Validation of Ovine Excreta Using in vitro Gas to Assess Feed for Ruminants

Ovine excreta as inoculum for biogasification was used to assess in vitro and in sacco nutritive value of tropical pastures for ruminants. Pastures under study were: Paspalum notatum, Cynodon nlemfuensis, Panicum maximum, Sporobolus indicus, and Desmodium sp. Excreta were collected on grassy pastures areas. CO2  systematic injections prevented strict anaerobic microorganisms contact with oxygen. A positive and significant correlation resulted from biogasification using either ovine excreta or ovine ruminal fluid. Determinant coefficient was 0,79. Panicum maxi- mum and Cynodon nlemfuensis reached the highest nutritive value, while Sporobolus indicus showed the lowest one. Key Words: ovine excreta, digestibility, nutritive valu

Teaser Bull Preparation by Surgically Made Ventral Prepuce Foramen

This surgical technique (opening of an artificial ventral prepuce orifice) was used to prepare 50 Holstein x Zebu teaser bulls. This study was made at Triangulo 5 and Triangulo 3 cattle companies, and on El Taburete Farm in the province of Camagüey, Cuba. Healing and recovery, surgery time, and costs of medication and surgical materials, were evaluated. Exploratory examination was made ten months after the procedure to verify the general state of the animal and the success of surgery. This technique demonstrated its simplicity, cost effectiveness, and celerity, both in execution and animal recovery. The surgically made ventral prepuce orifice is recommended to cut down production costs of cattle raising, and it could be used in other species of interest as well, like ovine-caprine

Heces ovinas depuestas como inóculo en la técnica de producción de gases para la valoración nutritiva de forrajes

Se evaluaron heces ovinas depuestas como inóculo en la técnica de producción de gas para la valoración nutritiva de pastos tropicales destinados a rumiantes. Se tomaron heces de ovinos que consumían pastos de gramíneas y se utilizó la técnica de producción de gas; se emplearon jeringas de cristal de 100 ml . Existió correlación positiva y significativa entre la producción de gas con heces ovinas depuestas y la producción de gas con heces bovinas. Se obtuvo coeficiente de determinación de 0,84. El mayor valor nutritivo lo alcanzaron los pastos guinea (Panicum maximum) y estrella (Cynodon nenfluensis) y el menor, pajilla (Sporobolus indicus). Se recomienda el uso de las heces ovinas depuestas para la valoración in vitro de forrajes.Palabras clave: gas in vitro, valor nutritivo y heces ovina

Validación de heces ovinas con la técnica de gas in vitro para valorar alimentos destinados a rumiantes.

Se evaluaron heces ovinas depuestas comoinóculo enla técnica de producción de gases para la valoración nutriti-va invitroe insaccode lospastos tropicales:tejana (Paspalum notatun), estrella (Cynodon nlemfuensis), guinea (Panicum maximun), pajilla (Sporobolus indicus) yleguminosa rastrera(Desmodiumsp).Las heces procedían deanimales que consumían pastos de gramíneas. Inyecciones sistemáticas de CO2 impidieron que los microorganismosanaerobios estrictos contactaran con el oxígeno. Existiócorrelación positiva y significativa entre la produccióndegas con heces ovinas depuestas y la producción de gas con líquido ruminal de ovinos. El coeficiente de determina-ciónfue de 0,79. El mayor valor nutritivo lo alcanzaronlos pastos guinea (Panicum maximum) y estrella(Cynodon nlemfuensis) y el menorpajilla (Sporobolusindicus).Ovine Excreta Validation Through invitroBiogasification to Assess Pastures for Ruminants Feeding ABSTRACTOvine excreta as inoculumfor biogasication wasused to assess in vitroand insacco nutritive value of tropical pas-tures for ruminants.Pasturesunder studywere: Paspalum notatun,  Cynodon nlemfuensis,  Panicum maximum, Sporobolus indicus, andDesmodiumsp. Excreta were collected on grassypastures areas. CO2systematic injectionspreventedstrict anaerobic microorganismscontact withoxygen. A positive andsignificant correlation resulted frombiogasification usingeither ovine excreta orovine ruminalfluid. Determinantcoefficientwas 0,79. Panicum maxi-mum and Cynodon nlemfuensis reached the highest nutritive value, while Sporobolus indicus showedthe lowestone

Heces ovinas depuestas como inóculo en la técnica de producción de gases para la valoración nutritiva de forrajes

Se evaluaron heces ovinas depuestas como inóculo en la técnica de producción de gas para la valoración nutritivade pastos tropicales para rumiantes. Se emplearon heces de ovinos que consumían pastos de gramíneas y se empleóla técnica de producción de gas usando jeringas de cristal de 100 ml. Existió correlación positiva y significativa entrela producción de gas con heces ovinas depuestas y la producción de gas usando heces bovinas; se obtuvo coeficientede determinación de 0,84. El mayor valor nutritivo lo alcanzaron los pastos guinea (Panicum maximum) y estrella(Cynodon nenfluensis) y el menor pajilla (Sporobolus indicus). Se recomienda el uso de las heces ovinas depuestaspara la valoración in vitro de forrajes.Se evaluaron heces ovinas depuestas como inóculo en la técnica de producción de gas para la valoración nutritivade pastos tropicales para rumiantes. Se emplearon heces de ovinos que consumían pastos de gramíneas y se empleóla técnica de producción de gas usando jeringas de cristal de 100 ml. Existió correlación positiva y significativa entrela producción de gas con heces ovinas depuestas y la producción de gas usando heces bovinas; se obtuvo coeficientede determinación de 0,84. El mayor valor nutritivo lo alcanzaron los pastos guinea (Panicum maximum) y estrella(Cynodon nenfluensis) y el menor pajilla (Sporobolus indicus). Se recomienda el uso de las heces ovinas depuestaspara la valoración in vitro de forrajes

Preparación de receladores bovinos por el método del foramen prepucial ventral artificial

To describe this surgical technique (opening of an artificial ventral preputial orifice) for teaser bull preparation, 50 Holstein x Zebu animals were chosen. The study was made at Triángulo 5 and Triangulo 3 cattle companies, and on El Taburete Farm in the province of Camaguey, Cuba. Healing and recovery, surgery time, and costs of medication and surgical material were evaluated. Exploratory examination was made ten months after the procedure to verify the general state of the animal and the success of surgery. This technique has proved its simplicity, cost effectiveness, and celerity, both in execution and animal recovery. The surgically-made ventral preputial orifice is recommended to cut down the production costs of cattle raising. It could also be used in other species of interest like ovine-caprine.Con el objetivo de describir la técnica quirúrgica para la preparación de toros receladores consistente en la abertura de un orificio prepucial ventral artificial, se utilizaron 50 animales de genotipo Holstein por Cebú. El trabajo se desarrolló en las empresas pecuarias Triángulo 5; 3 y en la Finca Taburete en la provincia Camagüey, Cuba. Se evaluó el proceso de cicatrización y de recuperación, el tiempo de realización de la técnica y el gasto de medicamentos y material quirúrgico; además se realizó 10 meses después de la operación una exploración para verificar el estado general y el éxito de la cirugía. Se demostró que la técnica del orificio prepucial artificial ventral es sencilla, rápida en la ejecución y en la recuperación y requiere pocos recursos. Se recomienda extender la técnica del orificio prepucial ventral buscando disminuir los costos de la producción ganadera y emplearla en otras especies de interés zootécnico como en el ganado ovino-caprino

Gate current analysis of AlGaN/GaN on silicon heterojunction transistors at the nanoscale

The gate leakage current of AlGaN/GaN (on silicon)high electron mobility transistor(HEMT) is investigated at the micro and nanoscale. The gate current dependence (25-310 °C) on the temperature is used to identify the potential conduction mechanisms, as trap assisted tunneling or field emission. The conductive atomic force microscopy investigation of the HEMT surface has revealed some correlation between the topography and the leakage current, which is analyzed in detail. The effect of introducing a thin dielectric in the gate is also discussed in the micro and the nanoscale

Diet and lifestyle behaviour disruption related to the pandemic was varied and bidirectional among US and UK adults participating in the ZOE COVID Study

Evidence of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health behaviours in the general population is limited. In this retrospective longitudinal study including UK and US participants, we collected diet and lifestyle data pre-pandemic (896,286) and peri-pandemic (291,871) using a mobile health app, and we computed a bidirectional health behaviour disruption index. Disruption of health behaviour was higher in younger, female and socio-economically deprived participants. Loss in body weight was greater in highly disrupted individuals than in those with low disruption. There were large inter-individual changes observed in 46 health and diet behaviours measured peri-pandemic compared with pre-pandemic, but no mean change in the total population. Individuals most adherent to less healthy pre-pandemic health behaviours improved their diet quality and weight compared with those reporting healthier pre-pandemic behaviours, irrespective of relative deprivation; therefore, for a proportion of the population, the pandemic may have provided an impetus to improve health behaviours. Public policies to tackle health inequalities widened by the pandemic should continue to prioritize diet and physical activity for all, as well as more targeted approaches to support younger females and those living in economically deprived areas

Correlación degradabilidad ruminal in situ y producción de gas in vitro con el uso de heces vacunas depuestas como inóculo

With the aim of assessing the correlation between in situ rumen degradability and in vitro gas production using bovine feces, dried samples of Leucaena leucocephala, Pennisetum purpureum, and Panicum maximum were incubated during 8; 16; 24; 48; 72, and 96 h within the rumen of two cross-bred adult bulls, fistulated at the dorsal rumen sac, which grazed about 10 hours/per day and remained stabled the rest of the time. As inoculum for gas production, fresh feces with less than 3 hours of being voided, mixed with a buffered mineral medium in a 1 + 3 rate were used. The produced gas was collected in 100 mL gauged syringes. The lag time, potential volume of gas (B), and rate of degradation parameters (C) were estimated. By these volume-time data B value is smaller for P. maximun and C value is greater for L. leucocephala. There is a linear correlation (P<0,01) between in vitro gas production with already voided feces and in situ rumen degradability which suggests the possibility of using the former technique in predicting digestibility without affecting animals condition.Con el fin de evaluar la correlación entre la degradabilidad ruminal in situ y la producción de gas in vitro, con el uso de heces vacunas depuestas, se estudiaron muestras de Leucaena leucocephala, Pennisetum purpureum y Panicum maximum que se incubaron por 8; 16; 24; 48; 72 y 96 h en el rumen de dos toros mestizos adultos, fistulados en el saco dorsal, los cuales pastaban durante aproximadamente 10 horas del día y permanecían estabulados el resto del tiempo. Como inóculo para la producción de gas se usaron heces vacunas ―con menos de tres horas de haber sido depuestas― mezcladas en proporción 1 + 3 con medio mineral amortiguado. El gas producido se recogió en jeringas graduadas de 100 mL . Con los datos de volumen-tiempo se estimaron los parámetros: fase lag (L), potencial de producción de gas B y velocidad de degradación C. La producción de gas (B) resultó menor para P. maximum (P < 0,01) y C mayor para L. leucocephala. Existe una relación lineal (P < 0,01) entre la producción de gas in vitro y la degradabilidad ruminal in situ, lo que sugiere la posibilidad de usar la primera de estas técnicas para hacer predicciones de digestibilidad sin dañar el bienestar de los animales

Disability progression markers over 6-12 years in interferon-beta-treated multiple sclerosis patients

Objective: To investigate the association between activity during interferon-beta (IFNβ) therapy and disability outcomes in patients with relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Methods: A longitudinal study based on two previously described cohorts of IFNβ-treated RRMS patients was conducted. Patients were classified according to clinical activity after 2 years (clinical cohort) or to clinical and radiological activity after 1 year (magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) cohort). Multivariate Cox models were calculated for early disease activity predicting long-term disability. Results: A total of 516 patients from two different cohorts were included in the analyses. Persistent clinical disease activity during the first 2 years of therapy predicted severe long-term disability (clinical cohort). In the MRI cohort, modified Rio score and no or minimal evidence of disease activity (NEDA/MEDA) did not identify patients with risk of Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) worsening. However, a Rio score ≥ 2 (hazard ratio (HR): 3.3, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.7–6.4); ≥3 new T2 lesions (HR: 2.9, 95% CI: 1.5–5.6); or ≥2 Gd-enhancing lesions (HR: 2.1, 95% CI: 1.1–4) were able to identify patients with EDSS worsening. Conclusion: Although early activity during IFNβ therapy is associated with poor long-term outcomes, minimal degree of activity does not seem to be predictive of EDSS worsening over 6.7-year mean follow-up