropriate assays depend in part on the question being asked and the system being used. In addition, we emphasize that no individual assay is guaranteed to be the most appropriate one in every situation, and we strongly recommend the use of multiple assays to monitor autophagy. Along these lines, because of the potential for pleiotropic effects due to blocking autophagy through genetic manipulation it is imperative to delete or knock down more than one autophagy-related gene. In addition, some individual Atg proteins, or groups of proteins, are involved in other cellular pathways so not all Atg proteins can be used as a specific marker for an autophagic process. In these guidelines, we consider these various methods of assessing autophagy and what information can, or cannot, be obtained from them. Finally, by discussing the merits and limits of particular autophagy assays, we hope to encourage technical innovation in the field

Energetic and developmental costs of mounting an immune response in greenfinches (Carduelis chloris)

It is assumed that there is a trade-off between the costs allocated to mounting an immune defence and those allocated to costly functions such as breeding and moulting. The physiological basis for this is that mounting an immune response to pathogen challenge has energetic and/or nutrient costs which may interfere with metabolic processes of the challenged individual. If the energetic costs of mounting an immune response are not too high, animals may face such costs by increasing their acquisition of food energy, suggesting that limited nutrients may be responsible for the costs of immune defence. We assessed the energetic and developmental costs of mounting an immune response in an experiment in captivity with first-year greenfinches (Carduelis chloris) challenged with sheep red blood cells and Brucella abortus. Antibody production against both antigens increased the daily energy expenditure (4.7%) of immune-challenged birds relative to control birds, although the difference was non-significant. We estimated that the maximum effect size supported by the data would be 9.9% higher in immune-challenged birds relative to control birds. We plucked the two outermost rectrices of each bird to assess the effects of the immune challenge on growth of the regenerated feathers. The immune challenge had no significant effect on the length of the regenerated rectrices. However, these feathers were more asymmetric in length in immune-challenged birds than in control birds. Although first-year male greenfinches paid a relatively low energetic cost when mounting an immune response, we suggest that immune-challenged individuals may have paid some costs over the long term based on the increased fluctuating asymmetry in the developing feathers. © 2006 The Ecological Society of Japan.Peer Reviewe

La savantisation du lexique (ex.: saisonnalité pour saisons) ou Pourquoi faire simple quand on peut faire compliqué ?

International audienc

Benefits of Silica Core–Shell Structures on the Temperature Sensing Properties of Er,Yb:GdVO₄ Up-Conversion Nanoparticles

We studied the temperature-dependent luminescence of GdVO₄ nanoparticles co-doped with Er³⁺ (1 mol %) and Yb³⁺ (20 mol %) and determined their thermal sensing properties through the fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) technique. We also analyzed how a silica coating, in a core–shell structure, affects the temperature sensing properties of this material. Spectra were recorded in the range of biological temperatures (298–343 K). The absolute sensitivity for temperature determination calculated for the core–shell nanoparticles is double the one calculated for bare nanoparticles, achieving a thermal resolution of 0.4 K. Moreover, silica-coated nanoparticles show good dispersibility in different solvents, such as water, DMSO, and methanol. Also, they show good luminescence stability without interactions with solvent molecules. Furthermore, we also observed that the silica coating shell prevents progressive heating of the nanoparticles during prolonged excitation periods with the 980 nm laser, preventing effects on their thermometric applications

A General Mechanism for the Copper- and Silver-Catalyzed Olefin Aziridination Reactions: Concomitant Involvement of the Singlet and Triplet Pathways

The olefin aziridination reactions catalyzed by copper and silver complexes bearing hydrotris­(pyrazolyl)­borate (Tp^x) ligands have been investigated from a mechanistic point of view. Several mechanistic probe reactions were carried out, specifically competition experiments with <i>p</i>-substituted styrenes, stereospecificity of olefins, effects of the radical inhibitors, and use of a radical clock. Data from these experiments seem to be contradictory, as they do not fully support the previously reported concerted or stepwise mechanisms. But theoretical calculations have provided the reaction profiles for both the silver and copper systems with different olefins to satisfy all experimental data. A mechanistic proposal has been made on the basis of the information that we collected from experimental and theoretical studies. In all cases, the reaction starts with the formation of a metal–nitrene species that holds some radical character, and therefore the aziridination reaction proceeds through the radical mechanism. The silver-based systems however hold a minimum energy crossing point (MECP) between the triplet and closed-shell singlet surfaces, which induce the direct formation of the aziridines, and stereochemistry of the olefin is retained. In the case of copper, a radical intermediate is formed, and this intermediate constitutes the starting point for competition steps involving ring-closure (through a MECP between the open-shell singlet and triplet surfaces) or carbon–carbon bond rotation, and explains the loss of stereochemistry with a given substrate. Overall, all the initially contradictory experimental data fit in a mechanistic proposal that involves <i>both</i> the singlet and the triplet pathways