Effect of cage density on growth and carcass performance of fattening rabbits under tropical heat stress conditions

[EN] Three hundred crossbred New Zealand, California, Butterfl y, Dutch, and Satin rabbits, weaned at 30 d and weighing 535±8 g (standard error) were assigned randomly to four treatments: 6, 12, 18 and 24 rabbits/m2 (3, 6, 9 and 12 rabbits/cage, respectively, each cage measuring 0.5 m2) resulting in 10 cages/treatment. During the experimental period (from weaning to 2.2 kg body weight) weekly individual live weight, cage feed intake, incidence of diarrhoea, ringworm, and injured rabbit data was recorded. The maximum temperature-humidity index ranged from 31 to 35, and so indicating severe heat stress. At the end of the experimental period 10, 20, 30 and 30 rabbits under densities of 6, 12, 18 and 24 rabbits/m2, respectively, were slaughtered and carcass performance recorded. Average daily gain and feed intake from weaning to the end of the experimental period decreased by 0.31±0.070 and 1.20±0.25 g, respectively, for each unit that the density increased at the beginning of the experiment (P=0.001). The length of the fattening period increased by 0.91±0.16 d (P=0.001) for each unit of increment of density. However, rabbit production (expressed in kg/m2) increased linearly and quadratically with density (P<0.008). Cage density did not affect feed effi ciency, which on average was 0.214 g/g (P=0.37). Animals housed at the highest density, compared to the average of those caged at lower densities, tended to show higher incidence of ringworm (68.9 vs 39.4%; P=0.075) and injury (16.8 vs 3.03%; P=0.12), and showed higher mortality (20.5 vs 9.63%; P=0.043). Density did not alter the dressing out percentage nor chilled carcass weight. The proportion of scapular fat (P=0.042) increased linearly with increasing levels of density, but perirrenal fat was unaffected (P=0.22). Increasing density reduced dorsal length linearly (P=0.001), and reduced drip loss percentage linearly and quadratically (P=0.097 and 0.018, respectively).Based on these results, under our heat stress conditions, avoiding densities higher than 18 rabbits/m2 or 34 kg/m2 at the end of fattening is recommended.Villalobos, O.; Guillén, O.; García J., J. (2010). Effect of cage density on growth and carcass performance of fattening rabbits under tropical heat stress conditions. World Rabbit Science. 16(2). doi:10.4995/wrs.2008.63116

Altered electrochemistry of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) after activation of the inserted cobalt ions

Cobalt ions were inserted into poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) by cyclic voltammetry in a 0.1M Co(NO3)2 aqueous solution (PEDOT(Co)). After activation of the inserted cobalt, the PEDOT(aCo) system was investigated by cyclic voltammetry, digital video electrochemistry, spectroelectrogravimetry, and coupled impedance techniques (ac-electrogravimetry) to elucidate the key role of inserted cobalt ions in the altered electrochemistry of PEDOT. The incorporation of Co2+ involves slow transfer of cations for charge compensation during 2+⇄3+ conversion inside the PEDOT. This fact explains the enhanced charge storage showed by PEDOT(aCo) compared with pristine PEDOT at similar potentials. Finally, the stability of PEDOT(aCo) was investigated by cyclic voltammetry measuring at the same time current, mass and motional resistance variation during 100 cycles offering high stability at all times.This work was supported by the Spanish E3TECH-PLUS Research Network RED2022-134552-T (MICINN/AEI, Spain). SEM was carried out in the Microscopy Section of Central Service for Experimental Research (SCSIE) of the University of Valencia. Esteban Guillén acknowledges the support from the Generalitat Valenciana (INVEST/2022/431)

A Study on the Actual Use of Digital Competence in the Practicum of Education Degree.

Política de acceso abierto tomada de: https://v2.sherpa.ac.uk/id/publication/36187?template=romeoDespite the existence of many programs and training projects in the field of ICT, in post-secondary education, the teaching and learning process continues to be supported by traditional classroom methods. This phenomenon can be particularly observed in education degrees, even though future teachers are expected to acquire the necessary digital skills in order to carry out their work properly. The purpose of this study is to explore in greater depth the use of 2.0 applications in the education training of future teachers, as well as to outline the different correlations between the use of these 2.0 tools and their perceived level of digital competence, age and their level of motivation. For it, a quasi-experimental, ex post facto research was carried out with a sample of 108 future teachers from the Faculty of Education, Pontifical University of Salamanca (UPSA). The results have shown that future teachers have a low level of attitude of use towards ICT in the classroom, with an average of 2.29 based on five points. Furthermore, the results have revealed that the level of digital competence and the motivation to use ICT are two variables that correlate positively, while other variables do not show any correlation, such as age

Rendimiento diagnóstico del exoma en una consulta de Genética

Justificación:El Exoma es una herramienta diagnóstica de reciente aparición que se enmarca dentro de las técnicas genómicas de tipo NGS -Next Generation Sequencing- para el estudio del DNA. La secuenciación exómica se perfila como la prueba más idónea a practicar en ciertos supuestos determinados, cuando otros test resultan insuficientes o inapropiados para la búsqueda de una variante causante de enfermedad. Existe evidencia científica limitada respecto a su rendimiento diagnóstico, por ello planteamos el estudio del rendimiento obtenido en nuestra consulta entre los años 2014 y 2016.Objetivos:En el estudio se persigue evaluar el rendimiento real del exoma clínico en una consulta de Genética Clínica de un Hospital nacional de tercer nivel entre los años 2014 y 2016.Metodología: Se trata de un estudio descriptivo, en el cuál la muestra a estudio está determinada por el conjunto de pacientes que han participado de un estudio genético de tipo exoma. Se han recopilado datos procedentes de esta muestra entre los años 2014-2016 (de forma retrospectiva). Los datos han sido tratados dentro de la más estricta confidencialidad. La principal variable a estudio ha sido el resultado del test exoma practicado (detección de variante patogénica, probablemente patogénica, probablemente benigna, benigna, variante de significado incierto o no detección de variante). Además, considerando que, en algunos de los casos se ha practicado un exoma trío (estudio del caso índice y sus dos progenitores) se integra la información obtenida atendiendo a los datos de segregación. De forma secundaria se analizan otras variables como análisis genéticos realizados anteriormente (Array-CGH, MLPA, Cariotipo…), sexo, edad, fenotipo, etc.Resultados: El rendimiento diagnóstico obtenido es del 26,7% en la muestra estudiada. <br /

Relationship between the dynamics of telomere loss in peripheral blood leukocytes from osteoarthritis patients and mitochondrial DNA haplogroup

[Abstract] Objective: To evaluate the evolution of telomere length from peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) in subjects from the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) cohort in relation to the incidence of osteoarthritis (OA), and to explore its possible interactive influence with the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroup. Methods: Dynamics of telomere sequence loss were quantified in PBLs from initially healthy individuals (without symptoms or radiological signs), 78 carrying the mtDNA cluster HV, and 47 with cluster JT, from the OAI, during a 72-month follow-up period. The incidence of knee OA during this period (n = 39) was radiographically established when Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) score increased from < 2 at recruitment, to ≥ 2 at the end of 72 months of follow-up. Multivariate analysis using binary logistic regression was performed to assess PBL telomere loss and mtDNA haplogroups as associated risk factors of incidence of knee OA. Results: Carriers of cluster HV showed knee OA incidence twice that of the JT carriers (n = 30 vs 9). The rate of PBL telomere loss was higher in cluster HV carriers and in individuals with incident knee OA. Multivariate analysis showed that the dynamics of PBL telomere shortening can be a consistent risk marker of knee OA incidence. Subjects with nonincident knee OA showed a slower telomere loss than those with incident knee OA; the difference was more significant in carriers of cluster JT than in HV. Conclusion: An increased rate of telomere loss in PBLs may reflect a systemic accelerated senescence phenotype that could be potentiated by the mitochondrial function, increasing the susceptibility of developing knee OA.Instituto de Salud Carlos III; PI17/01987Instituto de Salud Carlos III; PI16/02124Xunta de Galicia; IN607A 2017/1

Energy Self-Sufficiency Urban Module (ESSUM): GIS-LCA-based multi-criteria methodology to analyze the urban potential of solar energy generation and its environmental implications

The concentration of the population in cities has turned them into sources of environmental pollution, however, cities have a great potential for generating clean energy through renewable sources such as a responsible use of solar energy that reaches its rooftops. This work proposes a methodology to estimate the level of energy self-sufficiency in urban areas, particularly in a district of the city of Zaragoza (Spain). First, the Energy Self-Sufficiency Urban Module concept (ESSUM) is defined, then the self-sufficiency capacity of the city or district is determined using Geographical Information Systems (GIS), Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) point clouds and cadastral data. Secondly, the environmental implications of the implementation of these modules in the rooftops of the city using the LCA methodology are calculated. The results obtained show that total self-sufficiency of Domestic Hot Water (DHW) can be achieved using 21 % of available rooftop area, meanwhile the rest of rooftop area, dedicated to photovoltaic (PV), can reach 20 % of electricity self-sufficiency, supposing a final balance of a reduction in CO2 emissions of 12,695.4 t CO2eq/y and energy savings of 372,468.5 GJ/y. This corresponds to a scenario where full self-sufficiency of DHW was prioritized, with the remaining roof area dedicated to PV installation. In addition, other scenarios have been analyzed, such as the implementation of the energy systems separately

Heating energy consumption and environmental implications due to the change in daily habits in residential buildings derived from COVID-19 crisis: The case of Barcelona, Spain

The COVID-19 crisis has changed daily habits and the time that people spend at home. It is expected that this change may have environmental implications because of buildings’ heating energy demand. This paper studies the energy and environmental implications, from a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach, due to these new daily habits in residential buildings at their current level of thermal insulation, and in different scenarios of thermal retrofit of their envelope. This study has a building-to-building approach by using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) for the residential housing stock in the case of Barcelona, Spain. The results show that a change in daily habits derived from the pandemic can increase the heating energy consumption and carbon dioxide emission in residential buildings by 182%. Retrofitting all buildings of Barcelona, according to conventional energy renovation instead of nearly Zero Energy Buildings (nZEB), will produce between 2.25 × 107 and 2.57 × 107 tons of carbon dioxide. Retrofitting the building stock using energy recovery is the option with better energy and emission savings, but also is the option with higher payback time for buildings built until 2007. The methodology presented can be applied in any city with sufficient cadastral data, and is considered optimal in the European context, as it goes for calculating the heating energy consumption

Determining the impact of seasoning on the volatile chemical composition of the oak wood of different Sherry Casks® by DTD–GC–MS

The casks that have contained for a certain time Sherry wines are known as Sherry Casks® and their use and value have increased in recent years, as they confer unique organoleptic properties to the distillates and beverages that are aged inside them. During their seasoning, these casks yield certain compounds from wood into the wines, and at the same time, they retain some compounds from these Sherry wines which, in turn, are transferred to the distillates that are aged inside the casks, so that wood acts as a transfer vector between the two alcoholic beverages. A characterization of seasoned staves with three Sherry wines, Fino, Oloroso, and Pedro Ximénez, by DTD–GC–MS has been carried out in this study. Different tendencies regarding the compounds present in the wood have been observed as follows: in general, certain compounds from wood either disappeared or decreased during its seasoning, while other compounds that come from the seasoning wine either increased or appeared in the wood during the seasoning process. This fact demonstrates that during the ageing of Sherry wines these transfer certain interesting compounds into the casks wood, which are in turn transferred to the distillates

Ceria-Praseodymia Mixed Oxides: Relationships Between Redox Properties and Catalytic Activities Towards NO Oxidation to NO2 and CO-PROX Reactions

A series of CexPr1−xO2−δ catalysts was prepared by co-precipitation method in alkali media. These catalysts were characterized by N2 adsorption–desorption isotherms at −196 °C, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetry combined with mass spectrometry (TG-MS), and temperature-programmed reduction with H2 and CO (H2-TPR and CO-TPR, respectively). Catalytic tests were performed for temperature programmed NO oxidation to NO2 (from 25 to 750 °C) and for the preferential oxidation of CO in H2 rich stream (CO-PROX reaction) in the range of 150–500 °C. The trends in the order of catalytic activities towards NO oxidation and CO-PROX are correlated with the redox properties of the catalysts and their composition. CexPr1−xO2−δ mixed oxides present very different catalytic behaviours towards NO oxidation and CO-PROX reactions. These experimental trends might be explained by the balance of several factors: the acid character of the NO and CO molecules, the different lattice oxygen mobility of the catalysts, the presence of surface carbonates species in the samples, and the catalysts’ reducibility under H2 and CO. The understanding of the features that govern the activity towards these environmentally relevant oxidation reactions is important in the designing of effective catalysts.The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of Generalitat Valenciana (PROMETEOII/2014/010), MINECO (CTQ2015-64801-R, MAT2013-40823-R, CSD2009-00013) and the UE (FEDER funding). X. Chen thanks the program of “Ramón y Cajal” from Ministry of Science and Innovation of Spain