Anhydrous goat's milk fat: thermal and structural behaviors studied by coupled differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction. 2. Influence of cooling rate

Crystallization and melting properties of triacylglycerols (TGs) in anhydrous goat's milk fat (AGMF) are investigated by X-ray diffraction as a function of temperature (XRDT) coupled with high-sensitivity differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), using synchrotron radiation and Microcalix. The polymorphic behavior of AGMF was monitored by varying the cooling rates between 5 and 1 degrees C/min from 45 to -20 degrees C with their subsequent melting at 1 degrees C/min. Quenching of AGMF at -20 degrees C was also examined to determine the metastable polymorphic form of AGMF. At intermediate cooling rates, TGs in AGMF crystallize, from about 18 degrees C in two different lamellar structures with triple chain length 3Lalpha stacking of 72 A and a double chain length 2Lalpha stacking of 48 A, which are correlated to two overlapped exothermic peaks recorded by DSC. A reversible transition sub alpha <--> alpha was observed. Subsequent heating at 1 degrees C/min shows numerous structural rearrangements before final melting. At fast cooling of AGMF (5 degrees C/min), similar unstable crystalline varieties are formed while three endotherms are recorded. Several new unstable lamellar structures are observed after quenching. All of these data are compared to those previously reported at slow cooling (0.1 degrees C/min) showing a relative stability of the structures formed. In spite of general similitude, the thermal and structural behavior of the goat's milk is more complex than that of the cow's milk.     

A giant sauropod dinosaur from an Upper Cretaceous mangrove deposit in Egypt

We describe a giant titanosaurid sauropod dinosaur discovered in coastal deposits in the Upper Cretaceous Bahariya Formation of Egypt, a unit that has produced three Tyrannosaurus-sized theropods and numerous other vertebrate taxa. Paralititan stromeri is the first tetrapod reported from Bahariya since 1935. Its 1.69-meter-long humerus is longer than that of any known Cretaceous sauropod. The autochthonous scavenged skeleton was preserved in mangrove deposits, raising the possibility that titanosaurids and their predators habitually entered such environments.     

Performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality and plasma constituents of meat type drakes fed diets containing different levels of lysine with or without a microbial phytase.

This experiment was conducted to study growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality and plasma constituents of Campbell drakes fed diets containing different levels of lysine with or without a microbial phytase. Basal vegetable duck all-mash diets were fed during the growing (1-35 d of age), and finishing period (36-56 d of age) and were formulated to contain 0.90% and 0.73% lysine (negative control), respectively. These diets were supplemented or not with L-lysine HCl, which resulted in a dietary lysine level of 0.90, 0.95, 1.01 and 1.06% and 0.73, 0.80, 0.87 and 0.94%, during the growing and finishing period, respectively. Furthermore, the diets were fed with or without 600 FTU phytase (Natuphos) except for those containing 1.06 and 0.94% lysine during the growing and finishing period, respectively (positive control). A lysine level of 1.01/0.87% in the growing/finishing diet significantly increased BWG and improved FCR of drakes by 2.1 and 1.8%, respectively. Phytase significantly increased BWG by 2.1% and 3.5% after feeding the basal diet and 1.01/0.87% lysine, respectively. Also, FCR was significantly improved by 2.2 and 1.8% of groups fed 0.95/0.80, and 1.01/0.87% lysine, respectively. Phytase as an independent variable increased BWG by 1.8, and improved FCR by 1.0%. Lysine and/or phytase did not affect carcass yield, and meat quality treats as well as plasma constituents of drakes. However, lysine level at 0.95/0.80% and 1.01/0.87% significantly decreased abdominal fat deposition compared to either the negative or the positive control. In conclusion, a lysine level of 1.01/0.87% in the growing/finishing diets for drakes is adequate. After phytase supplementation of the basal diet the BWG at a lysine level of 0.90/0.73% were similar to the positive control (1.06/0.94% lysine). However, the best FCR was obtained after feeding diets containing 1.01/0.87% lysine supplemented with phytase.     

A graphic framework for teaching critical appraisal of randomised controlled trials

Students of evidence-based medicine often try unsuccessfully to commit to memory a particular critical appraisal framework (often lengthy), or they have to depend on pocket cards and are lost without them. We have described a pedagogic aid: a flow diagram of an RCT, which has been developed over years of teaching residents. This diagram focuses on the steps in an RCT, and by drawing arrows, it highlights the biases possible at each step. This diagram serves as a framework on which the list of critical appraisal questions can be hung and is easy to remember.     

Evaluation of the carryover effect of antibiotic,bee pollen and propolis on growth performance,carcass traits and splenic and hepatic histology of growing rabbits

Sixty‐four nulliparous female rabbits were distributed among eight groups (eight animals/group). Group one was the unsupplemented control group; the other seven groups were supplemented with zinc bacitracin (ZnB) at 100 mg, or bee pollen (BP) and/or propolis (Pro) at 150 and 300 mg in a capsulated form, three times a week, day after day, continuously all over the experimental period. The experiment was run for eight parties; at each parity, 28 kids of each doe group (a total of 224 rabbits) were divided into two subgroups weaned, respectively, at 24 and 30 days of age. Thus, for each parity, there were 16 groups (eight does treatments × two weaning age, 14 rabbits per group). The growing rabbits fed the standard diets without supplements. The growth performance, the carcass traits, the liver and the spleen histology of rabbits were checked up to 90 days of age to find possible carryover effects of the supplements. The supplements had no significant effect on most of the growth performance at 90 days of age, but BP150 and BP+Pro300 increased the growth rate in comparison with ZnB group. The liver weight in the control, BP300 and Pro300 groups was higher than the ZnB one. The spleen weight was higher in the groups ZnB, BP150, Pro300 and BP+Pro300, followed by the control, BP300 and BP+Pro150 and thus Pro150. The heart % in the BP150 and Pro300 groups was higher than ZnB and BP+Pro150 groups. A lymphoid hyperplasia of splenic white pulp was observed in the BP+Pro groups, while propolis alone showed a mild activation of lymphobiosis. The Pro and BP groups showed the same picture of the control group exhibiting a hydropic degeneration of mostly hepatic cells, while the ZnB group exhibited adverse effect on the bile ducts featuring portal periductal inflammatory cells infiltration with epithelial hyperplasia reflecting chronic cholangitis.     

Bee pollen and propolis as dietary supplements for rabbit: Effect on reproductive performance of does and on immunological response of does and their offspring

To evaluate the effect of bee pollen (BP) and/or propolis (Pro) supplementation on rabbit does, 64 nulliparous NZW rabbits does were distributed among eight groups (eight animals/group). One unsupplemented group was the control; the other seven groups were supplemented, respectively, with zinc bacitracin (ZnB) at 100 mg, BP at 150 and 300 mg, Pro at 150 and 300 mg, BP+Pro at 150 and 300 mg of each three times/week, day after day continuously along eight parities. The BP300, Pro300 and BP+Pro150 groups had higher body weight of litter at birth and number of kids born alive. The BP supplementation at 150 mg increased plasma total protein and albumin than the control group. The BP or Pro at 150 mg decreased plasma T₃ than the other groups except for BP+Pro150. The ZnB group had significantly greater T₃/T₄ ratio compared to BP, Pro and BP+Pro at 150 mg. The BP+Pro150 group had less ALT than the control; BP300 and Pro 300 mg resulted in lower plasma AST than the groups Pro150 with or without BP and the control group. The plasma alkaline phosphatase of BP at 150 or 300 mg and BP+Pro150 was significantly greater than that of the Pro150 group. The BP+Pro300 group had higher WBCs than the other groups. In contrast, the lymphocytes were greater in the Pro and BP+Pro300 groups than in BP, Pro and BP+Pro at 150 mg. The groups supplemented with BP and BP+Pro at 150 and 300 mg had significantly greater SRBCs of doe rabbits and their offspring compared to the control and the ZnB group. The BP at 300 mg increased the serum albumin and α₁‐globulin than the control group. The Pro300 group had greater serum α₂‐globulin and β‐globulin than the control group. The total globulin was significantly greater for the 300 mg propolis‐supplemented groups than the control.     

Preparation of Polyurethane Silicon Oxide Nanomaterials as a Binder in Leather Finishing

Leather finishing processes using toxic organic solvent based produce volatile organic compounds (VOC), chronic exposure to this chemicals effect on workers' health causing many diseases especially lung cancer. So, polyurethane waterbased was synthesized for application in leather finishing instead of organic solvent based because it’s economic and safety for industry and workers. Preparation of water-based polyurethane (PU) depends on the reaction of polyethylene glycol (PEG, 300) with isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) and the reaction of IPDI-1,4-butanediol (BDO) together with dimethylolpropionic acid (DMPA), was synthesized by poly-addition polymerization reaction. PU was then modified with different amounts of silicon dioxide nanoparticles (1-5 % SiO₂), used as a binder in leather finishing. Leather coated was characterized physically, chemically and thermally by FTIR, GPC, DLS, TEM, SEM and TGA. The results revel that, water vapor permeability (WVP) of leather coated with PU modified with SiO₂ showed improvement due to the existence of SiO₂ particles which increases the interspaces of the polyurethane coating. SEM showed that when the amount of SiO₂ nanoparticles increases, there is uniform nanoparticles accumulated can be observed. EDX prove the presence of Si and O₂ elements and the formation of SiO₂ nanoparticles. Mechanical properties discussed that tensile strength; tear strength and elongation at break % increase with increase SiO₂ concentration until 3 % SiO₂ nanoparticles. TGA showed an improvement of thermal stability of coated leather modified with SiO₂. Therefore, this study succeeded in preparation of safe, ecofriendly of water-based polyurethane binders which modified with SiO₂ for using in leather finishing.     

Recovery from adverse effects of heat stress on slow-growing chicks in the tropics 1: Effect of ascorbic acid and different levels of betaine

Three hundreds, 21 d-old slow-growing chicks were randomly divided among 5 treatments, of 5 replicates each. Each replicate contained 12 unsexed chicks housed in (1 × 1) a floor pen. A group was kept under thermoneutral condition at 28 ± 4°C and RH was 55 ± 3% during 21–84 d of age (positive control) and fed corn-soybean meal diet. The other four groups were kept for three successive days per week under heat stress (HS) at 38 ± 1.4°C and 49 ± 2% RH from 12.00 to 16.00 pm. Chicks in HS treatments were fed corn-soybean meal diet without (negative control) or with 250 mg AA/kg diet and Bet at 0.5 and 1 g/kg diet. HS decreased productive performance, increased (P < 0.05) meat dry matter, plasma triglyceride and serum calcium whereas decreased (P > 0.05) plasma glucose, serum total protein and water holding capacity (WHC) of meat. AA and 1 g of Bet/kg diet was equally potent for partial relief (P < 0.05) of the negative effect of HS on growth, increased (P < 0.05) feed intake, protein digestibility (P < 0.05), dressing out percentage, liver and giblets, whilst improved (P < 0.05) feed conversion ratio (FCR). Also, a complete recovery from the negative effect (P < 0.05) of HS shown on plasma glucose and partial recovery (P < 0.05) observed in total protein, triglyceride, blood pH, packed cell volume (PCV), hemoglobin (Hgb), rectal temperature (RT) and respiration rate (RR) and improved humoral immune competence to sheep red blood cell (SBRCs) test.     

Olive mill wastewater effects on the microbial communities as studied in the field of olive trees by analysis of fatty acid signatures

The aim of this work was to study the effects of spreading olive mill wastewater (OMW) on the soil surface of an olive grove on the soil microbial communities. Analyses of ester-linked fatty acid methyl esters (EL-FAME) were used to assess variations in the soil microbial community structure following land spreading of OMW. Our data provide evidence that agronomic application of OMW has important effects on soil microbial community. Bacteria were relatively more reduced by these treatments than fungi and actinomycetes as revealed by an increased index of fungal/bacterial FAME and actinomycetes/bacterial FAME. Specific FAME markers indicated a significant reduction in the Gram-positive bacteria. However, the relative proportion of the Gram-negative bacteria was not significantly different after agronomic application of OMW. The ratios of cyclopropyl/monoenoic precursors decreased and the total monounsaturated/total saturated fatty acids increased in the OMW amended soils, suggesting that the microbes inhabiting the control soil are more carbon limited than the OMW amended soils. The changes in the FAME pattern of the soil organisms possibly were related (i) to an altered substrate quantity, that is the availability of substrates after the treatments, (ii) the complex nature of OMW which also contains high molecular-mass recalcitrant polyphenols.