Effect of substrate bias voltage on amorphous Si–C–N films produced by PVD techniques

SixCyNz thin films were deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering in glass and steel substrates. The films were grown in a rotation mode over a carbon and a silicon targets in a mixed Ar/N2 atmosphere. The substrates were held at a substrate temperature of 573 K. The argon flow was kept constant (100 sccm) and the nitrogen flow was 20 sccm or 25 sccm, in each one of the two series of produced films, resulting in a working pressure around 0.5 Pa. The substrate bias varied between grounded and -100 V. The films were analysed with respect to microstructure, state of chemical bonding and optical properties by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Raman Spectroscopy (RS), optical reflectance and transmittance. Raman spectroscopy was used as a probe of microstructural modifications induced by deposition conditions. The main features observed in RS spectra are the well-known D- and G-bands characteristic of amorphous carbon materials. The position, widths and intensity ratio of these bands are found to be dependent of the films deposition conditions. The refractive index, absorption coefficient, optical band gap and also the thickness were calculated from transmittance spectra obtained between 200 nm and 2500 nm.The residual stress of the coatings depends on deposition conditions and was calculated by measuring the substrate curvature before and after film deposition. The curvature of the samples was measured by laser triangulation in two series of two orthogonal directions. All coatings were in a state of compressive residual stress. The average hardness and Young’s modulus of the produced coatings is about 16 GPa and 170 GPa, respectively. The nano-hardness of the grounded produced samples presented values about 30% lower

Effect of flint corn processing method and roughage level on finishing performance of Nellore-based cattle

Citation: Caetano, M., Goulart, R. S., Silva, S. L., Drouillard, J. S., Leme, P. R., & Lanna, D. P. D. (2015). Effect of flint corn processing method and roughage level on finishing performance of Nellore-based cattle. Journal of Animal Science, 93(8), 4023-4033. doi:10.2527/jas2015-9051This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of flint corn processing method (CPM) and level of NDF from roughage (rNDF) on performance, carcass characteristics, and starch utilization by finishing Nellore-based cattle fed high-concentrate, flint corn-based diets. In this study, 112 Nellore type bulls (initial BW 384.07 +/- 29.53 kg and 24-36 mo of age) were individually fed using Calan gates or individual pens. The animals were used in a randomized complete block design in a 2 x 4 factorial arrangement with 2 CPM, high-moisture flint corn (HMC) or finely ground dry flint corn (FGC), with 1 of 4 levels of rNDF, 3, 8, 13, and 18% (DM basis), using sugarcane silage (SS) as roughage. Bulls were adapted to the finishing diet over a 21-d period and fed for a total of 81 d. Fecal starch (FS) concentration was determined on d 46 and 74 of the feeding period. There was a quadratic effect of rNDF on final BW (P < 0.01) and ADG (P = 0.01). Optimal concentrations of rNDF were estimated using the first derivative of second order polynomials, indicating that final BW and ADG were maximized with 13.3 and 13.0% rNDF, respectively. An interaction was observed between CPM and rNDF (P = 0.05) for DMI, with peak DMI occurring at 11.3 and 13.7% rNDF with FGC and HMC, respectively. Cattle fed HMC had 13.9% greater G:F (P < 0.01) compared with those fed FGC (0.172 vs. 0.151, respectively). There were quadratic effects of rNDF on HCW (P = 0.04) and ME intake (P < 0.01); heaviest carcass weights were estimated, in both cases, to be achieved with 12.8% rNDF. A quadratic effect of rNDF for renal, pelvic, and inguinal fat weight (P = 0.04) was observed, with a peak estimated to occur at 12.6% rNDF. An interaction between CPM and rNDF also was observed for FS (P < 0.05). Bulls fed FGC with 3% rNDF had greater FS content, and FS linearly decreased as concentration of rNDF increased. For bulls fed HMC, FS was 3.0% of DM and was unaffected by rNDF in the diet. Lower FS from bulls fed HMC suggests that availability of starch from flint corn was greater than that of FGC. For Nellore-based cattle fed a flint corn-based diet containing SS and 8% whole lint cottonseed, performance was optimized with 12.8% rNDF. In the absence of cottonseed addition to diets, optimal performance would be expected with about 14.5% rNDF

Banco de dados geográfico sobre a cafeicultura mineira: organização lógica e inserção de dados.

Os sistemas de informações geográficas (SIG) foram desenvolvidos com o objetivo de facilitar o tratamento de um volume cada vez maior e mais preciso de informações sobre a superfície terrestre e suas questões ambientais. Na utilização para a cafeicultura o SIG integra softwares para tratamento e armazenamento de dados segundo um modelo conceitual predefinido. A partir da definição deste modelo iniciou-se o armazenamento dos dados, em um Sistema de Gerenciamento de Banco de Dados (SGBD). A ferramenta escolhida para o gerenciamento dos dados foi o PostgreSQL pois este é um SGBD objeto-relacional e de código aberto, mantido em constantes atualizações gratuitas pela Comunidade Brasileira do PostgreSQL 1. Devido ao grande número de atualizações, o PostgreSQL é extensível, sendo utilizado para dar suporte à diversos tipos de aplicações desde dados simples à aplicações mais complexas, bem como seus metadados. Para a integração e o armazenamento dos dados foi utilizado o sistema de informação geográfico SPRING 2. O SPRING é um software gratuito para criação e gerenciamento de banco de dados geográficos, possuí funções para processamento de imagens, análises espaciais, modelagem numérica de terreno e consulta a banco de dados espaciais. No acesso aos dados geográficos foi utilizado um tipo de arquitetura conhecida como ?Arquitetura Dual?. A principal vantagem desta arquitetura consiste na separação das funcionalidades na qual o gerenciamento dos metadados é feita pelo SGBD, pois os mecanismos de transação, recuperação a falhas, concorrência, integridade dos dados e indexação podem ser usados para a parte não espacial dos dados, enquanto que a responsabilidade do gerenciamento dos dados geográficos é realizada pelo SPRING. Portanto, o objetivo principal deste trabalho foi inserir e organizar dados geográfico sobre pesquisas realizadas pela EPAMIG relacionadas á cafeicultura mineira

Application of a thermolysis capacity test for dry and lactating cows

The heat stress has negative effects on animal comfort and productivity. Genetic progress in milk production is related closely to an increase in metabolic heat increment, which makes cows more affected by heat stress. Individual thermotolerance can be an important tool in genetic selection. The study aimed to validate a new proposal for assessing the ability of heat loss after sun exposure in cows and its application in dry and lactating cows kept or not on thermal comfort condition. The test consists in three days of sun exposure for one hour followed by one hour rest in the shade to determine the individual thermolysis capacity (TC) by the variables rectal temperature, body surface temperature, internal tail base temperature, respiratory rate, plasma cortisol and IGF-I. In the new proposal these physiological variables were measured before sun exposure, after 50 min in the sun and after one hour in the shade (T0, T1 and T2 consecutively). The test in which this new test was adapted lacked T1.The three day test was applied with similar meteorological variables as black globe temperature of 48.1°C (1.32), air temperature of 31.7°C (0.92) and relative humidity of 39.5% (3.38). The differences between dry and lactating cows were measured in 28 animals divided into two experimental groups housed in free-stall with and without evaporative cooling system (mist and fans). The animals remained at the facility for seven months (from spring to summer) then after they were subjected to heat stress and the TC (10-[(T1-T0)-(T2-T1)]) was determined. There was no difference between the TC of dry and lactating cows (P>0.05), but respiratory rate and IGF-I were greater and body surface was lower in dry cows during sun exposure (P0.05). The thermolysis capacity test was validated and can be used for either dry or lactating cows. Milk production did not influence the thermoregulatory responses of Holstein cows, but when lactating and kept in cooling system they showed better thermolysis capacity index

Processo de desenvolvimento de um site utilizando Web Mapping para o laboratório de geoprocessamento geosolos.

Em virtude dos avanços técnico-científicos, observa-se nos dias atuais o aumento expressivo na disponibilização de dados na Internet, de modo a facilitar o acesso aos mais diversos tipos de dados, tendo em vista as inovações proporcionadas com as novas e modernas ferramentas tecnológicas, que têm beneficiado o incremento e o uso de novos instrumentos (MOREIRA, 2010). Além dos avanços expressivos no campo informacional e tecnológico, como destaca Medeiros et al. (2010), podemos referenciar o geoprocessamento e os Sistemas de Informações Geográficas ? SIG?s que, aliados à Internet, tornaram-se tecnologias ainda mais robustas para divulgar os mais diversos tipos de informações. O uso da web como um meio de divulgação para os mapas pode ser considerado como um grande avanço na cartografia e abre muitas novas oportunidades, tais como mapas em tempo real, com divulgação mais barata e atualizações mais freqüentes, contendo mapas personalizados e interativos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi justamente a criação de um ambiente web, que propiciasse a divulgação dos mapas e trabalhos de pesquisa realizados pela equipe do laboratório de geoprocessamento da EPAMIG - GeoSolos, que utiliza geotecnologias para, entre outras coisas, mapear e caracterizar o café em grandes regiões produtoras de Minas Gerais. O público-alvo deste portal são todos os integrantes da cadeia produtiva do café, pesquisadores da área e pessoas interessadas nestas geotecnologias e na aplicação destas para o mapeamento do café

Reactivity in ewes submitted to invasive and non-invasive techniques of samples collections

The first-time experience of a procedure or with a person should be as positive as possible. If a procedure is very aversive or painful at first contact, it can be difficult to persuade the animal to return to the local where this occurred. For this reason it is important to develop a strategy in experimental and routine activities, taking into account that sheep has often reactive temperament. This study aims to evaluate the possible decreased of the reactivity in sheep across the prior presentation of invasive and non-invasive techniques for collecting saliva and blood samples for cortisol analysis and transepidermal water loss through the use of Vapometer®. Saliva was collected using Sallivetes® and blood was taken from the jugular vein in heparinized tubes, placed on ice, and then centrifuged at 4 °C and 3,000 for 15 min. The tubes containing serum were stored at −20 °C until CORT and IGF-I determination using an enzyme immunoassay kit (Diagnostic Systems Laboratory, Webster, TX). The collection of transepidermal water loss (TEWL) was performed using a Vapometer ® (Dolphin, Finland) device. In the three techniques the ewes were always contained by the same person for the time necessary to collect the variable. To take saliva samples the animals were contained during 2 minutes, for blood samples during 1 minute and for TEWL during 30 seconds. The test consists of six data collections performed with increasing intervals between days, checking the possible adaptation of the animal management factors. The first interval was 2 days and after 3 days, then after 4 days, and the next was 7 days and again 7 days, totaling 24 days of experiment. Before sampling saliva, blood or TEWL the reactivity of the ewes was analyzed by a composite score scale when animals were inside the chute. The composite score (CS) is a combination of the scores of: entrance (1 to 4), respiratory rate (1 to 4), vocalization (0 or 1), movement (1 to 4) and flight speed (1 to 4). After the chute a score of containment (1 to 4) was attributed by the same person, which had contained the animal. The experimental unit was each animal and the average of the observations in each sheep was used for the statistical analysis. The observed data of transepidermal water loss, salivary cortisol and serum cortisol were subjected to analysis of variance, with the days and the groups as fixed effect. In case of significant results (P<0.05) it was adopted Tukey-Kramer Test as the procedure for multiple comparisons. Cortisol decreased for saliva and blood groups during the experiment days (P<0.05), showing habituation of the animals to the management. In the same way, TEWL had the highest mean value on day 1, and decreased afterwards (P<0.05). The score of containment was lower for the TEWL group compared to the other two groups (P<0.05), however the higher value was observed on day 5, seven days after a sampling (P<0.05). The score of containment of saliva and blood groups decrease in day 2, but return to increase in the next sampling day (P<0.05). The CS was higher for saliva group (P<0.05). On day 5 CS increased for blood group, but decreased for TEWL (P<0.05). The invasive techniques (saliva and blood) increased the reactivity of sheep before and after retention. Sheep are reactive animals therefore need a more gentle handling during the experiment with invasive samples