Ammonia and Carbon Dioxide Concentrations in a Layer House

Higher concentrations of ammonia (NH3) and carbon dioxide (CO2) in animal barns can negatively affect production and health of animals and workers. This paper focuses on measurements of summer concentrations of ammonia (NH3) and carbon dioxide (CO2) in a naturally ventilated laying henhouse located at an egg production facility in Bursa region, western Turkey. Also, indoor and ambient environmental conditions such as temperature and relative humidity were measured simultaneously with pollutant gas concentrations. The average NH3 concentrations during summer of 2013 was 8.05 ppm for exhaust and 5.42 ppm for inlet while average CO2 concentration was 732 ppm for exhaust and 625 ppm for inlet throughout summer. The overall minimum, average and maximum values and humidity were obtained as 16.8°C, 24.72°C, and 34.71°C for indoor temperature and 33.64%, 63.71%, and 86.18% for relative humidity. The lowest exhaust concentrations for NH3 and CO2 were 6.98 ppm and 609 ppm, respectively. They were measured in early morning at the maximum diurnal ventilation rate in July 2013 and August 2013. The highest concentrations were 10.58 ppm for NH3 and 904 ppm for CO2 recorded in the afternoon when the ventilation rate was the lowest in June 2013

Utjecaj sezone i vremena mužnje na svojstva i sastav masnih kiselina u mlijeku na različitim farmama mliječnih krava

The fatty acid content and physicochemical composition of the milk obtained from 3 cattle farms at summer and winter season for different milking time were studied. Physicochemical properties varied due to different feeding strategies used in the observed farms. The lowest values of total fat and protein were observed in winter time with the highest fat content of morning milking. The groups of fatty acids (FAs), namely saturated (SAFA), monounsaturated (MUFA) and polyunsaturated (PUFA) were examined together with the individual acids with short and long chains. The major fatty acids of milk samples were myristic, palmitic, stearic and oleic acids. In the summer season the content of unsaturated fatty acid was quantitatively higher than the saturated fatty acid. It can be concluded that the fatty acid composition and quality of milk was significantly depended on breeding, feeding strategies, milking and cattle management practices.U radu je istražen sastav masnih kiselina i fizikalno-kemijski sastav mlijeka ljetnog i zimskog perioda, te različitih termina mužnje sa 3 mliječne farme. Fizikalno-kemijska svojstva varirala su s obzirom na korištene različite strategije hranidbe na farmama. Najniže vrijednosti ukupne masti i proteina uočene su u zimskom razdoblju s najvišim sadržajem masti jutarnje mužnje. Skupine masnih kiselina (MK), odnosno zasićene (SAFA), mononezasićene (MUFA) i polinezasićene (PUFA) utvrđene su zajedno s pojedinačnim kiselinama kratkih i dugih lanaca. Glavne masne kiseline bile su miristinska, palmitinska, stearinska i oleinska kiselina. U ljetnim je mjesecima sadržaj nezasićenih masnih kiselina veći od zasićenih masnih kiselina. Može se zaključiti da je sastav masnih kiselina i kvaliteta mlijeka znatno ovisila o uzgoju, hranidbenoj strategiji i mužnji

Comparison of serum adiponectin and osteopontin levels along with metabolic risk factors between obese and lean women with and without PCOS

Introduction: The objective of this study was to investigate the possible relation between serum adiponectin and osteopontin levels as metabolic risk markers among women with different polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) phenotypes. Material and methods: In a University Hospital setting PCOS patients diagnosed according to Rotterdam Consensus Conference criteria with body mass index (BMI) between 18 and 35 were recruited. Results: Overall, 57 PCOS patients and 57 age- and BMI-matched healthy controls were included in the study. Luteinising hormone (LH) to follicle-stimulating hormone FSH ratio (LH/FSH), free androgen index (FAI), and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS-S) was found to be significantly higher in women with PCOS. There was significant interaction between PCOS status and obesity for serum adiponectin levels. Although mean adiponectin and osteopontin levels were similar among cases and controls, a further two-way ANOVA comparison within lean and obese subgroups revealed adiponectin to be significantly lower in lean PCOS women than in lean controls. LH/FSH ratio and adiponectin levels were all found to differ between lean counterparts; however, they did not show any correlation with metabolic markers [cholesterol, homeostatic model assessment (HOMA) or C-reactive protein (CRP) levels] in overall lean women or in the lean PCOS subgroup. Conclusion: Serum adiponectin levels in lean PCOS women were significantly lower than those in lean controls. On the other hand, mean adiponectin and osteopontin levels were similar in PCOS cases and controls overall

FGF-23 and vascular dysfunction in patients with stage 3 and 4 chronic kidney disease

Studies in animals show that fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-23 interferes with vascular reactivity induced by the nitric oxide (NO) system. To investigate the relationship between circulating FGF-23 levels and the response of forearm blood flow to ischemia (flow-mediated vasodilatation, FMD) and nitroglycerin, we tested 183 patients with stage 3-4 chronic kidney disease (CKD). None of them had cardiovascular complications or were taking drugs interfering with vascular function. Patients with FGF-23 levels above the median had significantly lower glomerular filtration rate, FMD, and fetuin-A levels (an anti-inflammatory molecule and potent inhibitor of calcification). They also had higher proteinuria and phosphate levels when compared to patients whose FGF-23 levels were below the median. The response to nitroglycerin was not different between the two groups. Multiple regression analysis showed that the relationship between FGF-23 and FMD was only modestly sensitive to adjustment for classical risk factors, biomarkers of bone mineral metabolism, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and homeostatic model assessment index. Adjustment for asymmetrical dimethyl arginine (ADMA) weakened the strength of this link; however, it remained highly significant. There was no independent association between FGF-23 and nitroglycerin. Thus, attenuation of FMD by ADMA suggests that this endogenous inhibitor of NO synthase may, in part, mediate the vascular effects of FGF-23 in patients with CKD. © 2010 International Society of Nephrology

A peridynamic based machine learning model for one-dimensional and two-dimensional structures

With the rapid growth of available data and computing resources, using data-driven models is a potential approach in many scientific disciplines and engineering. However, for complex physical phenomena that have limited data, the data-driven models are lacking robustness and fail to provide good predictions. Theory-guided data science is the recent technology that can take advantage of both physics-driven and data-driven models. This study presents a novel peridynamics based machine learning model for one and two-dimensional structures. The linear relationships between the displacement of a material point and displacements of its family members and applied forces are obtained for the machine learning model by using linear regression. The numerical procedure for coupling the peridynamic model and the machine learning model is also provided. The numerical procedure for coupling the peridynamic model and the machine learning model is also provided. The accuracy of the coupled model is verified by considering various examples of a one-dimensional bar and two-dimensional plate. To further demonstrate the capabilities of the coupled model, damage prediction for a plate with a pre-existing crack, a two-dimensional representation of a three-point bending test, and a plate subjected to dynamic load are simulated

Derivation of dual horizon state-based peridynamics formulation based on euler-lagrange equation

The numerical solution of peridynamics equations is usually done by using uniform spatial discretisation. Although implementation of uniform discretisation is straightforward, it can increase computational time significantly for certain problems. Instead, non-uniform discretisation can be utilised and different discretisation sizes can be used at different parts of the solution domain. Moreover, the peridynamic length scale parameter, horizon, can also vary throughout the solution domain. Such a scenario requires extra attention since conservation laws must be satisfied. To deal with these issues, dual-horizon peridynamics was introduced so that both non-uniform discretisation and variable horizon sizes can be utilised. In this study, dual-horizon peridynamics formulation is derived by using Euler–Lagrange equation for state-based peridynamics. Moreover, application of boundary conditions and determination of surface correction factors are also explained. Finally, the current formulation is verified by considering two benchmark problems including plate under tension and vibration of a plate

Clinical presentation of abdominal tuberculosis in HIV seronegative adults

BACKGROUND: The accurate diagnosis of abdominal tuberculosis usually takes a long time and requires a high index of suspicion in clinic practice. Eighty-eight immune-competent patients with abdominal tuberculosis were grouped according to symptoms at presentation and followed prospectively in order to investigate the effect of symptomatic presentation on clinical diagnosis and prognosis. METHODS: Based upon the clinical presentation, the patients were divided into groups such as non-specific abdominal pain & less prominent in bowel habit, ascites, alteration in bowel habit, acute abdomen and others. Demographic, clinical and laboratory features, coexistence of pulmonary tuberculosis, diagnostic procedures, definitive diagnostic tests, need for surgical therapy, and response to treatment were assessed in each group. RESULTS: According to clinical presentation, five groups were constituted as non-specific abdominal pain (n = 24), ascites (n = 24), bowel habit alteration (n = 22), acute abdomen (n = 9) and others (n = 9). Patients presenting with acute abdomen had significantly higher white blood cell counts (p = 0.002) and abnormalities in abdominal plain radiographs (p = 0.014). Patients presenting with alteration in bowel habit were younger (p = 0.048). The frequency of colonoscopic abnormalities (7.5%), and need for therapeutic surgery (12.5%) were lower in patients with ascites, (p = 0.04) and (p = 0.001), respectively. There was no difference in gender, disease duration, diagnostic modalities, response to treatment, period to initial response, and mortality between groups (p > 0.05). Gastrointestinal tract alone was the most frequently involved part (38.5%), and this was associated with acid-fast bacteria in the sputum (p = 0.003). CONCLUSION: Gastrointestinal tract involvement is frequent in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis. Although different clinical presentations of patients with abdominal tuberculosis determine diagnostic work up and need for therapeutic surgery, evidence based diagnosis and consequences of the disease does not change

Relationship Between Psychiatric Status, Self-Reported Outcome Measures, and Clinical Parameters in Axial Spondyloarthritis

This article aims to compare the risks of depression and anxiety in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA) and investigate the relationship among self-reported outcome measures, clinical parameters, and physical variables of patients with axSpA