EFFECT OF DIETARY EXPOSURE TO ERGOT ALKALOIDS ON CONTRACTILITY OF BOVINE MESENTERIC VASCULATURE AND RUMEN MOTILITY

Endophyte-infected (E+) tall fescue grass has been associated with fescue toxicosis, a costly syndrome characterized by poor cattle performance and health resulting in significant production losses. The fungal endophyte produces ergot alkaloids, which help the grass thrive in poor conditions but are toxic to mammals. A number of symptoms of fescue toxicosis can be related to vasoconstriction of bovine core, peripheral, and foregut vasculature. The first part of this series of experiments demonstrated ergot alkaloids were also vasoactive in midgut vasculature, with the exception of lysergic acid. Additionally, prior dietary exposure to ergot alkaloids decreased the contractile response of mesenteric vasculature to many of the ergot alkaloids tested. In the second part of this series, a non-invasive method was developed for measuring rumen motility in cannulated cattle. Using this technology without different dietary treatments, it was determined that 8 to 16 h after feeding was the least variable between animals and would provide the best opportunity to measure differences in motility. Application of this technique in the third part of this series investigated the effect of ruminally dosed ergot alkaloids on rumen motility. Treatments were not effective at inducing fescue toxicosis, and no differences in rumen motility variables were detected

Demonstration of a Monolithic Micro-Spectrometer System

The starting design of a spectrometer based on a modified Czerny-Turner configuration containing five precision surfaces encapsulated in a monolithic structure is described. Since the purpose at the early stages of the development was to demonstrate the feasibility of the technology and not an attempt to address a specific sensing problem, the first substrate material chosen was optical quality polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). The final system design decision was narrowed down to two possible configurations containing five and six precision surfaces. The five surface design was chosen since it contained one less precision optical surface, yet included multiple off-axis spheres. In this particular design and material system, the mass was kept below 7 g. The wavelength range (bandpass) design goal was 1 micrometer (0.6 - 1.6 micrometers). The PMMA is particularly transparent in this wavelength region and there are interesting effects to monitor within this band. The optical system was designed and optimized using the ZEMAX optical design software program to be entirely alignment free (self aligning)

Development of a Methodology to Measure the Effect of Ergot Alkaloids on Forestomach Motility Using Real-Time Wireless Telemetry

The objectives of these experiments were to characterize rumen motility patterns of cattle fed once daily using a real-time wireless telemetry system, determine when to measure rumen motility with this system, and determine the effect of ruminal dosing of ergot alkaloids on rumen motility. Ruminally cannulated Holstein steers (n = 8) were fed a basal diet of alfalfa cubes once daily. Rumen motility was measured by monitoring real-time pressure changes within the rumen using wireless telemetry and pressure transducers. Experiment 1 consisted of three 24-h rumen pressure collections beginning immediately after feeding. Data were recorded, stored, and analyzed using iox2 software and the rhythmic analyzer. All motility variables differed (P \u3c 0.01) between hours and thirds (8-h periods) of the day. There were no differences between days for most variables. The variance of the second 8-h period of the day was less than (P \u3c 0.01) the first for area and less than the third for amplitude, frequency, duration, and area (P \u3c 0.05). These data demonstrated that the second 8-h period of the day was the least variable for many measures of motility and would provide the best opportunity for testing differences in motility due to treatments. In Experiment 2, the steers (n = 8) were pair-fed the basal diet of Experiment 1 and dosed with endophyte-free (E−) or endophyte-infected (E+; 0 or 10 μg ergovaline + ergovalinine/kg BW; respectively) tall fescue seed before feeding for 15 d. Rumen motility was measured for 8 h beginning 8 h after feeding for the first 14 d of seed dosing. Blood samples were taken on d 1, 7, and 15, and rumen content samples were taken on d 15. Baseline (P = 0.06) and peak (P = 0.04) pressure were lower for E+ steers. Water intake tended (P = 0.10) to be less for E+ steers the first 8 h period after feeding. The E+ seed treatment at this dosage under thermoneutral conditions did not significantly affect rumen motility, ruminal fill, or dry matter of rumen contents

Monolithic micro-spectrometer for low-cost sensing in materials processing

We have developed a monolithic micro-spectrometer suitable for a variety of sensing applications including industrial process monitoring. The device consists of a solid structure with a volume less than 6 cubic centimeters. All optical components of the spectrometer including two aspheric mirrors, a diffraction grating, and entrance and exit surfaces are fabricated onto the surface of the structure. All light paths are internally contained within the structure. The result is a small, rugged spectroscopic sensor ideally suited for use as a process monitor. Due to its monolithic nature the device requires no post-fabrication alignment; nor can it be knocked out of alignment during use. Although many materials and thus wavelength regions were possible, the prototype device discussed here was produced in PMMA by precision diamond turning. However, lower cost manufacturing approaches involving injection molding are under development to produce an affordable sensor. It is expected that modified versions of this sensor designs will be required for specific applications so as to maximize the performance and resolution over the operating range. For example, the prototype device described here operates over a wavelength range of 500 nm to 1000 nm. The performance of this device as a real-time surface monitoring sensor will be discussed in detail. Our approach of using wavelength dependent scattering resulted in the reduction to practice of a miniature, monolithic, rugged, low-cost, micro-instrument in a sensor sized package. The process sensor applications community has been faced by the cost versus performance issue. Simple go/no-go sensors are typically inexpensive but they provide very limited and sometimes dubious data. Scaled down traditional instruments offer very good measured information but are typically cost prohibitive, fragile, and still relatively large. This work will bridge the gap between these two extreme sensing alternatives

Hardy's inequality for functions vanishing on a part of the boundary

We develop a geometric framework for Hardy's inequality on a bounded domain when the functions do vanish only on a closed portion of the boundary.Comment: 26 pages, 2 figures, includes several improvements in Sections 6-8 allowing to relax the assumptions in the main results. Final version published at http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11118-015-9463-

Novel photon detection based on electronically-induced stress in silicon

The feasibility of microcantilever-based optical detection is demonstrated. Specifically, the authors report here on an evaluation of laboratory prototypes that are based on commercially available microcantilevers. In this work, optical transduction techniques were used to measure microcantilever response to photons and study the electronic stress in silicon microcantilevers, and their temporal and photometric response. The photo-generation of free charge carriers (electrons, holes) in a semiconductor gives rise to photo-induced (electronic) mechanical strain. The excess charge carriers responsible for the photo-induced stress, were produced via photon irradiation from a diode laser with wavelength {lambda} = 780 nm. The authors found that for silicon, the photo-induced stress results in a contraction of the crystal lattice due to the presence of excess electron-hole-pairs. In addition, the photo-induced stress is of opposite direction and about four times larger than the stress resulting from direct thermal excitation. When charge carriers are generated in a short time, a very rapid deflection of the microcantilever is observed (response time {approximately} {micro}s)

'The Drug Survey App': a protocol for developing and validating an interactive population survey tool for drug use among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.

BACKGROUND: Disadvantage and transgenerational trauma contribute to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) Australians being more likely to experience adverse health consequences from alcohol and other drug use than non-Indigenous peoples. Addressing these health inequities requires local monitoring of alcohol and other drug use. While culturally appropriate methods for measuring drinking patterns among Indigenous Australians have been established, no similar methods are available for measuring other drug use patterns (amount and frequency of consumption). This paper describes a protocol for creating and validating a tablet-based survey for alcohol and other drugs ("The Drug Survey App"). METHODS: The Drug Survey App will be co-designed with stakeholders including Indigenous Australian health professionals, addiction specialists, community leaders, and researchers. The App will allow participants to describe their drug use flexibly with an interactive, visual interface. The validity of estimated consumption patterns, and risk assessments will be tested against those made in clinical interviews conducted by Indigenous Australian health professionals. We will then trial the App as a population survey tool by using the App to determine the prevalence of substance use in two Indigenous communities. DISCUSSION: The App could empower Indigenous Australian communities to conduct independent research that informs local prevention and treatment efforts

Kemalettin - (Mimar) [1870-1927]

Taha Toros Arşivi, Dosya No: 134-Mimar Kemalettinİstanbul Kalkınma Ajansı (TR10/14/YEN/0033) İstanbul Development Agency (TR10/14/YEN/0033