MAGRARIO: A NEW GENOTYPE TO PRODUCE QUALITY SHEEP MEAT

Generally there is poor tradition to produce and to commercialize heavy lean lamb carcasses. To achieve a better product for the ovine meat market Ideal (Polwarth) breed ewes were backcrossed to Texel breed rams (breed recognized to reduce carcass fat). Ideal breed (I) is one of the most ordinary breeds in Argentina. However, when their lambs are reared in feed-lot conditions, a high fat content is found in their lamb carcasses. After three generations of backcrosses followed by a breeding program for increase male lamb weaning weight and female fertility a new genotype was obtained for the local ovine meat production systems. This new genotype registered as Magrario (M) was obtained at Villarino Field Station of UNR (Zavalla, Santa Fe, 33º S, 61º W). It was verify that M produced more lean meat than I breed under feet lot conditions. M rams were introduced in flocks of Hampshire Down (HD) breed to evaluate lamb crosses with lean meat. Genotype M was compared under feed lot conditions with HD lambs during two months in the post weaning. Also crosses (MxHD), (MxI) and (IxHD) were evaluated in the same conditions. At the end of the experiment ultrasonic methods were used to evaluate fat depot on Longissimus dorsi. The (MxHD) showed a reduction of 20% respecting to HD. These results suggested that M genotype could be a useful paternal genotype to reduce fat depots when the aim is to produce lamb crosses under feed lot conditions in a short period of time. Key words: ovine, lean meat, feed lot, crossing.

Ultrasound Application in Physical Therapy of Dogs: Comparative Study

The application of ultrasonic methods in veterinary medicine, especially in the therapy of dogs, is the main objective of this study. We compared the frequency of therapeutic ultrasound using in rehabilitation as well as in microsurgical interventions of dogs in Slovakian and Hungarian veterinary practices. Regarding to the evaluation of survey realized in restricted regions, the ultrasound therapies and interventions are currently used in Slovakia less than in Hungary. Our study could start a change in this unfavourable aspect in Slovakian veterinary medicine and contribute to a better promotion of ultrasound application in the therapy of animals.

Application of Magnetic and Ultrasonic Methods for Determining Parameters of Ferromagnetic Components in Iron Ore Slurry Flows

The article considers the method for controlling the ferromagnetic component content in slurry flow by ultrasonic and magnetic measurements. One of the basic factors determining the efficiency of magnetic separators at iron ore concentration plants is the quality of distribution of the ground ore into the product containing the ferromagnetic component and the waste rock. Due to the fact that in most cases, magnetic separators extract minerals with strongly magnetic properties, it is essential to find the magnetic component content in the input ore and products of its distribution in order to improve control over the technological process. Currently, low accuracy and reliability make existing means of operative control over the ferromagnetic component content in the slurry flow inefficient. Density of slurry is one of the primary disturbing factors affecting the accuracy of measurements, and this fact determines the necessity of measuring this parameter while controlling the ferromagnetic component content. Combined methods of measurements are a promising trend in designing sensors of useful component content in the slurry flow. The article describes the method for controlling the ferromagnetic component content in slurry flow by ultrasonic and magnetic measurements.

Numerical investigations into Nonlinear Vibro-ultrasonics and Surface Vibration Comparison method for detection of defects in a composite laminate

This paper begins with a numerical study based on earlier experiments of nonlinear vibro-ultrasonic behaviour of a composite laminate with a delamination defect upon sinusoidal linear sweep signal excitation . A methodology to model laminates with cross-ply layup is presented which can be extended to any layup if desired. In comparison to experiments where it is challenging to visualize the fine details of vibrations, simulations make it easier to visualize and helps in optimizing the defect probing methods. The paper goes on to discuss with the help of numerical results that a separation gap between the delamination surfaces occurs to be a common cause for the failure of nonlinear vibro-ultrasonic methods to detect delamination defects. This constraint can often be overcome with application of higher excitation amplitudes as has been demonstrated in several experimental works. However in this study, a new approach named Surface vibration comparison method (SVCM) to probe delamination defects in the absence of contact acoustic nonlinearity is proposed as a proof-of-concept. The technique is then evaluated for detection of weak kissing bond defects in composite beam specimens. Both the experimental and simulation results show potential of the method as damage detection technique in thin composite structures.

Laboratory Study on Non-Destructive Evaluation of Polyethylene Liquid Storage Tanks by Thermographic and Ultrasonic Methods

High-density polyethylene (HDPE) above-ground storage tanks (AST) are used by highway agencies to store liquid deicing chemicals for the purpose of road maintenance in the winter. A sudden AST failure can cause significant economic and environmental impacts. While ASTs are routinely inspected to identify signs of aging and damage, current methods may not adequately capture all defects, particularly if they are subsurface or too small to be seen during visual inspection. Therefore, to improve the ability to identify potential durability issues with HDPE ASTs, additional non-destructive evaluation (NDE) techniques need to be considered and assessed for applicability. Specifically, this study investigates the efficiency of using infrared thermography (IRT) as a rapid method to simultaneously examine large areas of the tank exterior, which will be followed by closer inspections with conventional and phased array ultrasonic testing (UT) methods. Results show that IRT can help to detect defects that are shallow, specifically located within half of the tank’s wall thickness from the surface. UT has the ability to detect all defects at any depth. Moreover, phased array UT helps to identify stacked defects and characterize each defect more precisely than IRT.

Protective Effect of Various Extracts of Allium hirtifolium and Satureja khuzestanica Plants on AAPH-Induced Oxidative Hemolysis

Background: Allium hirtifolium and Satureja khuzestanica are the Iranian endemic plants and proper candidates for antioxidant studies. This study investigated the antioxidant, anti-hemolytic properties, and phytochemical composition in different extracts of A. hirtifolium and S. khuzestanica. Methods: Hydroalcoholic, methanolic, and n-hexane extracts of A. hirtifolium and S. khuzestanica plants were prepared using soaking and ultrasonic methods. Different plant extracts were evaluated for the presence of secondary metabolites using standard methods based on colorimetric analysis. The antioxidant properties of the compounds were measured by the ferric reducing ability of power (FRAP) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) methods. Finally, the anti-hemolytic effects of the extracts were investigated using the 2,2’-Azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH) methods. Results: Phytochemical analysis indicated the presence of flavonoids, phenolic acids, glycosides, steroids, and terpenoids in S. khuzestanica, as well as amino acid compounds, flavonoids, saponins, glycosides, and phenols in A. hirtifolium. FRAP assay showed that the methanolic extract of S. khuzestanica and the n-hexane extract of A. hirtifolium have the highest total antioxidant activity. The results of the DPPH assay also demonstrated that the minimum IC50 was related to the hydroalcoholic extract of S. khuzestanica (18.58 µg/mL) and the n-hexane extract of A. hirtifolium (87.95 µg/mL). In general, the extracts of both plants could reduce the percentage of AAPH-induced hemolysis while being significant only in some concentrations (P<0.001). Conclusion: Overall, A. hirtifolium and S. khuzestanica can be used as a herbal supplement in the human diet due to their anti-hemolytic effects.