Fatty Acid Composition and Eating Quality of Muscle from Steers Offered Grazed Grass, Grass Silage or Concentrate-Based Diets

The effects of grazed grass, grass silage or concentrates on the eating quality and fatty acid composition of intra-muscular fat of steers fed to achieve similar carcass growth rates were investigated. Fifty steers were assigned to one of five dietary treatments. The experimental rations offered daily for 85 days pre-slaughter were (a) grass silage plus 4 kg concentrate, (b) 8 kg concentrate plus 1 kg hay, (c) 6 kg grazed grass dry matter (DM) plus 5 kg concentrate, (d) 12 kg grazed grass DM plus 2.5 kg concentrate or (e) 22 kg grazed grass DM. Decreasing the proportion of concentrate in the diet, which effectively increased grass intake, caused a linear decrease in the concentration of intra-muscular saturated fatty acids (SFA) (P \u3c .01) and in the n-6 to n-3 poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA )ratio (P\u3c .001) and a linear increase in the PUFA to SFA ratio (P \u3c .01) and the conjugated linoleic acid concentration (P \u3c .001). There was an interaction (p\u3c 0.05) between ageing time and treatment with treatment d having higher (p\u3c 0.05) tenderness, texture and acceptability values after 2 days ageing, but not after 7 or 14 days ageing. The data indicate that intramuscular fatty acid composition of beef can be improved from a human health perspective by inclusion of grass in the diet without any negative effect on the eating quality

Some Remarks about Variable Mass Systems

We comment about the general argument given to obtain the rocket equation as it is exposed in standard textbooks. In our opinion, it can induce students to a wrong answer when solving variable mass problems.Comment: 2 page

A procedure to analyze nonlinear density waves in Saturn's rings using several occultation profiles

Cassini radio science experiments have provided multiple occultation optical depth profiles of Saturn's rings that can be used in combination to analyze density waves. This paper establishes an accurate procedure of inversion of the wave profiles to reconstruct the wave kinematic parameters as a function of semi-major axis, in the nonlinear regime. This procedure is achieved from simulated data in the presence of realistic noise perturbations, to control the reconstruction error. By way of illustration we have applied our procedure to the Mimas 5:3 density wave. We were able to recover precisely the kinematic parameters from the radio experiment occultation data in most of the propagation region; a preliminary analysis of the pressure-corrected dispersion allowed us to determine new but still uncertain values for the opacity ($K\simeq 0.02$ cm$^2$/g) and velocity dispersion of ($c_o\simeq 0.6$ cm/s) in the wave region. Our procedure constitutes the first step in our planned analysis of the density waves of Saturn's rings. It is very accurate and efficient in the far-wave region. However, improvements are required within the first wavelength. The ways in which this method can be used to establish diagnostics of ring physics are outlined.Comment: 50 pages,13 figures, 2 tables. Published in Icarus

DEveloping a Complex Intervention for DEteriorating Patients using Theoretical Modelling (DECIDE study): study protocol

AIM: To develop a theory-based complex intervention (targeting nursing staff), to enhance enablers and overcome barriers to enacting expected behaviour when monitoring patients and responding to abnormal vital signs that signal deterioration. DESIGN: A mixed method design including structured observations on hospital wards, field notes, brief, un-recorded interviews and semi-structured interviews to inform the development of an intervention to enhance practice. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews will be conducted with nursing staff using a topic guide informed by the Theoretical Domains Framework. Semi-structured interviews will be transcribed verbatim and coded deductively into the 14 Theoretical Domains Framework domains and then inductively into 'belief statements'. Priority domains will be identified and mapped to appropriate behaviour change techniques. Intervention content and mode of delivery (how behaviour change techniques are operationalised) will be developed using nominal groups, during which participants (clinicians) will rank behaviour change techniques /mode of delivery combinations according to acceptability and feasibility. Findings will be synthesised to develop an intervention manual. DISCUSSION: Despite being a priority for clinicians, researchers and policymakers for two decades, 'sub-optimal care' of the deteriorating ward patient persists. Existing interventions have been largely educational (i.e., targeting assumed knowledge deficits) with limited evidence that they change staff behaviour. Staff behaviour when monitoring and responding to abnormal vital signs is likely influenced by a range of mediators that includes barriers and enablers. IMPACT: Systematically applying theory and evidence-based methods, will result in the specification of an intervention which is more likely to result in behaviour change and can be tested empirically in future research. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Shell model study of the pairing correlations

A systematic study of the pairing correlations as a function of temperature and angular momentum has been performed in the sd-shell region using the spherical shell model approach. The pairing correlations have been derived for even-even, even-odd and odd-odd systems near N=Z and also for the asymmetric case of N=Z+4. The results indicate that the pairing content and the behavior of pair correlations is similar in even-even and odd-mass nuclei. For odd-odd N=Z system, angular momentum I=0 state is an isospin, t=1 neutron-proton paired configuration. Further, these t=1 correlations are shown to be dramatically reduced for the asymmetric case of N=Z+4. The shell model results obtained are qualitatively explained within a simplified degenerate model

Remote sensing of vigor loss in conifers due to dwarf mistletoe

The initial operation of a multiband/multidate tower-tramway test site in northeastern Minnesota for the development of specifications for subsequent multiband aerial photography of more extensive study areas was completed. Multiband/multidate configurations suggested by the tower-tramway studies were and will be flown with local equipment over the Togo test site. This site was photographed by the NASA RB57F aircraft in August and September 1971. It appears that, of all the film/filter combinations attempted to date (including optical recombining of several spectral band images via photo enhancement techniques), Ektachrome infrared film with a Wratten 12 filter is the best for detecting dwarf mistletoe, and other tree diseases as well. Using this film/filter combination, infection centers are easily detectable even on the smallest photo scale (1:100,000) obtained on the Togo site