Suitability of Fruits and Vegetables for Provision of Daily Requirement of Dietary Fiber Targets

The risk factors associated with low dietary fiber intake and the synergy with its role in colon prebiotic activity has stimulated a re-awakening in the scientific research. Dietary fiber intake has reduced all over the world, and so it has been labelled as a major shortfall nutrient of important in public health. Changes in lifestyle and improved standard of living have affected the diet of consumers in so many ways. Observation of these facts have spurred a special interest in the search for functional foods that contains essential nutrients like dietary fiber whose nutritional value improves the health of the consumer, enhances their physical and mental state and prevent lifestyle diseases. Fruits and vegetables are a modest source of total dietary fiber with nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals, including polyphenols, which provide support for their biological plausibility and enhance their health benefits. This chapter therefore reviews existing literature on the utilization of fruits and vegetables as rich sources of fiber; their fiber concentration, their appropriateness in meeting the adequate fiber intake for daily consumption and their overlapping roles as a fiber source and as nutraceuticals.

An artificial neural network prediction on physical, mechanical, and thermal characteristics of giant reed fiber reinforced polyethylene terephthalate composite

Plant fiber reinforced hybrid polymer composites have had broad applications recently because of their lower cost advantages, lower weight, and biodegradable nature. The present work studies the influence of reinforcing giant reed fiber concentration in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) polymer for their physical, mechanical, and thermal characteristics and determines the optimum loading of giant reed fiber using an artificial neural network (ANN) scheme. Giant reed fiber reinforced PET matrix laminates were manufactured from compression molding with different fiber loadings such as 5 wt.%, 10 wt.%, and 20 wt.%. The mechanical characteristics such as tensile and flexural strength and the laminate’s tensile and flexural modulus were appraised and examined. The maximum value of tensile strength, flexural strength, tensile modulus, and flexural modulus were 5.4 MPa, 26 MPa, 8343 MPa, and 6300 MPa, respectively, for PET2 (10 wt.% of giant reed fiber in PET polymer) composite. Fiber pullout, gaps, and fracture behavior were examined from a scanning electron microscope in the microstructural analysis. A machine learning technique has been recommended to combine artificial intelligence while designing giant reed fiber reinforced polymeric laminates. Using the suggested method, an ANN model has been generated to attain the targeted giant reed fiber concentration for PET composite while gratifying the necessary targeted characteristics. The developed method is very effective and decreases the effort and time of material characterization for huge specimens. It will support the researchers in designing their forthcoming test efficiently.

A Review of 3-Nitrooxypropanol for Enteric Methane Mitigation from Ruminant Livestock

Methane (CH4) from enteric fermentation accounts for 3 to 5% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to climate change. Cost-effective strategies are needed to reduce feed energy losses as enteric CH4 while improving ruminant production efficiency. Mitigation strategies need to be environmentally friendly, easily adopted by producers and accepted by consumers. However, few sustainable CH4 mitigation approaches are available. Recent studies show that the chemically synthesized CH4 inhibitor 3-nitrooxypropanol is one of the most effective approaches for enteric CH4 abatement. 3-nitrooxypropanol specifically targets the methyl-coenzyme M reductase and inhibits the final catalytic step in methanogenesis in rumen archaea. Providing 3-nitrooxypropanol to dairy and beef cattle in research studies has consistently decreased enteric CH4 production by 30% on average, with reductions as high as 82% in some cases. Efficacy is positively related to 3-NOP dose and negatively affected by neutral detergent fiber concentration of the diet, with greater responses in dairy compared with beef cattle when compared at the same dose. This review collates the current literature on 3-nitrooxypropanol and examines the overall findings of meta-analyses and individual studies to provide a synthesis of science-based information on the use of 3-nitrooxypropanol for CH4 abatement. The intent is to help guide commercial adoption at the farm level in the future. There is a significant body of peer-reviewed scientific literature to indicate that 3-nitrooxypropanol is effective and safe when incorporated into total mixed rations, but further research is required to fully understand the long-term effects and the interactions with other CH4 mitigating compounds.

Measurements of Magnetic Fiber Dynamics in Magnetic Fields using Optical and Electrical Techniques

<p>The fabrication of piezoelectric ceramics (Piezoceramics) currently relies on a costly dice and fill process to create an array of aligned pillars. These pillars act as waveguides, improving the performance of the piezoceramic wafers over the bulk piezoceramic alone. It is theorised the creation of aligned pores in the piezoceramic may exhibit the same waveguiding effect, removing the need for the dice and fill process. A technique for creating these pores is in development at Callaghan Innovation, New Zealand, where nickel coated carbon fibers are added to the ceramic slurry, aligned with a magnetic field, and attracted to the bottom of a mold. The number of fibers and degree of alignment dictate the waveguiding effectiveness and hence the performance of the piezoceramic. Additionally the time taken for fibers to form an array in the bottom of the mold dictate the piezoceramics fabrication time. Thus it is crucial to be able to measure the alignment and magnetically assisted sedimentation of these fibers in-situ. However the ceramic slurry is opaque, hence the optical methods traditionally can not be implemented. This thesis describes the development and implementation of an electrical technique using the anisotropic conductance of fibers, for measuring fiber dynamics during the fabrication of piezoceramics. The results of this electrical technique are compared to both optical monitoring results in a transparent solution, and models for the motion of rigid cylinders in a fluid suspension. The change in conductance corresponding to fiber rotation was found to have a time constant corresponding to fiber rotation which is a scalar multiple of that of transmission microscopy and the mathematical modeling. This is a product of the geometry of the electrode configurations used to measure conductance. Furthermore, for fiber rotation, the fiber concentration in the solution changes the effective fluid viscosity due to hydrodynamic turbulence created by the rotating fibers. The conductance change corresponding to the magnetically assisted fiber settling is in good accordance with both the optical observations and mathematical modeling for 50 mPas solutions, however for 30 mPas solutions the modeling underestimates the settling time by 20%. The maximum fiber concentration to create a single layer of aligned fibers in the bottom of the mold was found to be 12 fibers=mm³. Exceeding this limit results in a secondary and tertiary layer of fibers forming directly below the fiber suspension injection location.</p>

Measurements of Magnetic Fiber Dynamics in Magnetic Fields using Optical and Electrical Techniques

<p>The fabrication of piezoelectric ceramics (Piezoceramics) currently relies on a costly dice and fill process to create an array of aligned pillars. These pillars act as waveguides, improving the performance of the piezoceramic wafers over the bulk piezoceramic alone. It is theorised the creation of aligned pores in the piezoceramic may exhibit the same waveguiding effect, removing the need for the dice and fill process. A technique for creating these pores is in development at Callaghan Innovation, New Zealand, where nickel coated carbon fibers are added to the ceramic slurry, aligned with a magnetic field, and attracted to the bottom of a mold. The number of fibers and degree of alignment dictate the waveguiding effectiveness and hence the performance of the piezoceramic. Additionally the time taken for fibers to form an array in the bottom of the mold dictate the piezoceramics fabrication time. Thus it is crucial to be able to measure the alignment and magnetically assisted sedimentation of these fibers in-situ. However the ceramic slurry is opaque, hence the optical methods traditionally can not be implemented. This thesis describes the development and implementation of an electrical technique using the anisotropic conductance of fibers, for measuring fiber dynamics during the fabrication of piezoceramics. The results of this electrical technique are compared to both optical monitoring results in a transparent solution, and models for the motion of rigid cylinders in a fluid suspension. The change in conductance corresponding to fiber rotation was found to have a time constant corresponding to fiber rotation which is a scalar multiple of that of transmission microscopy and the mathematical modeling. This is a product of the geometry of the electrode configurations used to measure conductance. Furthermore, for fiber rotation, the fiber concentration in the solution changes the effective fluid viscosity due to hydrodynamic turbulence created by the rotating fibers. The conductance change corresponding to the magnetically assisted fiber settling is in good accordance with both the optical observations and mathematical modeling for 50 mPas solutions, however for 30 mPas solutions the modeling underestimates the settling time by 20%. The maximum fiber concentration to create a single layer of aligned fibers in the bottom of the mold was found to be 12 fibers=mm³. Exceeding this limit results in a secondary and tertiary layer of fibers forming directly below the fiber suspension injection location.</p>

Experimental Investigation and Modelling of the Layered Concrete with Different Concentration of Short Fibers in the Layers

The use of steel fiber reinforced concrete (SFRC) in structures with high physical-mechanical characteristics allows engineers to reduce the weight and costs of the structures, to simplify the technology of their production, to reduce or completely eliminate the manual labor needed for reinforcement, at the same time increasing reliability and durability. Commonly accepted technology is exploiting randomly distributed in the concrete volume fibers with random each fiber orientation. In structural members subjected to bending, major loads are bearing fibers located close to outer member surfaces. The majority of fibers are slightly loaded. The aim of the present research is to create an SFRC construction with non-homogeneously distributed fibers. We prepared layered SFRC prismatic specimens. Each layer had different amount of short fibers. Specimens were tested by four point bending till the rupture. Material fracture process was modelled based on the single fiber pull-out test results. Modelling results were compared with the experimental curves for beams. Predictions generated by the model were validated by 4PBT of 100 × 100 × 400 mm prisms. Investigation had shown higher load-bearing capacity of layered concrete plates comparing with plate having homogeneously distributed the same amount of fibers. This mechanism is strongly dependent on fiber concentration. A high amount of fibers is leading to new failure mechanisms—pull-out of FRC blocks and decrease of load-bearing capacity. Fracture surface analysis was realized for broken prisms with the goal to analyze fracture process and to improve accuracy of the elaborated model. The general conclusion with regard to modelling results is that the agreement with experimental data is good, numeric modelling results successfully align with the experimental data. Modelling has indicated the existence of additional failure processes besides simple fiber pull-out, which could be expected when fiber concentration exceeds the critical value.

Effects of grazing intensity on forage nutritive value of dominant grass species in Borana rangelands of Southern Ethiopia

Background Forage nutritive value analysis is an essential indicator of rangeland status regarding degradation and livestock nutrient demand. Thus, it is used to maintain healthy and sustainable rangelands that can provide the livestock with sufficient quantity and quality of forage. This study is conducted with the aim of investigating the effects of grazing intensity combined with seasonal variation on the nutritive values of dominant grass species in the Teltele rangeland. Methods The studied area is classified into no-grazed, moderately grazed, and overgrazed plots based on the estimated potential carrying capacity. Sampling data is collected during both rainy and dry seasons. The collected forage samples are analyzed for concentrations of crude protein (CP), acid detergent organic fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent lignin (ADL), ash, dry matter digestibility (DMD), potential dry matter intake (DMI), and relative feed/forage value (RFV). Results The results show significant (P < 0.05) effects of both grazing intensity and season to grazing intensity interactions on all forage nutrient content concentrations across all grass species both within and between treatments. The recorded CP concentrations of all grass species are high in the overgrazed site and low at the no-grazed site, while the fiber concentration is high in NG and low in OG. RFV data also varies greatly, with high value recorded in OG in the rainy season and low value found in NG mainly during the dry season. As a result, it is recommended that moderate grazing should be practiced on the study site to maintain the quality and quantity of forage and to manage it in a sustainable manner.

PSX-B-10 Effect of undigested neutral detergent fiber concentration and forage inclusion rate on ruminal pH, reticular motility, and total tract permeability for finishing beef heifers

This study evaluated the effects of undigested neutral detergent fiber (uNDF) concentration and forage inclusion (FI) rate on dry matter (DM) intake, ruminal pH, reticular contractions, and gastrointestinal permeability for finishing beef cattle. Five ruminally cannulated Hereford′Simmental heifers (699±69.1 kg) were used in an incomplete 6×6 Latin square (26-d periods) with a 2×3 factorial treatment arrangement. Barley grain-based diets were formulated using barley silage or wheat straw to provide low or high uNDF (7.1 vs. 8.5% DM) with forage proportions of 5, 10, or 15% of dietary DM. Dry matter intake (P ≥ 0.10) and eating time (P ≥ 0.13) were not affected by uNDF, FI, or uNDF′FI. With low uNDF diets, increasing FI numerically (P = 0.02) increased rumination time (min/d); while, with high uNDF diets, rumination time increased with 5 to 10% FI, but not thereafter (P = 0.03). Mean ruminal pH was not affected by uNDF (6.17 vs. 6.19; P = 0.08), but increased with increasing FI (6.04b, 6.23a, and 6.28a; P = 0.02). Duration of ruminal pH &lt; 5.5 was not affected by uNDF but tended (P = 0.07) to be reduced with increasing FI. High uNDF diet tended to increase the frequency of reticular contractions (1.43 vs. 1.51 contractions/min; P = 0.07) but decreased the contraction duration (13.2 vs. 14.1 sec; P = 0.04). Increasing FI increased contraction frequency (1.39b, 1.50a, and 1.53a contractions/min; P = 0.03) and tended to reduce contraction duration as forage increased from 5 to 10 and 15% (14.3, 13.1, and 13.6 sec; P = 0.07). Feeding high uNDF decreased (P = 0.05) permeability of the gastrointestinal tract based on the appearance of Cr-EDTA in urine following an intra-ruminal dose. Increasing FI tended to reduce gastrointestinal tract permeability (P = 0.06). Limited interactions indicate that uNDF and FI act independently suggesting that increasing dietary uNDF, without increasing FI rate, can stimulate frequency of reticulo-ruminal contractions and reduce gastrointestinal permeability for finishing cattle.

Investigating the Mechanical Behavior of 3D Printed PLA-Coco Coir Composites

It is quite amazing that the use of 3D printing techniques, especially the Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) has delivered such significance in terms of cost reduction, time saver features where a different variety of thermoplastic and composite materials (Biodegradable and Non-biodegradable) are well developed. Different sectors have continually developed natural organic materials that are also both structurally composite in nature. Similarly, the use of different fibers that are abundantly accessible and considered as renewable resources which can be optionally combined with other biodegradable materials is a great challenge through the use of the FDM printing method. The study aims to determine the effect of different particle size and raster angle at a certain fiber concentration which could affect the mechanical properties of the composite by developing a printable composite filament made of Polylactic Acid (PLA) and Coco Coir materials using a filament maker and FDM printer. The composite filament was fabricated and optimized using a twin-screw extruder and 3D Devo Filament maker. 3D printing of samples for mechanical testing was conducted using three (3) raster angles (45o, 60o, and 75o) and various particle sizes of coco coir fiber reinforcement in the PLA matrix. Results showed that the < 74μm particle size of the coco-coir exhibited a 24% and 175% increase in tensile strength and izod impact strength compared to the pure PLA at 60o and 75o raster angles, respectively. Likewise, the reinforcement of <149μm particle size coco coir at 45o raster angle contributes to an increase of 4.8% flexural and 176% compressive strength compared to pure PLA. The study concludes that there is an improvement in the mechanical properties of the PLA-Coco Coir composite at a certain particle size and raster angle in 3D printing.

Seasonal patterns of forage quality in six native forb species

The forage value of native forbs is rarely considered in pasture mixtures, even though such species can make up a substantial proportion of the diet of cattle on native rangelands. Incorporating non-leguminous forbs into pasture grazing systems can provide additional ecosystem services such as pollination habitat, and ideally those forbs would also provide some forage value. We therefore assessed the seasonal variation in protein and fiber (NDF and ADF) content of six common Western Canadian native forb and sub-shrub species: yarrow (Achillea millefolium), smooth aster (Symphyotricum laeve), prairie crocus (Pulsatilla patens), prairie rose (Rosa arkansana), Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis), and American vetch (Vicia americana). The legume V. americana displayed the highest protein followed by S. canadensis and S. laeve. V. americana also has the highest fiber concentration through the growing season. S. canadensis and S. laeve had lower fiber content; thus, making them a good choice for addition in seed mixes to meet the energy and nutrient requirements of cattle. Forb protein and fiber content showed opposite trends during the growing season. Crude protein decreased while NDF and ADF increased as a general pattern tied to physiological stage and degree of senescence. The promising nutritional profile of some forb species suggests that these species should be considered in pasture mixes.