Conditioning Thermal Stability and Dose Effects of Commercially Available Phytase Preparations on Performance and Tibia Mineralization of Young Broiler Chickens

Phytases have become a vital part of broiler diets due to their ability to decrease feed cost and potential environmental pollution caused by the use of excessive phosphorus. The objective of the first study was to compare the effects of various inclusions of a Transgenic Phytase Corn (TPC) to a Granulated Bacteria Phytase (GBP) on 21-d broiler performance and tibia mineralization. Treatments varied in non-phytate phosphorus (Negative control (NC) = 0.2, positive control (PC) = 0.4, 0.3, and 0.35), phytase product (TPC or GBP), and phytase dose (500-3000 FTU/kg). A 2x2 factorial analysis was performed with the main effects phytase activity and phytase product. The inclusion of granulated bacterial phytase resulted in increased broiler performance and tibia mineralization compared to the inclusion of transgenic phytase corn. This may be attributed to variations in dispersion of enzyme within the diet or the general efficacy of the expressed enzyme. The inclusion of a commercial phytase at 3,000 FTU/kg increased broiler performance and tibia mineralization compared to inclusion at 500 FTU/kg. These results may be due to a greater reduction of phytate, alleviating anti-nutrient effects.;The objective of the second study was to evaluate the effects three commercial 6-phytase products with a phosphorus deficient diet subjected to increased steam conditioning temperatures on broiler performance and tibia mineralization. Treatments included a negative control, and a negative control with the addition of a Buttiauxella phytase expressed in Trichoderma reesei (B Trich), an E. coli phytase expressed in Pichia pastoris (E Pichia), or an E. coli phytase expressed in Trichoderma reesei (E Trich), steam conditioned at 82, 88, or 93°C, for a total of twelve treatments. Broiler performance and tibia mineralization were analyzed using a 4 x 3 factorial with the main effects of product and conditioning temperature. The commercial phytase products demonstrated differences in supporting the phosphorus requirement in broilers. Increasing conditioning temperatures had a detrimental effect on broiler performance and tibia mineralization. The increased conditioning temperatures may have decreased nutrient availability, denatured phytase products, or both of these events may have influenced the results

Fast determination of coarse grained cell anisotropy and size in epithelial tissue images using Fourier transform

Mechanical strain and stress play a major role in biological processes such as wound healing or morphogenesis. To assess this role quantitatively, fixed or live images of tissues are acquired at a cellular precision in large fields of views. To exploit these data, large numbers of cells have to be analyzed to extract cell shape anisotropy and cell size. Most frequently, this is performed through detailed individual cell contour determination, using so-called segmentation computer programs, complemented if necessary by manual detection and error corrections. However, a coarse grained and faster technique can be recommended in at least three situations. First, when detailed information on individual cell contours is not required, for instance in studies which require only coarse-grained average information on cell anisotropy. Second, as an exploratory step to determine whether full segmentation can be potentially useful. Third, when segmentation is too difficult, for instance due to poor image quality or too large a cell number. We developed a user-friendly, Fourier transform-based image analysis pipeline. It is fast (typically $10^4$ cells per minute with a current laptop computer) and suitable for time, space or ensemble averages. We validate it on one set of artificial images and on two sets of fully segmented images, one from a Drosophila pupa and the other from a chicken embryo; the pipeline results are robust. Perspectives include \textit{in vitro} tissues, non-biological cellular patterns such as foams, and $xyz$ stacks.Comment: 13 pages; 9 figure

Concurrent 43 and 86 GHz Very Long Baseline Polarimetry of 3C273

We present sub-milliarcsecond resolution total intensity and linear polarization VLBI images of 3C273, using concurrent 43 and 86 GHz data taken with the Very Long Baseline Array in May 2002. The structure seen in the innermost jet suggest that we have fortuitously caught the jet in the act of changing direction. The polarization images confirm that the core is unpolarized (fractional polarization m < 1 %) at 86 GHz, but also show well ordered magnetic fields (m ~ 15 %) in the inner jet, at a projected distance of 2.3 pc from the core. In this strongly polarized region, the rotation measure changes across the jet by 4.2 x 10^{4} rad m^{-2} over an angular width of about 0.3 milliarcseconds. If the lack of polarization in the core is also attributed to a Faraday screen, then a rotation measure dispersion > 5.2 x 10^{4} rad m^{-2} must be present in or in front of that region. These are among the highest rotation measures reported so far in the nucleus of any active galaxy or quasar, and must occur outside (but probably close to) the radio emitting region. The transverse rotation measure gradient is in the same sense as that observed by Asada et al and by Zavala and Taylor at greater core distances. The magnitude of the transverse gradient decreases rapidly with distance down the jet, and appears to be variable.Comment: 4 pages, LaTeX, 3 postscript figures, submitted to Astrophysical Journal Letter

Discovery of two simultaneous non-harmonically related Quasi-Periodic Oscillations in the 2005 outburst of the black-hole binary GRO J1655-40

We studied the low-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations (LFQPOs) in the black hole GRO J1655-40 during the 2005 outburst, using data from the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer. All LFQPOs could be identified as either type B or type C using previously proposed classification schemes. In the soft state of the outburst the type-C LFQPOs reached frequencies that are among the highest ever seen for LFQPOs in black holes. At the peak of the outburst, in the ultra-luminous state, the power spectrum showed two simultaneous, non-harmonically related peaks which we identified as a type-B and a type-C QPO. The simultaneous presence of a type-C and type-B QPO shows that at least two of the three known LFQPO types are intrinsically different and likely the result of distinct physical mechanisms. We also studied the properties of a broad peaked noise component in the power spectra of the ultra-luminous state. This noise component becomes more coherent with count rate and there are strong suggestions that it evolves into a type-B QPO at the highest observed count rates.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in MNRA

How Narcissism Shapes Responses to Antisocial and Prosocial Behavior: Hypo-Responsiveness or Hyper-Responsiveness?

Narcissists have a relatively higher proclivity for displaying antisocial rather than prosocial behaviors, suggesting a comparatively higher tendency for unfavorably impacting societies. However, maintenance of social order also depends on appropriate responses to others’ social behavior. Once we focus on narcissists as observers rather than actors, their impact on social functioning becomes less clear-cut. Theoretical arguments suggest that narcissists could be either hypo-responsive or hyper-responsive to others’ social behavior. Across four studies, we examined narcissists’ responsiveness to variations in others’ antisocial and prosocial behaviors. Results showed that narcissists differentiated less between others’ antisociality/prosociality, as reflected in their subsequent moral character evaluations (Studies 1–4) and reward and punishment (Studies 3 and 4). These results suggest that narcissists are hypo-responsive to others’ social behaviors. Implications and directions for future research are discussed

A Comparative Study Of Cardiovascular Risk Factors Between Black And White Adolescent Males

The purpose of this descriptive study was to compare the existence of cardiovascular risk factors between black and white adolescent males within the 18 and 19 year age range. A total of 22 male subjects, 13 white and 9 black, completed a three-day diary of diet, exercise, and smoking activity entitled The Heart Health Profile. Subjects were also interviewed concerning family history of cardiovascular disease, and measurements of blood pressure, percentage of body fat, and body weight were obtained. The researcher hypothesized that when black and white adolescent males were compared, there would be no significant difference relative to seven cardiovascular risk factors: smoking, blood pressure, dietary cholesterol intake, percentage of body fat, percentage of body weight above maximum allowable weight, aerobic exercise, and family history of cardiovascular disease. When the two groups were compared using the t-test, the only hypothesis which was significant at the .0 5 level was family history of cardiovascular disease. Thus, hypothesis VII was rejected. Since there was no significant difference at the . 05 level between the two groups relative to the other six risk factors, the researcher failed to reject hypotheses I through VI

CTMC calculations of electron capture and ionization in collisions of multiply charged ions with elliptical Rydberg atoms

We have performed classical trajectory Monte Carlo (CTMC) studies of electron capture and ionization in multiply charged (Q=8) ion-Rydberg atom collisions at intermediate impact velocities. Impact parallel to the minor and to the major axis, respectively, of the initial Kepler electron ellipse has been investigated. The important role of the initial electron momentum distribution found for singly charged ion impact is strongly disminished for higher projectile charge, while the initial spatial distribution remains important for all values of Q studied.Comment: 3 pages, 5 figure