Effects of dietary minerals on acid-base balance and eggshell quality in chickens

Three experiments were conducted in hens to determine the effects of high levels of dietary phosphorus (P, 1-1.5%), chloride (Cl, 0.8%) or both on acid-base balance and eggshell quality and to consider whether any adverse effects on eggshell quality can be attributed to alteration of blood acid-base balance. Eggshell quality and values for a blood indicator of acid-base balance were reduced by high levels of dietary P or Cl in all of the experiments. Eggshell quality and values for the blood acid-base indicator were further reduced by high dietary levels of the combination of minerals. The adverse effects associated with high levels of the combination were greater than the sum of adverse effects associated with high levels of each mineral. The effects of P and Cl on plasma levels of these minerals were inconsistent and varied among experiments. The use of pair-fed controls revealed that the adverse effects of combined P and Cl on eggshell quality and acid-base balance were independent of their effects on feed and calcium intake. Calcium excretion was increased by consumption of the high P, high Cl diet. The information obtained from these experiments suggests that the adverse effects of high levels of dietary P and/or Cl on eggshell quality may be due, at least in part, to increased Ca excretion. This, in turn, may be mediated by acidemia resulting from the dietary manipulations, although the present data were insufficient to provide a direct link between acidemia and Ca excretion.     

Perioperative outcomes of goal-directed versus conventional fluid therapy in radical cystectomy with enhanced recovery protocol

International Urology and Nephrology - The aim of this study is to evaluate the intra/perioperative fluid management and early postoperative outcomes of patients who underwent radical cystectomy...     

Review of Plasmonic Nanocomposite Metamaterial Absorber

Plasmonic metamaterials are artificial materials typically composed of noble metals in which the features of photonics and electronics are linked by coupling photons to conduction electrons of metal (known as surface _lasmon). These rationally designed structures have spurred interest noticeably since they demonstrate some fascinating properties which are unattainable with naturally occurring materials. Complete absorption of light is one of the recent exotic properties of plasmonic metamaterials which has broadened its application area considerably. This is realized by designing a medium whose impedance matches that of free space while being opaque. If such a medium is filled with some lossy medium, the resulting structure can absorb light totally in a sharp or broad frequency range. Although several types of metamaterials perfect absorber have been demonstrated so far, in the current paper we overview (and focus on) perfect absorbers based on nanocomposites where the total thickness is a few tens of nanometer and the absorption band is broad, tunable and insensitive to the angle of incidence. The nanocomposites consist of metal nanoparticles embedded in a dielectric matrix with a high filling factor close to the percolation threshold. The filling factor can be tailored by the vapor phase co-deposition of the metallic and dielectric components. In addition, novel wet chemical approaches are discussed which are bio-inspired or involve synthesis within levitating Leidenfrost drops, for instance. Moreover, theoretical considerations, optical properties, and potential application of perfect absorbers will be presented.     

Combined effects of auditory and visual cues on the perception of vection

Vection is the illusion of self-motion in the absence of real physical movement. The aim of the present study was to analyze how multisensory inputs (visual and auditory) contribute to the perception of vection. Participants were seated in a stationary position in front of a large, curved projection display and were exposed to a virtual scene that constantly rotated around the yaw-axis, simulating a 360° rotation. The virtual scene contained either only visual, only auditory, or a combination of visual and auditory cues. Additionally, simulated rotation speed (90°/s vs. 60°/s) and the number of sound sources (1 vs. 3) were varied for all three stimulus conditions. All participants were exposed to every condition in a randomized order. Data specific to vection latency, vection strength, the severity of motion sickness (MS), and postural steadiness were collected. Results revealed reduced vection onset latencies and increased vection strength when auditory cues were added to the visual stimuli, whereas MS and postural steadiness were not affected by the presence of auditory cues. Half of the participants reported experiencing auditorily induced vection, although the sensation was rather weak and less robust than visually induced vection. Results demonstrate that the combination of visual and auditory cues can enhance the sensation of vection.     

Cerebrum in offspring of mercury-treated rats

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of different doses of mercury on fetal cerebrum. Twenty adult female rats were divided in four groups. All animals became pregnant by natural mating. Mercuric oxide was induced in three groups by different doses at ten terminal days of pregnancy. After parturition, the cerebrum was collected from the offspring of all rats and the weight of the neonates and mothers was measured. Various histological parameters were determined using histological techniques. Results revealed a decrease in neonatal and maternal body weight after parturition compared to control. The thicknesses of the gray and white matter showed a decrease in all test groups. The number of cells in gray matter and white matter reduced in all test groups. The maternal body weight of group T3, the number of cells in gray matter of group T3 and the number of cells in white matter of group T2 and T3 decreased significantly (p?<?0.05) compared to that of control. Mercury exposure exhibited deleterious effects on cerebrum during fetal life, which remained persistent during the post-neonatal period.