Associations between EP-like lesions and pleuritis and post trimming carcass weights of finishing pigs in England

Herd health slaughter checks regularly identify enzootic pneumonia-like (EP-like) lesions and pleuritis. The aim of this paper is to determine the associations between these lesions and post-trimming carcass weight. Data were collected on the presence/absence and severity of EP-like lesions and presence/absence of pleuritis from pigs at the abattoir. Linear mixed models identified a significant association between an increase in EP-like lesion severity and a decrease in post-trimming carcass weight (P = 0.006) at the individual level. Each categorical increase in EP-like lesion severity (5 points step) was associated with a 0.37 kg reduction in post-trimming carcass weight. The presence of EP-like lesions in individual pigs, irrespective of severity (P = 0.034) and the presence of pleuritis (P = 0.038) were significantly associated with a reduction in post-trimming carcass weight of 1.26 kg and 1.25 kg respectively. The results confirm that the presence of these lesions at slaughter are associated with a significant decrease in production performance which can result in substantial economic implications for producers

Peristaltic Transport of a Rheological Fluid: Model for Movement of Food Bolus Through Esophagus

Fluid mechanical peristaltic transport through esophagus has been of concern in the paper. A mathematical model has been developed with an aim to study the peristaltic transport of a rheological fluid for arbitrary wave shapes and tube lengths. The Ostwald-de Waele power law of viscous fluid is considered here to depict the non-Newtonian behaviour of the fluid. The model is formulated and analyzed with the specific aim of exploring some important information concerning the movement of food bolus through the esophagus. The analysis has been carried out by using lubrication theory. The study is particularly suitable for cases where the Reynolds number is small. The esophagus is treated as a circular tube through which the transport of food bolus takes places by periodic contraction of the esophageal wall. Variation of different variables concerned with the transport phenomena such as pressure, flow velocity, particle trajectory and reflux are investigated for a single wave as well as for a train of periodic peristaltic waves. Locally variable pressure is seen to be highly sensitive to the flow index `n'. The study clearly shows that continuous fluid transport for Newtonian/rheological fluids by wave train propagation is much more effective than widely spaced single wave propagation in the case of peristaltic movement of food bolus in the esophagus.Comment: Accepted for publication in Applied Mathematics and Mechanics (AMM), Springe

Electronic and structural transition in La0.2Sr0.8MnO3La_{0.2} Sr_{0.8} Mn O_3

We investigate the interplay of the electronic and structural transition in La$_{0.2}$Sr$_{0.8}$MnO$_{3}$. The transport and specific heat measurements exhibit unusual evolutions and signature of a first order phase transition around 265 K. Mn K-edge extended $x$-ray absorption fine structure results reveal distortion in the MnO$_6$ octahedra even in the cubic phase and a remarkable evolution of the distortion across the phase transition. These results manifest the importance of fluctuations in Mn 3$d$ orbital occupancy and disorder in their electronic properties, which may help in understanding the orbital and spin ordering proposed in these systems.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figure

Optical Integral and Sum Rule Violation

The purpose of this work is to investigate the role of the lattice in the optical Kubo sum rule in the cuprates. We compute conductivities, optical integrals W, and \Delta W between superconducting and normal states for 2-D systems with lattice dispersion typical of the cuprates for four different models -- a dirty BCS model, a single Einstein boson model, a marginal Fermi liquid model, and a collective boson model with a feedback from super-conductivity on a collective boson. The goal of the paper is two-fold. First, we analyze the dependence of W on the upper cut-off w_c placed on the optical integral because in experiments W is measured up to frequencies of order bandwidth. For a BCS model, the Kubo sum rule is almost fully reproduced at w_c equal to the bandwidth. But for other models only 70%-80% of Kubo sum rule is obtained up to this scale and even less so for \Delta W, implying that the Kubo sum rule has to be applied with caution. Second, we analyze the sign of \Delta W. In all models we studied \Delta W is positive at small w_c, then crosses zero and approaches a negative value at large w_c, i.e. the optical integral in a superconductor is smaller than in a normal state. The point of zero crossing, however, increases with the interaction strength and in a collective boson model becomes comparable to the bandwidth at strong coupling. We argue that this model exhibits the behavior consistent with that in the cuprates.Comment: 16 pp, 23 figures, submitted to PRB, typo corrected, reference adde

In Vitro Evaluation of Antimicrobial Activity of Crude Extract from Plants Diospyros peregrina, Coccinia grandis and Swietenia macrophylla

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to investigate antimicrobial activity of methanol extract of Diospyros peregrina fruits (MEDP), Coccinia grandis leaves (MECG) and Swietenia macrophylla barks (MESM). Methods: MEDP, MECG and MESM were examined against some selective gram positive and gram negative bacterial (20) and fungal (4) strains. Preliminary antimicrobial activity was evaluated by agar disc diffusion method. Minimum inhibitory concentration was determined by tube dilution (MIC) whilst minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) were determined by agar diffusion method. Results: MEDP and MESM both have shown highest sensitivity against Escherichia coli strains. MEDP was found resistant to Sarcina luteus and Bacillus spp whereas MESM was resistant to all Shigella strains. MECG has shown major activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Shigella dysenteriae, Shigella soneii and Pseudomonas aeruginosa; whilst resistant to Shigella flexneri and Shigella boydii. Against fungi strains extracts were found effective at higher concentrations. Candida albicans has shown highest sensitivity whilst Penicillium spp. was least effective to all three extracts. Conclusion: The study confirms that MEDP, MECG, MESM all possess antimicrobial activity with different potency against variety of selected microorganisms. The differentiating activities of these three extracts encourage developing a novel broad spectrum antimicrobial herbal formulation in future. Keywords: Diospyros peregrina, Coccinia grandis, Swietenia macrophylla, Antimicrobial activity, Ciprofloxacin, Griseofulvin > Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research Vol. 6 (3) 2007: pp. 773-77

A coarse-grained model for PETN crystals

Using the energetic material Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate (PETN) as a specific example of molecular crystal, we describe the development of a simple coarse-graining procedure by grouping several atoms or whole functional groups into single charge-neutral beads. As compared to fully atomistic calculations the coarse-grained model speeds up simulations by more than two orders of magnitude. Yet, by adjusting only two parameters in the coarse-grained interaction, the model accurately predicts the lattice constants, sublimation energy, pressure-volume curve up to P=10 GPa, and energetically the most stable facets. Computed surface and desorption energies, bulk modulus, and equilibrium morphology are reported as well

First Measurement of the 64Ni(gamma,n)63Ni Cross Section

Copyright owned by the author(s) under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-ShareAlike LicenceIn the past 10 years new and more accurate stellar neutron capture cross section measurements have changed and improved the abundance predictions of the weak s process. Among other elements in the region between iron and strontium, most of the copper abundance observed today in the solar system distribution was produced by the s process in massive stars. However, experimental data for the stellar 63Ni(n,gamma)64Ni cross section are still missing, but is strongly required for a reliable prediction of the copper abundances. 63Ni (t1/2 =101.2 a) is a branching point and also bottleneck in the weak s process flow, and abehaves differently during core He and shell C burning. During core He burning the reaction flow proceeds via beta-decay to 63Cu, and a change of the 63Ni(n,gamma)64Ni cross section would have no influence. However, this behavior changes at higher temperatures and neutron densities during the shell C burning phase. Under these conditions, a significant amount of the s process nucleosynthesis flow is passing through the channel 62Ni(n,gamma)63Ni(n,gamma)64Ni. At present only theoretical estimates are available for the 63Ni(n,gamma)64Ni cross section. The corresponding uncertainty affects the production of 63Cu in present s process nucleosynthesis calculations and propagates to the abundances of the heavier species up to A=70. So far, experimental information is also missing for the inverse 64Ni(gamma,n) channel. We have measured for the first time the 64Ni(gamma,n)63Ni cross section and also combined for the first time successfully the photoactivation technique with subsequent Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS). The activations at the ELBE facility in Dresden-Rossendorf were followed by the 63Ni/64Ni determination with AMS at the MLL accelerator laboratory in Garching. First results indicate that theoretical predictions have overestimated this cross section up to now. If this also holds for the inverse channel 63Ni(n,gamma)64Ni, more 63Ni is accumulated during the high neutron density regime of the C shell that will contribute to the final abundance of 63Cu by radiogenic decay. In this case, also a lower s process efficiency is expected for the heavier species along the neutron capture path up to the Ga-Ge regio

Complex spectral evolution in a BCS superconductor, ZrB12

We investigate the electronic structure of a complex conventional superconductor, ZrB12 employing high resolution photoemission spectroscopy and ab initio band structure calculations. The experimental valence band spectra could be described reasonably well within the local density approximation. Energy bands close to the Fermi level possess t2g symmetry and the Fermi level is found to be in the proximity of quantum fluctuation regime. The spectral lineshape in the high resolution spectra is complex exhibiting signature of a deviation from Fermi liquid behavior. A dip at the Fermi level emerges above the superconducting transition temperature that gradually grows with the decrease in temperature. The spectral simulation of the dip and spectral lineshape based on a phenomenological self energy suggests finite electron pair lifetime and a pseudogap above the superconducting transition temperature