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Steel refining in a continuous casting tundish using flow modifiers is a common practice in the steel industry given its positive effect on the removal of inclusions from the steel bath. In this work, the effect of replacing the turbulence inhibitor with dams and the effect of the teeming ladle and ladle shroud set misalignment on inclusion removal have been evaluated through physical model simulation. The effect on the residence time distribution and the refractory wear have also been investigated. It has been shown that for larger particles, the inclusion removal efficiency with turbulence inhibitor was not very different as compared with the dams. However, in the case of smaller particles, the inclusion removal efficiency was 7.15% greater than the case of dams in comparison with the inhibitor. The inlet asymmetry led to a drop in the removal efficiency of smaller inclusion particles. For increased inlet asymmetry, greater refractory wear of the weirs should be expected for configurations without turbulence inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to evaluate the addition of increasing cottonseed cake contents in the diet. The diets were composed of corn silage (500 g kg− 1) and concentrate feed (500 g kg− 1) on a dry matter (DM) basis. The treatments consisted of the substitution of 0, 140, 280, and 420 g kg− 1 soybean meal to cottonseed cake in the DM of concentrate feed. Four rams of the Santa Inês breed, average age of 12 months and average weight of 27.77 ± 3.87 kg, were distributed in a Latin square design (4 × 4) in a split-split-plot design, with diets in the plots and as subplots were 5 days of collection and the collection times. The results were subjected to analysis of variance and regression at 5% probability. The soybean meal substitution contents by cottonseed cake in the concentrate increased linearly the pH (P = 0.019). Ruminal ammonia–nitrogen concentration decreased linearly by 0.0137 mg dL− 1 at each 10 g/kg of substitution and the time after feeding promoted the same effect (P < 0.001) decreased linearly by 0.6204 mg dL− 1 at each hour after feeding. There was an increased linearly of 0.0116 mmol mL− 1 at the concentration of propionic (P = 0.008) and a reduction of 0.0062 mmol mL− 1 at the concentration of butyric (P = 0.009) with cottonseed cake content; however, the substitution did not influence the others short-chain fatty acids. Replacement of soybean meal with cottonseed cake in the sheep feed did not significantly alter the blood parameters, promoting minor changes in the ruminal parameters mainly in the ruminal ammonia–nitrogen without affecting the animal’s health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to evaluate the addition of increasing cottonseed cake contents in the diet. The diets were composed of corn silage (500 g kg−1) and concentrate feed (500 g kg−1) on a dry matter (DM) basis. The treatments consisted of the substitution of 0, 140, 280, and 420 g kg−1 soybean meal to cottonseed cake in the DM of concentrate feed. Four rams of the Santa Inês breed, average age of 12 months and average weight of 27.77 ± 3.87 kg, were distributed in a Latin square design (4 × 4) in a split-split-plot design, with diets in the plots and as subplots were 5 days of collection and the collection times. The results were subjected to analysis of variance and regression at 5% probability. The soybean meal substitution contents by cottonseed cake in the concentrate increased linearly the pH (P = 0.019). Ruminal ammonia–nitrogen concentration decreased linearly by 0.0137 mg dL−1 at each 10 g/kg of substitution and the time after feeding promoted the same effect (P < 0.001) decreased linearly by 0.6204 mg dL−1 at each hour after feeding. There was an increased linearly of 0.0116 mmol mL−1 at the concentration of propionic (P = 0.008) and a reduction of 0.0062 mmol mL−1 at the concentration of butyric (P = 0.009) with cottonseed cake content; however, the substitution did not influence the others short-chain fatty acids. Replacement of soybean meal with cottonseed cake in the sheep feed did not significantly alter the blood parameters, promoting minor changes in the ruminal parameters mainly in the ruminal ammonia–nitrogen without affecting the animal’s health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purposes: Demonstrate that transcranial ultrasonography (TUS) scanning is viable and useful as a diagnostic method in experimental hydrocephalus, as well as to compare measurements of cerebral and ventricular width obtained from TUS scans of hydrocephalic rats with post-mortem anatomical specimens, aiming for the development of accurate criteria to establish ventricular enlargement and progression of hydrocephalus subsequently. Methods: Thirty-five male Wistar rats were used. Following hydrocephalus induction, they underwent a transcranial ultrasound scan to measure cerebral and ventricular dimensions, in the fourth and 21 post-induction days. By the end of the experiments, measurements obtained from TUS scans were compared with actual values as seen in the post-mortem specimens of each animal. Results: Ventricular dilation could be clearly visualized in hydrocephalic animals. We performed intraclass correlation coefficient and linear regression analyses that have demonstrated a precise correlation between measurements of TUS scans and post-mortem specimens; we have found a similarity of 0,95 for the cerebral diameter and 0,97 for ventricular width. Conclusions: Transcranial ultrasonography is a useful and reliable diagnostic tool for experimental hydrocephalus; also, it can be used to assess the progression of ventriculomegaly in animal models of hydrocephalus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We investigated the possible beneficial effects that hyperbaric oxygen therapy could offer in different brain structures affected by ventriculomegaly in pup rats submitted to experimental hydrocephalus.Methods: Seven-day-old Wistar rats were submitted to hydrocephalus by intracisternal injection of 10% kaolin into the cisterna magna. The animals were divided into four groups: control (n = 5); control with HBOT (3ATA/2 h/day) (n = 5); untreated hydrocephalic (n = 10); hydrocephalic treated with HBOT (3ATA/2 h/day) (n = 10). The treatment with HBOT was performed daily for 14 days post-induction of hydrocephalus. To evaluate the response to treatment, behavioral tests (open field, Morris water maze, and activity monitor) were performed. After 14 days, the animals were euthanized, and the brain was removed for histological (hematoxylin-eosin and solochrome-cyanine) and immunohistochemical (GFAP and Ki-67) studies.Results: The hyperbaric treatment, although not causing changes in ventricular enlargement, resulted in a significant improvement in the behavioral performance (p = 0.0001), with greater agility and exploration of the environment, preservation of spatial memory, and greater learning capacity (p = 0.0001). Through the immunohistochemical study, the astrocytic activity (glial fibrillary acidic protein) in the corpus callosum (p = 0.0001) and in the germinative matrix (p = 0.0033) was significantly reduced as compared to that in the H group.Conclusion: The results suggest that hyperbaric treatment bettered the behavioral performance and offered benefits to the structures affected by the ventricular increase helping to recover the brain damages. In this way, the HBOT it can be considered an adjuvant therapy for the treatment of hydrocephalus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultures of adventitious roots of Stevia rebaudiana (Bert.) Bertoni were performed in a roller bottle system for the production of both primary and secondary metabolites. Adventitious roots were induced from 1-cm-long root tip explants derived from in vitro regenerated plantlets on solid Murashige and Skoog (MS 1962) media supplemented with 10.7 μM of α-naphthaleneacetic acid. These cultures were successfully maintained in the same medium for 6 months with regular subcultures after 4 weeks. Thereafter, the roots were cut into 1.0- to 1.5-cm-long segments and transferred to the roller bottle system containing a fresh root tissue culture on liquid MS medium supplemented with 10.7 μM NAA. The apparatus consisted of a flask rolling system adjusted to 4 g, and 3° of flask inclination. The roots were allowed to grow in the absence of light for adaptation and adventitious root formation. The best conditions for cultivation were investigated, considering culture volume (25 ml), culture period (4 weeks), salt concentrations in the nutrient medium (33%) and optimal initial inoculum (0.2 g) of S. rebaudiana roots. These results could give important information on how to improve the development of adventitious roots of S. rebaudiana for the production of primary and secondary metabolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]