No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

This research was conducted to determine the potential of hulless winter barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) as an improved feed crop in the mid-Atlantic region. Winter barley is an excellent crop in rotation with soybean (Glycine max L.); however, production of winter barley during the past few years has decreased mainly due to low market prices, even though the mid-Atlantic region is a feed grain deficient area. Therefore, value added traits need to be developed in order for barley production to continue in the region. In the first part of this study, the objectives were to: (i) evaluate the agronomic performance and potential of six experimental hulless winter barley lines compared with two commercial hulled cultivars; (ii) determine and compare fiber, b-glucan, protein, and fat concentrations, and true metabolizable energy, corrected for nitrogen (TMEn) among these genotypes; and (iii) evaluate the genetic potential of winter hulless barley accessions from the world collection for use as parents in hulless breeding programs. Six hulless lines all derived from the cross VA75-42-45/SC793556//CI2457 were acquired from Clemson University in South Carolina. The six lines were evaluated for yield, test weight, heading date, plant height, and lodging. These hulless lines along with two hulled cultivars were planted in replicated yield plots in four states with a total of eight locations, and were managed according to standard recommended practices. Grain from each of the hulless lines and hulled checks, along with that of Trical 498 triticale (X Triticosecale) and Jackson wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were analyzed for fiber, b-glucan, fat, protein, and ash concentration, and TMEn value. Eight hundred and seven winter or facultative habit hulless barley lines were obtained from the USDA-ARS National Small Grains Collection in Aberdeen, ID. These lines were screened for reaction type to races 8 and 30 of barley leaf rust (Puccinia hordei) and to a composite population of powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei). These accessions also were planted in observation rows to evaluate heading date, plant height, lodging, and seed threshability. The hulless lines yielded 23% less, but had 13% higher test weights than the hulled check cultivars. There was no difference between hulled and hulless barley in heading date and plant height. Hulless lines had a higher protein and lower fiber concentration than hulled barley. They also had higher b-glucan and fat concentrations than triticale or wheat. TMEn was similar between hulled and hulless barley, triticale, and wheat. Approximately 100 hulless barley lines from the world collection were selected for potential use as parents among 800 accessions tested, based on evaluations of lodging, plant height, threshability, and seed color. In the second part of the study the objectives were to determine the effects of (i) hulled and hulless barley, and (ii) b-glucanase on the performance of broilers fed different diets from 21 to 42 days of age. Diets comprised of 30% hulless or hulled barley, and a standard corn (Zea mays)/soybean meal diet with and without b-glucanase enzyme were evaluated to determine the effects of barley on gut viscosity, carcass weight, gain, percent shell, and feed efficiency in 21 to 42 day old broilers. In the first year, diets comprised of hulless lines SC890573 and SC860972, and the hulled cultivar Callao were compared to a standard check diet. In the second year SC860972 was replaced with SC880248 due to the inability to secure a sufficient amount of seed. Each year one hulled and two hulless barley diets were compared to a standard diet. Each diet was fed with and without enzyme, for a total of eight diets. Broilers 21 days of age were fed the diets until day 42 when they were processed. There was a significant decrease (P<0.05) in gut viscosity of birds fed diets with enzyme compared to birds fed diets without enzyme; however, gut viscosity did not affect weight gain or percent shell. Barley substituted at the 30% level did not have a significant effect on broiler performance, nor did the addition of enzyme. Absence of enzyme effect was attributed to bird age, since older birds are able to hydrolyze b-glucan more effectively than juveniles. The potential of hulless barley as an improved feed source for the poultry and swine industry is great for the mid-Atlantic region. Increases in grain yield are currently being realized through focused breeding efforts, and hulless lines exhibit positive nutritional components that combine favorable attributes of both wheat and hulled barley. Barley substituted at the 30% level in the diets of broilers did not cause any detrimental effects. Addition of hulless barley may potentially lead to a reduction in cost per pound of gain of broilers, and provide an alternative crop for mid-Atlantic region grain producers and feeders. / Ph. D.

No description available.

Nos últimos anos surgiu um tipo de bateria que tem gerado grande interesse para emprego em bancos de armazenamento estacionário. Tal tecnologia baseia-se na utilização de um eletrólito sólido &beta;/&beta;\'\'-Al2O3 que permite o transporte de íons de sódio entre um eletrodo positivo e um negativo. O eletrólito sólido &beta;/&beta;\'\'-Al2O3 apresenta uma estrutura cristalina diferenciada que permite grande mobilidade dos íons de sódio. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo principal obter eletrólito sólido &beta;/&beta;\'\'-Al2O3, utilizando pós preparados pelo processo mistura de óxidos e avaliar o desempenho elétrico dos eletrólitos com a deposição de filmes do mesmo substrato variando a concentração de sólidos presentes e correlacionar sua condutividade elétrica com sua porosidade. As amostras de &beta;/&beta;\'\'-Al2O3 foram sintetizadas, ocorrendo a formação da fase pretendida em temperaturas superiores a 1100&deg;C. Os teores relativos das fases &beta;/&beta;\'\'-Al2O3 mostrou-se dependente da temperatura. Pós calcinados em temperaturas mais elevadas sofrem volatilização do sódio, sendo o teor máximo obtido da fase &beta;\'\' durante o processo foi de 64%. Amostras sinterizadas em dois estágios, a 1600&deg;C por 20 minutos seguida de tratamento térmico a 1475&deg;C por 2 horas, apresentaram densificação maior em relação à amostras sinterizadas em um estágio. Sua microestrutura sofreu crescimento de grãos formando uma microestrutura duplex com grãos na forma de placas alongadas distribuídas em uma matriz de grãos finos. A partir da caracterização de suspensões aquosas de &beta;/&beta;\'\'-Al2O3 evidenciou a alteração do comportamento reológico exibido por suspensões dos pós cerâmicos em função da concentração em volume de sólidos de seu substrato em: 15%, 20%, 30% e 40%, e então os eletrólitos foram conformados por spin-coating. A técnica de espectroscopia de impedância foi importante na identificação das fases presentes na cerâmica &beta;/&beta;\'\'-Al2O3 e no mecanismo de condução elétrica, ocorrendo condução no volume (grãos), havendo uma condução maior na fase &beta;-alumina. / In recent years has emerged a type of battery that has generated great interest for employment in stationary storage banks. Such technology is based on the use of a solid electrolyte &beta;/&beta;\'\'-Al2O3 that allows the transport of sodium ions between a positive and negative electrode. The solid electrolyte &beta;/&beta;\'\'-Al2O3 presents a differentiated crystalline structure that allows great mobility of the sodium ions. The main objective of this work is to obtain solid electrolyte &beta;/&beta;\'\'-Al2O3, using powders prepared by the process of mixing oxides and to evaluate the electric performance of the electrolytes with the deposition of films of the same substrate varying the concentration of solids present and to correlate their Conductivity with its porosity. The samples of &beta;/&beta;\'\'-Al2O3 were synthesized, with the formation of the desired phase occurring at temperatures above 1100°C. The relative levels of the &beta;/&beta;\'\'-Al2O3 phases were temperature dependent. Post calcined at higher temperatures undergoes sodium volatilization, the maximum obtained content of the phase during the process was 64%. Two-stage sintered samples at 1600°C for 20 minutes followed by heat treatment at 1475°C for 2 hours showed higher densification than sintered samples at one stage. Its microstructure underwent grain growth forming a duplex microstructure with grains in the form of elongated plates distributed in a fine grained matrix. From the formulation of aqueous suspensions of &beta;/&beta;\'\'-Al2O3 showed the alteration of the rheological behavior exhibited by suspensions of the ceramic powders as a function of the volume concentration of their substrate solids in: 15%, 20%, 30% and 40%, And then the electrolytes were formed by spin-coating. The impedance spectroscopy technique was important in the identification of the phases present in the ceramic &beta;/&beta;\'\'-Al2O3 and in the electrical conduction mechanism, occurring conduction in the volume (grains), with a higher conduction in the &beta;-alumina phase.

Nos últimos anos surgiu um tipo de bateria que tem gerado grande interesse para emprego em bancos de armazenamento estacionário. Tal tecnologia baseia-se na utilização de um eletrólito sólido &beta;/&beta;\'\'-Al2O3 que permite o transporte de íons de sódio entre um eletrodo positivo e um negativo. O eletrólito sólido &beta;/&beta;\'\'-Al2O3 apresenta uma estrutura cristalina diferenciada que permite grande mobilidade dos íons de sódio. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo principal obter eletrólito sólido &beta;/&beta;\'\'-Al2O3, utilizando pós preparados pelo processo mistura de óxidos e avaliar o desempenho elétrico dos eletrólitos com a deposição de filmes do mesmo substrato variando a concentração de sólidos presentes e correlacionar sua condutividade elétrica com sua porosidade. As amostras de &beta;/&beta;\'\'-Al2O3 foram sintetizadas, ocorrendo a formação da fase pretendida em temperaturas superiores a 1100&deg;C. Os teores relativos das fases &beta;/&beta;\'\'-Al2O3 mostrou-se dependente da temperatura. Pós calcinados em temperaturas mais elevadas sofrem volatilização do sódio, sendo o teor máximo obtido da fase &beta;\'\' durante o processo foi de 64%. Amostras sinterizadas em dois estágios, a 1600&deg;C por 20 minutos seguida de tratamento térmico a 1475&deg;C por 2 horas, apresentaram densificação maior em relação à amostras sinterizadas em um estágio. Sua microestrutura sofreu crescimento de grãos formando uma microestrutura duplex com grãos na forma de placas alongadas distribuídas em uma matriz de grãos finos. A partir da caracterização de suspensões aquosas de &beta;/&beta;\'\'-Al2O3 evidenciou a alteração do comportamento reológico exibido por suspensões dos pós cerâmicos em função da concentração em volume de sólidos de seu substrato em: 15%, 20%, 30% e 40%, e então os eletrólitos foram conformados por spin-coating. A técnica de espectroscopia de impedância foi importante na identificação das fases presentes na cerâmica &beta;/&beta;\'\'-Al2O3 e no mecanismo de condução elétrica, ocorrendo condução no volume (grãos), havendo uma condução maior na fase &beta;-alumina. / In recent years has emerged a type of battery that has generated great interest for employment in stationary storage banks. Such technology is based on the use of a solid electrolyte &beta;/&beta;\'\'-Al2O3 that allows the transport of sodium ions between a positive and negative electrode. The solid electrolyte &beta;/&beta;\'\'-Al2O3 presents a differentiated crystalline structure that allows great mobility of the sodium ions. The main objective of this work is to obtain solid electrolyte &beta;/&beta;\'\'-Al2O3, using powders prepared by the process of mixing oxides and to evaluate the electric performance of the electrolytes with the deposition of films of the same substrate varying the concentration of solids present and to correlate their Conductivity with its porosity. The samples of &beta;/&beta;\'\'-Al2O3 were synthesized, with the formation of the desired phase occurring at temperatures above 1100°C. The relative levels of the &beta;/&beta;\'\'-Al2O3 phases were temperature dependent. Post calcined at higher temperatures undergoes sodium volatilization, the maximum obtained content of the phase during the process was 64%. Two-stage sintered samples at 1600°C for 20 minutes followed by heat treatment at 1475°C for 2 hours showed higher densification than sintered samples at one stage. Its microstructure underwent grain growth forming a duplex microstructure with grains in the form of elongated plates distributed in a fine grained matrix. From the formulation of aqueous suspensions of &beta;/&beta;\'\'-Al2O3 showed the alteration of the rheological behavior exhibited by suspensions of the ceramic powders as a function of the volume concentration of their substrate solids in: 15%, 20%, 30% and 40%, And then the electrolytes were formed by spin-coating. The impedance spectroscopy technique was important in the identification of the phases present in the ceramic &beta;/&beta;\'\'-Al2O3 and in the electrical conduction mechanism, occurring conduction in the volume (grains), with a higher conduction in the &beta;-alumina phase.

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1984 S83 / Master of Science

Context: Daptomycin is the only antibiotic available with in vitro bactericidal activity against vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). Its increased use has resulted in cases of decreased daptomycin efficacy. Recent in vitro studies have shown effective use of beta (beta)-lactam and daptomycin antibiotics, as a combination therapy, in the treatment of VRE. We describe a case of effective treatment in a patient with VRE infection using dual ampicillin and daptomycin therapy that shows bench-to-bedside application of the abovementioned finding. Case Report: A 76-year-old gentleman with a history of bilateral arthroplasty was admitted with a swollen left knee. Blood cultures were positive for Enterococcus faecium. Left knee joint aspiration showed leukocytosis and alpha defensins. Extensive imaging did not show any other source of infection. Culture sensitivity results showed multidrug-resistant enterococci sensitive to daptomycin. The patient was started on intravenous (IV) daptomycin. His left knee prosthesis was explanted and a spacer was placed. The patient continued to be bacteremic for 10 days after removing the knee prosthesis. The patient was trialed on combination IV ampicillin and daptomycin. His blood culture turned negative 2 days later. The patient was discharged home to continue 6 weeks of IV ampicillin and daptomycin. Conclusion: The exact mechanism of the daptomycin/ampicillin synergy effect is unclear. Current hypothesis suggests that ampicillin causes a reduction in the net positive charge of the bacterial surface, possibly by releasing lipoteichoic acid (LTA) from the cell wall. This process increases the ability of the cationic daptomycin/calcium complex to bind to the cell wall more effectively. Our case shows the clinical application of the same. A prospective randomized control trial to explore the effectiveness of dual antibiotic therapy in vivo is needed. If proven, daptomycin/-lactam can become a standard of care to treat VRE and decrease daptomycin nonsusceptibility.

Alzheimer-Demenz ist eine Erkrankung, die durch den demografischen Wandel immer mehr an Bedeutung gewinnt. Eine effektive und frühzeitige Diagnostik ist daher entschei-dend. Da die neuropsychiatrische Testung mit einer diagnostischen Unsicherheit von 10% bis 30% zu ungenau ist und auch erst bei Ausbruch der Symptomatik eine Alzheimer-Demenz diagnostiziert werden kann, wurde auf Parameter wie Beta-Amyloid zurückgegrif-fen. Beta-Amyloid stellt einen Hauptbestandteil der Alzheimer-Demenz Pathologie dar und ist bereits vor Ausbruch der Symptome nachweisbar. Da die visuelle Analyse, welche die Beta-Amyloid Hirn-PET-Daten auswertet, durch ihren hohen Zeitaufwand im Alltag nicht einsetzbar ist, wurden automatische Auswerteverfahren entwickelt. Das BRASS zeigt sich mit einer Sensitivität von 78,4% und einer Spezifität von 80,5% im Bezug zur visuellen Analyse als gut geeignet in der Differenzierung zwischen Probanden mit und ohne Anreicherung von Beta-Amyloid. Eine weitere Verbesserung der Ergebnisse ist durch eine ROC-Analyse im Bezug zu den histopathologischen Befunden vorstellbar, welches in Phase 3 der Studie überprüft wird. Innerhalb des BRASS sind bei der Testung einige Schwierigkeiten aufgetreten, die bei der Weiterentwicklung der Software berücksichtigt und verbessert werden müssen. Auch dadurch ist mit einer weiteren Erhöhung der Sensitivität und Spezifität zu rechnen, sodass der Einsatz des BRASS als ein Standardver-fahren in der Alzheimer-Demenz Diagnostik realistisch ist.