Organic trace minerals on productive performance,egg quality and immune response in Bovans White laying hens

This study was performed in 360 laying Bovans White hens and aimed to evaluate the effect of Carbo‐Amino‐Phosphate‐Chelates (CAFQ) as a mineral premix and its 30% reduction by compared to inorganic trace minerals (ITM) concerning its performance, egg quality, tibia breaking strength and immunity. Sixty‐week‐old hens were assigned into three treatments with 10 replicates of 12 birds each. Treatments were as follows: (a) (100% ITM), (b) (100% CAFQ) and (c) (70% CAFQ). Based on the results obtained during 12 weeks, under the current test conditions, improved yolk colour (p < 0.05); shell breaking strength (p < 0.05); and storage time (p < 0.05) were observed in hens fed with a diet reduced by 70% in CAFQ inclusion showed similar performance behaviour and better egg breaking strength regarding with ITM, suggesting the possibility of minimizing the inclusion of trace minerals in laying hen diets improving environmental impact, in contrast to the use of inorganic sources of minerals.     

Ruminal and morphometric parameters of the rumen and intestines of sheep fed with increasing levels of spineless cactus (Nopalea cochenillifera Salm-Dyck)

Tropical Animal Health and Production - The objective of this study was to evaluate the ruminal parameters (pH, N-NH3, and microbial protein) and morphometry of the rumen and intestine of sheep fed...     

Carcass characteristics and meat quality of sheep fed alfalfa hay to replace Bermuda grass hay

Tropical Animal Health and Production - The objective of this study was to evaluate carcass characteristics, meat quality, and organ and viscera weight of forty male sheep, not castrated, initially...     

Effect of colostrum treated by heat on immunological parameters in newborn lambs

Seventeen newborn lambs were fed with untreated colostrum (group A) and 18 lambs were fed with colostrum treated by heat (56 °C, 30 min) (group B). Blood samples were obtained at seven time points from day 0 to 38 of life. Clinical status and body weight were recorded and serum protein fractions and IgG levels were determined in blood. Phagocytosis of neutrophils from the lambs and opsonic capacity of their serum were examined using a flow cytometry method. As an indicator of in vivo cellular immunity, reactions to intradermal injection of phytohemagglutinin (PHA) were examined at 8 and 16 days of age. There were no clinical signs of disease and no significant differences in body weight between groups. Lambs from group B had lower total protein initially and lower γ-globulin and IgG levels until day 32 compared to lambs from group A (P < 0.01). Heat treatment of colostrum had no significant effect on serum opsonic capacity or phagocytosis by neutrophils and these functions increased with age. However, responses to PHA in lambs from group B were lower (P < 0.01) than group A at day 8 of life, but not at day 16, suggesting that cellular immunity was affected by the treatment of colostrum. These results showed that colostrum treated by heat impaired cellular and IgG levels in lambs, but not phagocytic function. However, these changes did not affect the health or performance of the lambs.     

The theropod ancestry of birds: new evidence from the late cretaceous of madagascar

A partial skeleton of a primitive bird, Rahona ostromi, gen. et sp. nov., has been discovered from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar. This specimen, although exhibiting avian features such as a reversed hallux and ulnar papillae, retains characteristics that indicate a theropod ancestry, including a pubic foot and hyposphene-hypantra vertebral articulations. Rahona has a robust, hyperextendible second digit on the hind foot that terminates in a sicklelike claw, a unique characteristic of the theropod groups Troodontidae and Dromaeosauridae. A phylogenetic analysis places Rahona with Archaeopteryx, making Rahona one of the most primitive birds yet discovered.     

A long-snouted predatory dinosaur from africa and the evolution of spinosaurids

Fossils discovered in Lower Cretaceous (Aptian) rocks in the Tenere Desert of central Niger provide new information about spinosaurids, a peculiar group of piscivorous theropod dinosaurs. The remains, which represent a new genus and species, reveal the extreme elongation and transverse compression of the spinosaurid snout. The postcranial bones include blade-shaped vertebral spines that form a low sail over the hips. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that the enlarged thumb claw and robust forelimb evolved during the Jurassic, before the elongated snout and other fish-eating adaptations in the skull. The close phylogenetic relationship between the new African spinosaurid and Baryonyx from Europe provides evidence of dispersal across the Tethys seaway during the Early Cretaceous.     

Unconditional quantum teleportation

Quantum teleportation of optical coherent states was demonstrated experimentally using squeezed-state entanglement. The quantum nature of the achieved teleportation was verified by the experimentally determined fidelity Fexp = 0.58 +/- 0.02, which describes the match between input and output states. A fidelity greater than 0.5 is not possible for coherent states without the use of entanglement. This is the first realization of unconditional quantum teleportation where every state entering the device is actually teleported.     

Thermodynamics of calcite growth: baseline for understanding biomineral formation

The complexity of biomineralized structures suggests the potential of organic constituents for controlling energetic factors during crystal synthesis. Atomic force microscopy was used to investigate the thermodynamic controls on carbonate growth and to measure the dependence of step speed on step length and the dependence of critical step length on supersaturation in precisely controlled solutions. These data were used to test the classic Gibbs-Thomson relationship and provided the step edge free energies and free energy barriers to one-dimension nucleation for calcite. Addition of aspartic acid, a common component in biomineralizing systems, dramatically affected growth morphology and altered the magnitude of the surface energy.     

Hydration Rates for Various Types of Mexican Maize Based on Single‐Kernel Measurements

Hydration kinetics for sound maize kernels in liquid water, determined by single‐kernel measurements for three different Mexican maize types, yielded water diffusion coefficients ordered as Celaya corn > Toluca corn > Palomero corn, at all temperatures examined. These diffusion coefficients are lower than those reported earlier for maize grains, possibly due to the fact that in the present study damaged kernels were rigorously excluded. The energies of activation determined from the Arrhenius plots were ordered as Palomero corn > Celaya corn = Toluca corn and were similar in value to those reported earlier for other maize types. Damage to the surface of the maize kernels during the hydration experiments occurs at a significant frequency. Even minor surface lacerations can strongly affect the rate of hydration of the kernels. Experiments with maize grains selectively varnished in various parts of their surface show that the entry of water into the kernels occurs predominantly through the pericarp, not through the tip cap, though the tip cap has a higher water inflow per unit area.