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Eight Holstein steers (216±48 kg body weight) fitted with ruminal and duodenal cannulas were used to evaluate effects of wheat straw processing (ground vs pelleted) at two straw inclusion rates (7% and 14%; dry matter basis) in dry rolled or steam-flaked corn-based finishing diets on characteristics of digestion. The experimental design was a split plot consisting of two simultaneous 4×4 Latin squares. Increasing straw level reduced ruminal (p<0.01) and total tract (p = 0.03) organic matter (OM) digestion. As expected, increasing wheat straw level from 7% to 14% decreased (p<0.05) ruminal and total tract digestion of OM. Digestion of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and starch, per se, were not affected (p>0.10) by wheat straw level. Likewise, straw level did not influence ruminal acetate and propionate molar proportions or estimated methane production (p>0.10). Pelleting straw did not affect (p≥0.48) ruminal digestion of OM, NDF, and starch, or microbial efficiency. Ruminal feed N digestion was greater (7.4%; p = 0.02) for ground than for pelleted wheat straw diets. Although ruminal starch digestion was not affected by straw processing, post-ruminal (p<0.01), and total-tract starch (p = 0.05) digestion were greater for ground than for pelleted wheat straw diets, resulting in a tendency for increased post-ruminal (p = 0.06) and total tract (p = 0.07) OM digestion. Pelleting wheat straw decreased (p<0.01) ruminal pH, although ruminal volatile fatty acids (VFA) concentration and estimated methane were not affected (p≥0.27). Ruminal digestion of OM and starch, and post-ruminal and total tract digestion of OM, starch and N were greater (p<0.01) for steam-flaked than for dry rolled corn-based diets. Ruminal NDF digestion was greater (p = 0.02) for dry rolled than for steam-flaked corn, although total tract NDF digestion was unaffected (p = 0.94). Ruminal microbial efficiency and ruminal degradation of feed N were not affected (p>0.14) by corn process

Eight Holstein steers (216±48 kg body weight) fitted with ruminal and duodenal cannulas were used to evaluate effects of wheat straw processing (ground vs pelleted) at two straw inclusion rates (7% and 14%; dry matter basis) in dry rolled or steam-flaked corn-based finishing diets on characteristics of digestion. The experimental design was a split plot consisting of two simultaneous 4×4 Latin squares. Increasing straw level reduced ruminal (p<0.01) and total tract (p = 0.03) organic matter (OM) digestion. As expected, increasing wheat straw level from 7% to 14% decreased (p<0.05) ruminal and total tract digestion of OM. Digestion of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and starch, per se, were not affected (p>0.10) by wheat straw level. Likewise, straw level did not influence ruminal acetate and propionate molar proportions or estimated methane production (p>0.10). Pelleting straw did not affect (p≥0.48) ruminal digestion of OM, NDF, and starch, or microbial efficiency. Ruminal feed N digestion was greater (7.4%; p = 0.02) for ground than for pelleted wheat straw diets. Although ruminal starch digestion was not affected by straw processing, post-ruminal (p<0.01), and total-tract starch (p = 0.05) digestion were greater for ground than for pelleted wheat straw diets, resulting in a tendency for increased post-ruminal (p = 0.06) and total tract (p = 0.07) OM digestion. Pelleting wheat straw decreased (p<0.01) ruminal pH, although ruminal volatile fatty acids (VFA) concentration and estimated methane were not affected (p≥0.27). Ruminal digestion of OM and starch, and post-ruminal and total tract digestion of OM, starch and N were greater (p<0.01) for steam-flaked than for dry rolled corn-based diets. Ruminal NDF digestion was greater (p = 0.02) for dry rolled than for steam-flaked corn, although total tract NDF digestion was unaffected (p = 0.94). Ruminal microbial efficiency and ruminal degradation of feed N were not affected (p>0.14) by corn process

The use of personal computers and Internet at home is becoming more and more common in some developing countries such as Mexico, where affordable prices and credit plans have contributed to this trend. Undoubtedly, the presence of information technology in the households has effects in the life of families and their communities; however how beneficial these effects are depends on the way technology is contextualized to support domestic and community practices. Achieving a proper contextualization is the goal of what we call habitat computing. This paper presents the case of Real del Sol, a housing community in Mexico where an implementation of habitat computing is being developed. Houses are built with Internet access and personal computers as part of their basic infrastructure. We analyze here the role, usage and development of the Real del Sol community intranet, which is a key element on supporting the vision of the project. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2007.

The use of personal computers and Internet at home is becoming more and more common in some developing countries such as Mexico, where affordable prices and credit plans have contributed to this trend. Undoubtedly, the presence of information technology in the households has effects in the life of families and their communities; however how beneficial these effects are depends on the way technology is contextualized to support domestic and community practices. Achieving a proper contextualization is the goal of what we call habitat computing. This paper presents the case of Real del Sol, a housing community in Mexico where an implementation of habitat computing is being developed. Houses are built with Internet access and personal computers as part of their basic infrastructure. We analyze here the role, usage and development of the Real del Sol community intranet, which is a key element on supporting the vision of the project. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2007.

This paper presents a discussion of design considerations for community web portals as social networking systems. We analyse and compare the social interaction approach, design considerations and socio-technical requirements with regards to community portal technology employed in two master-planned urban developments in Australia and Mexico. We focus on how the human and social concepts and local contextualisations affect technology design and use. In response to our analysis, and to face the challenge of designing for variability and diversity, we present the communicative ecology model as a conceptual tool to help researchers and designers grasp the situated context and purpose of these systems in order to inform the design and development of better community technology.

This paper presents a discussion of design considerations for community web portals as social networking systems. We analyse and compare the social interaction approach, design considerations and socio-technical requirements with regards to community portal technology employed in two master-planned urban developments in Australia and Mexico. We focus on how the human and social concepts and local contextualisations affect technology design and use. In response to our analysis, and to face the challenge of designing for variability and diversity, we present the communicative ecology model as a conceptual tool to help researchers and designers grasp the situated context and purpose of these systems in order to inform the design and development of better community technology.