The Effect of Addition of Lucerne Biomass and NPN Substances on Quality of Grape Pomace Silage

Grape pomace (GP) of white varieties without stalks was ensiled by the method of single factor trial in the two treatments: in the first treatment, with the addition of lucerne biomass (L) of the last cut, which was harvested at the stage of forming pods with equal shares in the weight ratio and in the second with the addition of Benural S (B) in the amount of 1%. Chemical analyses were conducted on GP and L to determine the suitability of biomass for silage and to determine the chemical composition and nutritional value and the process of lactic acid fermentation. It has been found that the biomass of GP had 2 times higher concentration of water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC 140.5:69.4 gkg-1DM) relative to L, and a lower buffer capacity (BC) what makes it 10 times more favourable for ensiling (ratio WSC/BC 13.1 : 1.3). GP, as compared to L, had lower contents of CP, CF, and a lower nutritional value expressed in NEL and NEM units and a higher content of crude fat. Silage with the equal share of GP + L compared to silage with GP + B had a slightly lower CF and significantly less crude fat and ash, especially Ca. More favourable ratio Ca : P (2.93 : 1) was established in silage GP + L compared to 10.1:1 silage GP + B. Silages GP + L in the fermentation process were scored/rated one class higher according to the DLG and Zelter assessment methods, compared to the silages GP + B. The aim of the study was to investigate the possibility of ensiling grape pomace with equal proportion of biomass of lucerne and added NPN substances and to determine the detailed chemical composition, nutritive value and silage quality on the basis of the process of lactic acid fermentation

Parental and familial factors influencing physical activity levels in early adolescence: a prospective study

Parental/familial factors are important determinants of the physical activity level (PAL) in children and adolescents, but studies rarely prospectively evaluate their relationships. This study aimed to evaluate the changes in physical activity levels among adolescents from Bosnia and Herzegovina over a two-year period and to determine parental/familial predictors of PAL in early adolescence. A total of 651 participants (50.3% females) were tested at baseline (beginning of high school education; 14 years old on average) and at follow-up (approximately 20 months later). The predictors included sociodemographic characteristics (age, gender) and parental/familial factors (socioeconomic status of the family, maternal and paternal education, conflict with parents, parental absence from home, parental questioning, and parental monitoring). Physical activity levels were evidenced by the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQ-A; criterion). Boys were more active than girls, both at baseline (t-test = 3.09, p < 0.001) and at follow-up (t-test = 3.4, p < 0.001). Physical activity level decreased over the observed two-year period (t-test = 16.89, p < 0.001), especially in boys, which is probably a consequence of drop-out from the sport in this period. Logistic regression evidenced parental education as a positive predictor of physical activity level at baseline (OR [95% CI]; 1.38 [1.15–170], 1.35 [1.10–1.65]), and at follow-up (1.35 [1.11–1.69], 1.29 [1.09–1.59], for maternal and paternal education, respectively). Parents with a higher level of education are probably more informed about the importance of physical activity on health status, and thus transfer this information to their children as well. The age from 14 to 16 years is likely a critical period for maintaining physical activity levels in boys, while further studies of a younger age are necessary to evaluate the dynamics of changes in physical activity levels for girls. For maintaining physical activity levels in adolescence, special attention should be paid to children whose parents are less educated, and to inform them of the benefits of an appropriate physical activity level and its necessity for maintaining proper health and growth

Impact of lifestyle and diet on endometriosis: a fresh look to a busy corner

Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disorder with a prevalence of six to ten percent in women of childbearing age. As long as the aetiology of endometriosis is not fully understood and the disease has no definitive treatment, an examination of the environmental factors or interventions that could modify or cure endometriosis would greatly benefit women suffering from this chronic condition. This literature review utilized the electronic databases PubMed, EMBASE, and MEDLINE until February 2021. Studies indicate that fish oil may have a positive effect on reducing endometriosis-related pain due to the effects of pro-inflammatory prostaglandins derived from omega-3 fatty acids. The same effect was seen with the introduction of antioxidant vitamins C, D, and E. There is clinical viability of a low fermentable oligo-, di-, and monosaccharides and polyols diet to successfully reduce the symptoms of patients who suffer from both endometriosis and irritable bowel syndrome. Despite the low level of evidence, there are frequent associations between endometriosis and gastrointestinal conditions in addition to the influence of various nutritional factors on the disease. The management of endometriosis requires a holistic approach focused on reducing overall inflammation, increasing detoxification, and attenuating troublesome symptoms. A dietician may provide great benefit in the management of these patients, especially at younger ages and in early stages. High-level evidence and welldesigned randomized studies are lacking when it comes to studying the effect of lifestyle and dietary intake on endometriosis. Inarguably, further research with a more extensive focus is needed

Charge ordering in Ir dimers in the ground state of Ba5_5AlIr2_2O11_{11}

It has been well established experimentally that the interplay of electronic correlations and spin-orbit interactions in Ir$^{4+}$ and Ir$^{5+}$ oxides results in insulating J$_{\rm eff}$=1/2 and J$_{\rm eff}$=0 ground states, respectively. However, in compounds where the structural dimerization of iridum ions is favourable, the direct Ir $d$--$d$ hybridisation can be significant and takes a key role. Here, we investigate the effects of direct Ir $d$--$d$ hybridisation in comparison with electronic correlations and spin-orbit coupling in Ba$_5$AlIr$_2$O$_{11}$, a compound with Ir dimers. Using a combination of $ab$ $initio$ many-body wave function quantum chemistry calculations and resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) experiments, we elucidate the electronic structure of Ba$_5$AlIr$_2$O$_{11}$. We find excellent agreement between the calculated and the measured spin-orbit excitations. Contrary to the expectations, the analysis of the many-body wave function shows that the two Ir (Ir$^{4+}$ and Ir$^{5+}$) ions in the Ir$_2$O$_9$ dimer unit in this compound preserve their local J$_{\rm eff}$ character close to 1/2 and 0, respectively. The local point group symmetry at each of the Ir sites assumes an important role, significantly limiting the direct $d$--$d$ hybridisation. Our results emphasize that minute details in the local crystal field (CF) environment can lead to dramatic differences in electronic states in iridates and 5$d$ oxides in general.Comment: 5 pages with 3 figure

Sr2Ir1-xRhxO4(x < 0.5): an inhomogeneous j(eff)=1/2 Hubbard system

Sem informaçãoIn a combined experimental and theoretical study, we investigate the properties of Sr2Ir1-xRhxO4. From the branching ratios of the L-edge isotropic x-ray absorption spectra, we determine that the spin-orbit coupling is remarkably independent of x for both iridium and rhodium sites. DFT + U calculations show that the doping is close to isoelectronic and introduces impurity bands of predominantly rhodium character close to the lower Hubbard band. Overlap of these two bands leads to metallic behavior. Since the low-energy states for x < 0.5 have predominantly j(eff) = 1/2 character, we suggest that the electronic properties of this material can be described by an inhomogeneous Hubbard model, where the on-site energies change due to local variations in the spin-orbit interaction strength combined with additional changes in binding energy.In a combined experimental and theoretical study, we investigate the properties of Sr2Ir1-xRhxO4. From the branching ratios of the L-edge isotropic x-ray absorption spectra, we determine that the spin-orbit coupling is remarkably independent of x for both iridium and rhodium sites. DFT + U calculations show that the doping is close to isoelectronic and introduces impurity bands of predominantly rhodium character close to the lower Hubbard band. Overlap of these two bands leads to metallic behavior. Since the low-energy states for x < 0.5 have predominantly j(eff) = 1/2 character, we suggest that the electronic properties of this material can be described by an inhomogeneous Hubbard model, where the on-site energies change due to local variations in the spin-orbit interaction strength combined with additional changes in binding energy.92815Sem informaçãoSem informaçãoSem informaçãoWork at Argonne National Laboratory was supported by the US DOE, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, under Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357. M.v.V. was supported by the US Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering under Award No. DE-FG02-03ER46097 and NIU's Institute for Nanoscience, Engineering, and Technology. The computational work was partially performed at NERSC, which is supported by the US DOE Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231. Computational resources were partly supported by the National Institute of Supercomputing and Networking/Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information with supercomputing resources including technical support (Grant No. KSC-2013-C2-23). J.H.S. and M.J.H were supported by Basic Science Research Program through NRF (2014R1A1A2057202) and by Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT). H.-S.K. was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (Grant No. 2013R1A6A3A01064947). The work at the University of Kentucky was supported by NSF via Grant No. DMR-1265162

Sr\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3eIr\u3csub\u3e1−\u3cem\u3ex\u3c/em\u3e\u3c/sub\u3eRh\u3csub\u3e\u3cem\u3ex\u3c/em\u3e\u3c/sub\u3eO\u3csub\u3e4\u3c/sub\u3e(x\u3c0.5): An Inhomogeneous \u3cem\u3ej\u3c/em\u3e\u3csub\u3eeff\u3c/sub\u3e=1/2 Hubbard system

In a combined experimental and theoretical study, we investigate the properties of Sr2Ir1−xRhxO4. From the branching ratios of the L-edge isotropic x-ray absorption spectra, we determine that the spin-orbit coupling is remarkably independent of x for both iridium and rhodium sites. DFT+U calculations show that the doping is close to isoelectronic and introduces impurity bands of predominantly rhodium character close to the lower Hubbard band. Overlap of these two bands leads to metallic behavior. Since the low-energy states for xjeff=1/2 character, we suggest that the electronic properties of this material can be described by an inhomogeneous Hubbard model, where the on-site energies change due to local variations in the spin-orbit interaction strength combined with additional changes in binding energy

A critical review of the formation of mono- and dicarboxylated metabolic intermediates of alkylphenol polyethoxylates during wastewater treatment and their environmental significance

This is the author's accepted manuscript. The final published article is available from the link below. Copyright @ 2010 Taylor & Francis.Alkylphenoxyacetic acids, the metabolic biodegradation products of alkylphenol ethoxylates, are commonly found in wastewaters and sewage effluents. These persistent hydrophilic derivatives possess intrinsic estrogenic activity, which can mimic natural hormones. Their concentrations increase through the sewage treatment works as a result of biodegradation and biotransformation, and when discharged can disrupt endocrine function in fish. These acidic metabolites represent the dominant alkylphenolic compounds found in wastewater effluent and their presence is cause for concern as, potentially, through further biotransformation and biodegradation, they can act as sources of nonylphenol, which is toxic and estrogenic. The authors aim to assess the mechanisms of formation as well as elimination of alkylphenoxyacetic acids within conventional sewage treatment works with the emphasis on the activated sludge process. In addition, they evaluate the various factors influencing their degradation and formation in laboratory scale and full-scale systems. The environmental implications of these compounds are considered, as is the need for tertiary treatment processes for their removal

Cardiogenic Induction of Pluripotent Stem Cells Streamlined Through a Conserved SDF-1/VEGF/BMP2 Integrated Network

BACKGROUND: Pluripotent stem cells produce tissue-specific lineages through programmed acquisition of sequential gene expression patterns that function as a blueprint for organ formation. As embryonic stem cells respond concomitantly to diverse signaling pathways during differentiation, extraction of a pro-cardiogenic network would offer a roadmap to streamline cardiac progenitor output. METHODS AND RESULTS: To resolve gene ontology priorities within precursor transcriptomes, cardiogenic subpopulations were here generated according to either growth factor guidance or stage-specific biomarker sorting. Innate expression profiles were independently delineated through unbiased systems biology mapping, and cross-referenced to filter transcriptional noise unmasking a conserved progenitor motif (55 up- and 233 down-regulated genes). The streamlined pool of 288 genes organized into a core biological network that prioritized the "Cardiovascular Development" function. Recursive in silico deconvolution of the cardiogenic neighborhood and associated canonical signaling pathways identified a combination of integrated axes, CXCR4/SDF-1, Flk-1/VEGF and BMP2r/BMP2, predicted to synchronize cardiac specification. In vitro targeting of the resolved triad in embryoid bodies accelerated expression of Nkx2.5, Mef2C and cardiac-MHC, enhanced beating activity, and augmented cardiogenic yield. CONCLUSIONS: Transcriptome-wide dissection of a conserved progenitor profile thus revealed functional highways that coordinate cardiogenic maturation from a pluripotent ground state. Validating the bioinformatics algorithm established a strategy to rationally modulate cell fate, and optimize stem cell-derived cardiogenesis

The major upgrade of the MAGIC telescopes, Part II: A performance study using observations of the Crab Nebula

MAGIC is a system of two Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes located in the Canary island of La Palma, Spain. During summer 2011 and 2012 it underwent a series of upgrades, involving the exchange of the MAGIC-I camera and its trigger system, as well as the upgrade of the readout system of both telescopes. We use observations of the Crab Nebula taken at low and medium zenith angles to assess the key performance parameters of the MAGIC stereo system. For low zenith angle observations, the standard trigger threshold of the MAGIC telescopes is ~50GeV. The integral sensitivity for point-like sources with Crab Nebula-like spectrum above 220GeV is (0.66+/-0.03)% of Crab Nebula flux in 50 h of observations. The angular resolution, defined as the sigma of a 2-dimensional Gaussian distribution, at those energies is < 0.07 degree, while the energy resolution is 16%. We also re-evaluate the effect of the systematic uncertainty on the data taken with the MAGIC telescopes after the upgrade. We estimate that the systematic uncertainties can be divided in the following components: < 15% in energy scale, 11-18% in flux normalization and +/-0.15 for the energy spectrum power-law slope.Comment: 21 pages, 25 figures, accepted for publication in Astroparticle Physic