Search results for: free flying birds
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 3816

Search results for: free flying birds

3726 Free Residual Chlorine and Bacteriological Contamination in Addis Ababa Water Supply System, Ethiopia

Authors: Aklilu Zeleke

Abstract:

A cross-sectional study was conducted in order to understand the effect of wet and dry seasons on the free residual chlorine and bacteriological contamination of the Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) water supply system. Water samples were taken at 30 selected distribution points and analyzed for Free Residual Chlorine and bacteriological analysis total coliforms and fecal coliform). It was found that some of the bacteriological data and Free Residual Chlorine levels are below the recommended values and beyond the maximum tolerable limits recommended by World Health Organization and Ethiopian National Standards. Water quality during the dry season is better than that of the wet season. There is a strong relationship between Free Residual Chlorine levels in drinking water and its bacteriological quality.

Keywords: addis ababa, wet season, dry season, free residual chlorine

Procedia PDF Downloads 78
3725 Influence of Canola Oil and Lysine Supplementation Diets on Growth Performance and Fatty Acid Composition of Meat in Broiler Chicks

Authors: Ali Kiani, Seyed Davod. Sharifi, Shokoufeh Ghazanfari

Abstract:

A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of diets containing different levels of lysine and canola oil on growth performance and fatty acid composition of meat of broilers chicks. 240-day old Ross broiler chicks were used in a 3×2 factorial arrangement with canola oil (1, 3, and 5%) and lysine (recommended, and 25% more than recommended by Ross broiler manual) in completely randomized design with four replicates and 10 birds per each. The experimental diets were iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenous. Feed intake and body weight gain were recorded at the end of starter (10 d), grower (24 d) and finisher (42 d) periods, and feed conversion ratio was calculated. The results showed that the weight gain of chickens fed diets containing 5% canola oil were greater than those of birds fed on other diets (P<0.05). The dietary lysine had significant effect on feed intake and diets with 25% more than recommended, increased feed intake significantly (P<0.05). The canola oil×lysine interaction effects on performance were not significant. Among all treatment birds, those fed diets containing 5% canola oil had the highest meristic acid and oleic acid content in their meat. Broilers fed diets containing 3 or 5% canola oil possessed the higher content of linolenic acid and lower content of arachidonic acid in their meat (P<0.05). The results of the present experiment indicated that the diets containing canola oil (5%) and lysine at 25% higher than requirement, improve the growth performance, carcass and breast yield of broiler, and increase the accumulation of Omega-3 fatty acids in breast meat.

Keywords: broiler, canola oil. lysine, fatty acid

Procedia PDF Downloads 293
3724 Estimation and Validation of Free Lime Analysis of Clinker by Quantitative Phase Analysis Using X ray diffraction

Authors: Suresh Palla, Kalpna Sharma, Gaurav Bhatnagar, S. K. Chaturvedi, B. N. Mohapatra

Abstract:

Determining the content of free lime is especially important to judge reactivity of the raw materials and clinker quality. The free lime limit isn’t the same for all cements; it depends on several factors, especially the temperature reached during the cooking and the grain size distribution in cement after grinding. Estimation of free lime by conventional method is influenced by the presence of portlandite and misleads the actual free lime content in the clinker for quality check up conditions. To ensure the product quality according to the standard specifications in terms of within the quality limits or not, a reliable, precise, and very reproducible method to quantify the relative phase abundances in the Portland Cement clinker and Portland Cements is to use X-ray diffraction (XRD) in combination with the Rietveld method. In the present study, a methodology was proposed using XRD to validate the obtained results of free lime by conventional method. The XRD and TG/DTA results confirm the presence of portlandite in the clinker to take the decision on the obtained free lime results through conventional method.

Keywords: free lime, quantitative phase analysis, conventional method, x ray diffraction

Procedia PDF Downloads 136
3723 Effect of Replacing Maize with Acha Offal in Broiler Chicken Diets on Performance, Haematology and Serum Biochemicals

Authors: Sudik S. D., Raymon J. B., Maidala A., Lawan A., Bagudu I. A.

Abstract:

An experiment was conducted with 240 Abor Acre broilers to determine the effect of replacing maize with acha offal (Digitaria exilis) on performance, haematology, and serum biochemical. Chicks were allotted to six diets (T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, and T6) with acha offal (AO) at 0.0%, 5.0%, 7.5%, 10.0%, 12.5% and 15.0% respectively as replacement of maize with 4 replicates consisting of 10 birds per replicate in a completely randomized design. They were allowed ad libitum accessed to feed and water throughout a 42 days experiment. The results showed that at the starter phase, only feed conversion ratio (FCR) was significantly affected (p < 0.05). Chicks fed T5 had best FCR more than those fed T1 while those fed T2, T3, T4, and T6 had similar FCR comparable with T1. At the finisher stage, final weight (FW), total weight change (TWC), average daily gain (ADG), and FCR were significantly affected (p < 0.05). Chickens fed T3, T4, T5, and T6 had similar FW, TWC, and ADG and higher than those fed T1; those fed T2 had similar FW, TWG, and DWG with T1. Chickens fed T6 had best FCR, followed by those fed T3, T4, and T5, while those T2 had worse FCR similar with those fed T1. Eviscerated weight was significantly affected (p < 0.05) by treatment. Birds fed T4, T5, and T6 had higher eviscerated weight followed by T3 while those fed T2 had least eviscerated weight comparable with those fed T1. The entire organs (Gizzard, heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, pancreas, and proventriculus) were not significantly affected (p > 0.05) by treatments. Packed cell volume (PCV) and red blood cell (RBC) were significantly (p < 0.05) affected by treatment. Birds fed T4, T5, and T6 had higher and similar PCV and RBC with those fed T1 while those fed T2 and T3 had lower PCV and RBC. The entire serum metabolites were not significantly affected (p > 0.05) by treatments. In conclusion, acha offal can replace maize in starter and finisher broilers’ diets at 12.5% and 15.0%, respectively, without an adverse effect.

Keywords: broiler, acha offal, maize, performance, eviscerated, haematology, serum

Procedia PDF Downloads 152
3722 Nest-Building Using Place Cells for Spatial Navigation in an Artificial Neural Network

Authors: Thomas E. Portegys

Abstract:

An animal behavior problem is presented in the form of a nest-building task that involves two cooperating virtual birds, a male and female. The female builds a nest into which she lays an egg. The male's job is to forage in a forest for food for both himself and the female. In addition, the male must fetch stones from a nearby desert for the female to use as nesting material. The task is completed when the nest is built, and an egg is laid in it. A goal-seeking neural network and a recurrent neural network were trained and tested with little success. The goal-seeking network was then enhanced with “place cells”, allowing the birds to spatially navigate the world, building the nest while keeping themselves fed. Place cells are neurons in the hippocampus that map space.

Keywords: artificial animal intelligence, artificial life, goal-seeking neural network, nest-building, place cells, spatial navigation

Procedia PDF Downloads 59
3721 Avian Esophagus: A Comparative Microscopic Study In Birds With Different Feeding Habits

Authors: M. P. S. Tomar, Himanshu R. Joshi, P. Jagapathi Ramayya, Rakhi Vaish, A. B. Shrivastav

Abstract:

The morphology of an organ system varies according to the feeding habit, habitat and nature of their life-style. This phenomenon is called adaptation. During evolution these morphological changes make the system species specific so the study on the differential characteristics of them makes the understanding regarding the morpho-physiological adaptation easier. Hence the present study was conducted on esophagus of pariah kite, median egret, goshawk, dove and duck. Esophagus in all birds was comprised of four layers viz. Tunica mucosa, Tunica submucosa, Tunica muscularis and Tunica adventitia. The mucosa of esophagus showed longitudinal folds thus the lumen was irregular. The epithelium was stratified squamous in all birds but in Median egret the cells were large and vacuolated. Among these species very thick epithelium was observed in goshawk and duck but keratinization was highest in dove. The stratum spongiosum was 7-8 layers thick in both Pariah kite and Goshawk. In all birds, the glands were alveolar mucous secreting type. In Median egret and Pariah kite, these were round or oval in shape and with or without lumen depending upon the functional status whereas in Goshawk the shape of the glands varied from spherical / oval to triangular with openings towards the lumen according to the functional activity and in dove these glands were oval in shape. The glands were numerous in number in egret while one or two in each fold in goshawk and less numerous in other three species. The core of the mucosal folds was occupied by the lamina propria and showed large number of collagen fibers and cellular infiltration in pariah kite, egret and dove where as in goshawk and duck, collagen and reticular fibers were fewer and cellular infiltration was lesser. Lamina muscularis was very thick in all species and it was comprised of longitudinally arranged smooth muscle fibers. In Median egret, it was in wavy pattern. Tunica submucosa was very thin in all species. Tunica muscularis was mostly comprised of circular smooth muscle bundles in all species but the longitudinal bundles were very few in number and not continuous. The tunica adventitia was comprised of loose connective tissue fibers containing collagen and elastic fibers with numerous small blood vessels in all species. Further, it was observed that the structure of esophagus in birds varies according to their feeding habits.

Keywords: dove, duck, egret, esophagus, goshawk, kite

Procedia PDF Downloads 438
3720 Growth Comparison and Intestinal Health in Broilers Fed Scent Leaf Meal (Ocimum gratissimum) and Synthetic Antibiotic

Authors: Adedoyin Akintunde Adedayo, Onilude Abiodun Anthony

Abstract:

The continuous usage of synthetic antibiotics in livestock production has led to the resistance of microbial pathogens. This has prompted research to find alternative sources. This study aims to compare the growth and intestinal health of broilers fed scent leaf meal (SLM) as an alternative to synthetic antibiotics. The study used a completely randomized design (CRD) with 300 one-week-old Arbor Acres broiler chicks. The chicks were divided into six treatments with five replicates of ten birds each. The feeding trial lasted 49 days, including a one-week acclimatization period. Commercial broiler diets were used. The diets included a negative control (no leaf meal or antibiotics), a positive control (0.10% oxy-tetracycline), and four diets with different levels of SLM (0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, and 2.0%). The supplementation of both oxy-tetracycline and SLM improved feed intake during the finisher phase. Birds fed SLM at a 1% inclusion level showed significantly (P<0.05) improved average body weight gain (ABWG), lowered feed-to-gain ratio, and cost per kilogram of weight gain compared to other diets. The mortality (2.0%) rate was significantly higher in the negative control group. White blood cell levels varied significantly (P<0.05) in birds fed SLM-supplemented diets, and the use of 2% SLM led to an increase in liver weight. However, welfare indices were not compromised.

Keywords: Arbor Acres, phyto-biotic, synthetic antibiotic, white blood cell, liver weight

Procedia PDF Downloads 74
3719 Formation Flying Design Applied for an Aurora Borealis Monitoring Mission

Authors: Thais Cardoso Franco, Caio Nahuel Sousa Fagonde, Willer Gomes dos Santos

Abstract:

Aurora Borealis is an optical phenomenon composed of luminous events observed in the night skies in the polar regions resulting from disturbances in the magnetosphere due to the impact of solar wind particles with the Earth's upper atmosphere, channeled by the Earth's magnetic field, which causes atmospheric molecules to become excited and emit electromagnetic spectrum, leading to the display of lights in the sky. However, there are still different implications of this phenomenon under study: high intensity auroras are often accompanied by geomagnetic storms that cause blackouts on Earth and impair the transmission of signals from the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). Auroras are also known to occur on other planets and exoplanets, so the activity is an indication of active space weather conditions that can aid in learning about the planetary environment. In order to improve understanding of the phenomenon, this research aims to design a satellite formation flying solution for collecting and transmitting data for monitoring aurora borealis in northern hemisphere, an approach that allows studying the event with multipoint data collection in a reduced time interval, in order to allow analysis from the beginning of the phenomenon until its decline. To this end, the ideal number of satellites, the spacing between them, as well as the ideal topology to be used will be analyzed. From an orbital study, approaches from different altitudes, eccentricities and inclinations will also be considered. Given that at large relative distances between satellites in formation, controllers tend to fail, a study on the efficiency of nonlinear adaptive control methods from the point of view of position maintenance and propellant consumption will be carried out. The main orbital perturbations considered in the simulation: non-homogeneity terrestrial, atmospheric drag, gravitational action of the Sun and the Moon, accelerations due to solar radiation pressure and relativistic effects.

Keywords: formation flying, nonlinear adaptive control method, aurora borealis, adaptive SDRE method

Procedia PDF Downloads 38
3718 Blood Profile, Organs, and Carcass Analysis and Performance of Broilers Fed Cowpea Testa Based Diet

Authors: O. J. Osunkeye, P. O. Fakolade, B. E. Olorede

Abstract:

Broilers productions depend on the provision of adequate and goo quality feed containing all the nutrients, including proteins, carbohydrate, fats, vitamins, minerals and water. All these nutrients have to be provided at a required amount to support maximum productivity and normal physiological functions and demands. Among these nutrients proteins are particularly important, since they are essential for meat and muscle production, optimum growth and health status. Poultry production industry in the developing countries is been threatened because of the over dependency on Soybean meal as one of the key/major conventional protein stuff for feeding livestock. Even the competition between man and livestock for Soybean and other protein sources made the price of this feed stuff to be on the increase. Hence the needs to seek for an alternative feed stuff which is cheap and less competitive. This study showed the blood profile, organ and carcass characteristics and performance of broilers fed with Cowpea Testa Meal (CTM) based diets. Four diets were formulated with Cowpea Testa replacing Soybean at 0%, 15%, 30%, and 50% graded levels. One hundred and twenty day-old unsexed broiler birds were allotted to these four treatments with 3 replicates of 10 birds per replicate. The results showed no significant differences in all the haematological parameters measured (P>0.05), the serum metabolites analysis revealed significant different in Cholesterol (99.8 mg/dl, 112.84 mg/dl, 131.07 mg/dl and 97.66 mg/dl respectively) (P<0.05) among others. There were significant differences within the diets for average daily weight gain, average feed intake and feed to gain ratio. The birds on control (0%) and CTM gained more weight than those fed with 30% and 50% CTM diets. The organs and carcass primal cuts of the broilers expressed significant different for the spleen (0.12 g, 0.09 g, 0.11 g and 0.14 g respectively), lungs (0.97 g, 0.72 g, 0.77 g and 1.01g respectively) and proventriculus (0.96 g, 0.99 g, 0.81 g and 0.85 g respectively) (P<0.05). For the carcass, there were no significant differences (P<0.05) in the breast, thigh, drumstick, wing and neck except for the Back (21.27 g, 21.04 g, 17.71 g, and 17.89 g respectively). In conclusion, CTM inclusion in broiler’s diet could be used as an alternative feed stuff in replacement of Soybean meal up to 15% without any adverse effects as revealed by the blood profile and to increase the growth performance of the birds.

Keywords: physiological functions, cholesterol, blood profiles, CTM and carcass analysis

Procedia PDF Downloads 613
3717 Readiness Analysis of Indonesian Accountants

Authors: Lisa Listiana

Abstract:

ASEAN leader agreed to accelerate ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) implementation by 2015. The AEC Blueprint has set up obligations for its members to follow which include the establishment of (a) free trade in goods, according to ASEAN Free Trade Area: AFTA, (b) free trade in services, according to ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services: AFAS, (c) free trade in investment, according to ASEAN Comprehensive Investment Agreement: ACIA, (d) free capital flow, and (e) free flow of skilled labors. Consequently, these obligations bring both challenges and opportunities for its members. As accountant is included in the coverage of 8 skilled labors, the readiness of accounting profession to embrace AEC 2015 is pivotal. If Indonesian accountants do not accelerate their learning effort, the knowledge gap between Indonesian accountants and their international colleagues will only be worsened. This paper aims to analyze the current progress of AEC preparation and its challenges and opportunities for Indonesian accountants, and also to propose recommendation as necessary.

Keywords: AEC, ASEAN, readiness, Indonesian accountants

Procedia PDF Downloads 436
3716 Effect of Supplemental Bacterial Phytase at Different Dietary Levels of Phosphorus on Tibial Bone Characteristics and Body Weight Gain in Broilers

Authors: Saqib Saleem Abdullah, Saima Masood, Hafsa Zaneb, Shela Gul Bokhari, Muti Ur Rehman, Jamil Akbar

Abstract:

A 5- weeks feeding trial was carried out to determine the effectiveness of Bacterial Phytase (Phyzyme®) in broilers, at different dietary levels of Phosphorous. 140 d-old broilers (Hubbard) were randomly divided into 4 groups (n=4). Birds were fed corn-based basal diet or the same diet supplemented with 3 different levels of non Phytate Phosphorous (NPP) (0.45 %, 0.30 % and 0.15 %). Furthermore, the diets were supplemented with bacterial Phytase. Birds were fed ad libitum and kept under thermo neutral conditions. The parameters studied were; body weight gain (BWG), tibial bone characteristics (TBC), serum Calcium (Ca), Phosphorus (P) and Alkaline Phosphatase (AP) levels and tibia ash percentage (TAP). BWG of the broilers was calculated at weekly interval and remaining parameters were calculated after slaughtering the birds at 35thday. Results suggested that Phytase supplementation at 0.30% NPP (Non Phytate Phosphorus + Bacterial Phytase) increased (P < 0.05) the BWG, bone length, bone weight, tibiotarsal index, medullary canal diameter and diaphysis diameter however, rubosticity index was reduced to minimum (P < 0.05) at this dietary level of phosphorous when compared with other groups. Maximum (P < 0.05) rubosticity index was observed in control group with 0% Phytase. Furthermore, Phytase addition at 0.30 % NPP also improved (P < 0.05) Ca, P and AP levels in the blood. Phytase supplementation at lower phosphorus level (0.30%NPP) improved BWG and TBC including bone density and bone quality in broilers hence it can be concluded that addition of Phytase at 0.30% NPP may prove beneficial for bone and overall performance in broilers.

Keywords: diaphysis diameter, phytase, rubosticity index, tibia

Procedia PDF Downloads 395
3715 Foraging Ecology and Diet of the Philippine Spotted Flying Lizard, Draco Spilopterus (Wiegmann, 1834), in Luzon Biogeographic Region

Authors: Michael A. Tabug, Arvin C. Diesmos

Abstract:

The foraging ecology of the Philippine endemic Draco spilopterus was studied through a combination of in-situ field observations and laboratory examinations of specimens of the species. A total of four populations of the species were studied across the Luzon Biogeographic Region between June 2017 and March 2019. Of the 59 lizards captured, gut contents of 54 individuals were studied. A total of 2933 food items were sorted into seven types, such as Formicidae (ants) (96%), Araneae (spiders) (0.034%), Coleoptera (beetles) (0.579%), Hemiptera (scale insects) (0.102%), Isoptera (termites) (2.796%), Lepidoptera (larvae) (0.307%), and Diplopoda (millipede) (0.102%). Diet analysis revealed that D. spilopterus fed mainly on insect arthropods and were dominated by ants (Formicidae). Of the four populations studied, lizards consumed a relatively high proportion of ants (96%), which strongly implies that D. spilopterus is a specialist predator and a sit-and-wait active forager. The observed feeding activities of D. spilopterus also show that it is diurnal forager and actively hunts for prey from 0830 hr to 1658 hr, with decreasing activity during midday. Draco spilopterus lizards were also observed to use a wide spectrum of perch heights while foraging, regardless of the dimension of trees.

Keywords: ant specialists, diet analysis, flying lizards, foraging ecology, Luzon Biogeographic Region

Procedia PDF Downloads 164
3714 Reduced Switch Count Asymmetrical Multilevel Inverter Topology

Authors: Voodi Kalandhar, Veera Reddy, Yuva Tejasree

Abstract:

Researchers have become interested in multilevel inverters (MLI) because of their potential for medium- and high-power applications. MLIs are becoming more popular as a result of their ability to generate higher voltage levels, minimal power losses, small size, and low price. These inverters used in high voltage and high-power applications because the stress on the switch is low. Even though many traditional topologies, such as the cascaded H-bridge MLI, the flying capacitor MLI, and the diode clamped MLI, exist, they all have some drawbacks. A complicated control system is needed for the flying capacitor MLI to balance the voltage across the capacitor and diode clamped MLI requires more no of diodes when no of levels increases. Even though the cascaded H-Bridge MLI is popular in terms of modularity and simple control, it requires more no of isolated DC source. Therefore, a topology with fewer devices has always been necessary for greater efficiency and reliability. A new single-phase MLI topology has been introduced to minimize the required switch count in the circuit and increase output levels. With 3 dc voltage sources, 8 switches, and 13 levels at the output, this new single- phase MLI topology was developed. To demonstrate the proposed converter's superiority over the other MLI topologies currently in use, a thorough analysis of the proposed topology will be conducted.

Keywords: DC-AC converter, multi-level inverter (MLI), diodes, H-bridge inverter, switches

Procedia PDF Downloads 82
3713 Development of Low Glycemic Gluten Free Bread from Barnyard Millet and Lentil Flour

Authors: Hemalatha Ganapathyswamy, Thirukkumar Subramani

Abstract:

Celiac disease is an autoimmune response to dietary wheat gluten. Gluten is the main structure forming protein in bread and hence developing gluten-free bread is a technological challenge. The study aims at using nonwheat flours like barnyard millet and lentil flour to replace wheat in bread formulations. Other characteristics of these grains, such as high protein, soluble fiber, mineral content and bioactive components make them attractive alternatives to traditional gluten-free ingredients in the production of high protein, gluten-free bread. The composite flour formulations for the development of gluten-free bread were optimized using lentil flour (50 to 70 g), barnyard millet flour (0 to 30 g) and corn flour (0 to 30 g) by means of response surface methodology with various independent variables for physical, sensorial and nutritional characteristics. The optimized composite flour which had a desirability value of 0.517, included lentil flour –62.94 g, barnyard millet flour– 24.34 g and corn flour– 12.72 g with overall acceptability score 8.00/9.00. The optimized gluten-free bread formulation had high protein (14.99g/100g) and fiber (1.95g/100g) content. The glycemic index of the gluten-free bread was 54.58 rendering it as low glycemic which enhances the functional benefit of the gluten-free bread. Since the standardised gluten-free bread from barnyard millet and lentil flour are high protein, and gluten-free with low glycemic index, the product would serve as an ideal therapeutic food in the management of both celiac disease and diabetes mellitus with better nutritional value.

Keywords: gluten free bread, lentil, low glycemic index, response surface methodology

Procedia PDF Downloads 188
3712 Essential Oil Blend Containing Capsaicin, Carvacrol, and Cinnamaldehyde in Broiler Production Performance and Intestinal Morphometrics

Authors: Marianne D. M. Rendon, Sonia P. Acda, Veneranda A. Magpantay, Norma N. Fajardo, Amado A. Angeles

Abstract:

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of supplementing broiler starter diet with different levels of an essential oil blend (EOB) containing capsaicin, carvacrol and cinnamaldehyde on the performance of broilers. A total of 300 day-old straight-run Cobb broiler chicks were randomly assigned to three treatments after 7-day group brooding following a completely randomized design (CRD). Birds assigned in treatment 1 were given starter basal diet while those in treatments 2 and 3 were given starter basal diet with 400 mg/kg antibiotic growth promoter (AGP) and 150 mg/kg EOB, respectively, until the 28th day. Basal finisher feed were given for all the treatments until harvest. Following 37 d feeding, body weight gain, feed consumption, feed efficiency, dressing percentage, livability and jejunal villi height were determined. Results showed no significant differences (P>0.05) in growth performance. However, villi height and crypt depth was significantly lower for birds fed EOB.

Keywords: broiler, capsaicin, carvacrol, cinnamaldehyde, essential oil

Procedia PDF Downloads 469
3711 Characteristic of Gluten-Free Products: Latvian Consumer Survey

Authors: Laila Ozola, Evita Straumite

Abstract:

Celiac disease is a permanent enteropathy caused by the ingestion of gluten, a protein occurring in wheat, rye and barley. The only way of the effective daily treatment is a strict gluten-free diet. From the investigation of products available in the local market, it was found that Latvian producers do not offer gluten-free products. The aim of this research was to study and analyze changes of celiac patient’s attitude to gluten-free product quality and availability in the Latvian market and purchasing habits. The survey was designed using website www.visidati.lv, and a questionnaire was sent to people suffering from celiac disease. The first time the respondents were asked to fill in the questionnaire in 2011, but now repeatedly from the beginning of September 2013 till the end of January 2014. The questionnaire was performed with 75 celiac patients, respondents were from all Latvian regions and they answered 16 questions. One of the most important questions was aimed to find out consumers’ opinion about quality of gluten-free products, consumption patterns of gluten-free products, and, moreover, their interest in products made in Latvia. Respondents were asked to name gluten-free products they mainly buy and give specific purchase locations, evaluate the quality of products and necessity for products produced in Latvia. The results of questionnaire show that the consumers are satisfied with the quality of gluten-free flour, flour blends, sweets and pasta, but are not satisfied with the quality of bread and confectionery available in the Latvian markets.

Keywords: consumers, gluten-free products, quality, survey

Procedia PDF Downloads 283
3710 Study of Bored Pile Retaining Wall Using Physical Modeling

Authors: Amin Eslami, Jafar Bolouri Bazaz

Abstract:

Excavation and retaining walls are of challenging issues in civil engineering. In this study, the behavior of one the important type of supporting systems called Contiguous Bored Pile (CBP) retaining wall is investigated using a physical model. Besides, a comparison is made between two modes of free end piles(soft bed) and fixed end piles (stiff bed). Also a back calculation of effective length (the real free length of pile) is done by measuring lateral deflection of piles in different stages of excavation in both a forementioned cases. Based on observed results, for the fixed end mode, the effective length to free length ratio (Leff/L0) is equal to unity in initial stages of excavation and less than 1 in its final stages in a decreasing manner. While this ratio for free end mode, remains constant during all stages of excavation and is always less than unity.

Keywords: contiguous bored pile wall, effective length, fixed end, free end, free length

Procedia PDF Downloads 399
3709 Effect of Dietary Inclusion of Moringa oleifera Leaf Meal on Blood Biochemical Changes and Lipid Profile of Vanaraja Chicken in Tropics

Authors: Kaushalendra Kumar, Abhishek Kumar, Chandra Moni, Sanjay Kumar, P. K. Singh, Ajeet Kumar

Abstract:

Present study investigated the dietary inclusion of Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM) on production efficiency, hemato-biochemical profile and economy of Vanaraja birds under tropical condition. Experiment was conducted for a period of 56 days on 300 Vanaraja birds randomly divided in to five different experimental groups including control of 60 birds each group replicated with 20 chicks in each replicate. T1, T2, T3, T4, and T5 were offered with 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20% Moringa oleifera leaf meal along with basal ration. All the standard managemental practices were followed during experimental period including vaccination schedule. Locally available Moringa oleifera leaves were harvested at mature stage and allowed to dry under shady and aerated conditions. Thereafter, dried leaves were milled to make a leaf meal and stored in the airtight nylon bags to avoid any possible contamination from foreign material and use for experiment. Production parameters were calculated based on the amount of feed consumed and weight gain every weeks. The body weight gain of T2 group was significantly (P < 0.05) higher side whereas T3 group was comparable with control. The feed conversion ratio for T2 group was found to be significantly (P < 0.05) lower than all other treatment groups, while none of the group was comparable with each other. At the end of the experiment blood samples were collected from birds for haematology study while serum biochemistry performed using spectrophotometer following statndard protocols. The haematological attributes were significantly (P > 0.05) not differed among the groups. However, serum biochemistry showed significant reduction (P < 0.05) of blood urea nitrogen, uric acid and creatinine level with higher level of MOLM diet, indicates better utilization of protein supplemented through MOLM. The total cholesterol and triglyceride level was declined significantly (P < 0.05) as compare to control group with increased level of MOLM in basal diet, decreasing trend of serum cholesterol noted. However, value of HDL for T3 group was highest and for T1 group was lowest but no significant difference (P < 0.05) found among the groups. It might be due to presence of β-sitosterol a bioactive compound present in MOLM which causes lowering of plasma concentration of LDL. During experiment total, LDL and VLDL level was found to be decreased significantly (P < 0.05) as compare to control group. It was observed that the production efficiency of birds significantly improved with 5% followed by 10% Moringa oleifera leaf meal among the treatment groups. However, the maximum profit per kg live weight was noted in 10 % level and least profit observed in 20% MOLM fed group. It was concluded that the dietary inclusion of MOLM improved overall performances without affecting metabolic status and effective in reducing cholesterol level reflects healthy chicken production for human consumption.

Keywords: hemato biochemistry, Moringa oleifera leaf meal, performance, Vanaraja birds

Procedia PDF Downloads 207
3708 Preliminary Result on the Impact of Anthropogenic Noise on Understory Bird Population in Primary Forest of Gaya Island

Authors: Emily A. Gilbert, Jephte Sompud, Andy R. Mojiol, Cynthia B. Sompud, Alim Biun

Abstract:

Gaya Island of Sabah is known for its wildlife and marine biodiversity. It has marks itself as one of the hot destinations of tourists from all around the world. Gaya Island tourism activities have contributed to Sabah’s economy revenue with the high number of tourists visiting the island. However, it has led to the increased anthropogenic noise derived from tourism activities. This may greatly interfere with the animals such as understory birds that rely on acoustic signals as a tool for communication. Many studies in other parts of the regions reveal that anthropogenic noise does decrease species richness of avian community. However, in Malaysia, published research regarding the impact of anthropogenic noise on the understory birds is still very lacking. This study was conducted in order to fill up this gap. This study aims to investigate the anthropogenic noise’s impact towards understory bird population. There were three sites within the Primary forest of Gaya Island that were chosen to sample the level of anthropogenic noise in relation to the understory bird population. Noise mapping method was used to measure the anthropogenic noise level and identify the zone with high anthropogenic noise level (> 60dB) and zone with low anthropogenic noise level (< 60dB) based on the standard threshold of noise level. The methods that were used for this study was solely mist netting and ring banding. This method was chosen as it can determine the diversity of the understory bird population in Gaya Island. The preliminary study was conducted from 15th to 26th April and 5th to 10th May 2015 whereby there were 2 mist nets that were set up at each of the zones within the selected site. The data was analyzed by using the descriptive analysis, presence and absence analysis, diversity indices and diversity t-test. Meanwhile, PAST software was used to analyze the obtain data. The results from this study present a total of 60 individuals that consisted of 12 species from 7 families of understory birds were recorded in three of the sites in Gaya Island. The Shannon-Wiener index shows that diversity of species in high anthropogenic noise zone and low anthropogenic noise zone were 1.573 and 2.009, respectively. However, the statistical analysis shows that there was no significant difference between these zones. Nevertheless, based on the presence and absence analysis, it shows that the species at the low anthropogenic noise zone was higher as compared to the high anthropogenic noise zone. Thus, this result indicates that there is an impact of anthropogenic noise on the population diversity of understory birds. There is still an urgent need to conduct an in-depth study by increasing the sample size in the selected sites in order to fully understand the impact of anthropogenic noise towards the understory birds population so that it can then be in cooperated into the wildlife management for a sustainable environment in Gaya Island.

Keywords: anthropogenic noise, biodiversity, Gaya Island, understory bird

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3707 Effects of Vitamin C and Spondias mombin Supplementation on Hematology, Growth, Egg Production Traits, and Eggshell Quality in Japanese Quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) in a Hot-Humid Tropics

Authors: B. O. Oyebanji, I. O. Dudusola, C. T. Ademola, S. A. Olaniyan

Abstract:

A 56 day study was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary inclusion of Spondias mombin on hematological, growth, egg parameters and egg shell quality of Japanese quails, Cortunix cortunix japonica. One hundred birds were used for this study, and they were allocated randomly into 5 groups and replicated twice. Group 1 animals served as control without inclusion of extract, groups 2, 3, and 4 had 200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg and 800 mg/kg inclusion of SM, group 5 had 600 mg/kg of vitamin C respectively. The birds were weighed weekly to determine weight change, the blood parameters analyzed at the completion of the experiment were PCV, Hb, RBC WBC, differential WBC count, MCH, MCH, and MCV were afterwards calculated from these parameters. 5 eggs were collected from each group and egg weight, eggshell weight, eggshell diameter, yolk weight, albumen weight, yolk diameter, yolk height, albumen percentage, yolk percentage and shell percentage were determined. There was no significant difference among the group for the hematological parameters measured and calculated. The egg weight and albumen weight of quails on 800 mg/kg was highest of all the groups, all other egg parameters measured showed no significant difference. The birds supplemented with Vitamin C had the highest weight gain (40.8±2.5 g) and the lowest feed conversion ratio (2.25). There was no mortality recorded in all the groups except in the SM800 group with 10% mortality. It can be concluded from this experiment that Vitamin C supplementation has positive effect on quail production in humid tropics and the inclusion of Spondias mombin leaf extract has a dose-dependent toxicity in quails.

Keywords: hematology, quails, Spondias mombin, vitamin C

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3706 Characterization of Shorebird Populations in the Algerian Coast

Authors: Imad Eddine Rezouani, Khalil Draidi, Badis bakhouche, Selman Anes Chabani

Abstract:

The Algerian coast is an important site for wintering and migratory birds. Four species of shorebirds were surveyed, including Kentish plover Charadrius alexandrinus, Little ringed plover Charadrius dubius, Common ringed plover Charadrius hiaticula, and black-winged stilt Himantopus hilarious in three different sites, two important wetlands: Reghaia lake and Macta and a small area Sublette promenade to provide a new data about time activity budget. The study found a higher frequency of abundance in April during the study period (February to May), with a mean of 49. Estimating the temporal activity budget of these coastal birds, it was found that there were three main activities in different proportions between males and females: Pecking (29.51 %) for males, (26.59%) for females, Looking above (28.01%) for males, (19.54 %) for females And Away (9.95%) for males, (11.75%), contrarily the two previous one. Differences between study areas revealed differences in species behavior and distribution.

Keywords: wetland, behavioral, algerian coast, shorebirds, time budget activity

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3705 Improving Physicochemical Properties of Milk Powder and Lactose-Free Milk Powder with the Prebiotic Carrier

Authors: Chanunya Fahwan, Supat Chaiyakul

Abstract:

A lactose-free diet is imperative for those with lactose intolerance and experiencing milk intolerance. This entails eliminating milk-based products, which may result in dietary and nutritional challenges and the main problems of Lactose hydrolyzed milk powder during production were the adhesion in the drying chamber and low-yield and low-quality powder. The use of lactose-free milk to produce lactose-free milk powder was studied here. Development of two milk powder formulas from cow's milk and lactose-free cow's milk by using a substitute for maltodextrin, Polydextrose (PDX), Resistant Starch (RS), Cellobiose (CB), and Resistant Maltodextrin (RMD) to improve quality and reduce the glycemic index from maltodextrin, which are carriers that were used in industry at three experimental levels 10%, 15% and 20% the properties of milk powder were studied such as color, moisture content, percentage yield (%yield) and solubility index. The experiment revealed that prebiotic carriers could replace maltodextrin and improve quality, such as solubility and percentage yield, and enriched nutrients, such as dietary fiber. CB, RMD, and PDX are three possible carriers, which are applied to both regular cow's milk formula and lactose-free cow milk.

Keywords: lactose-free milk powder, prebiotic carrier, co-particle, glycemic index

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3704 Conservation Importance of Independent Smallholdings in Safeguarding Biodiversity in Oil Palm Plantations

Authors: Arzyana Sunkar, Yanto Santosa

Abstract:

The expansions of independent smallholdings in Indonesia are feared to increase the negative ecological impacts of oil palm plantation on biodiversity. Hence, research is required to identify the conservation importance of independent smallholder oil palm plantations on biodiversity. This paper discussed the role of independent smallholdings in the conservation of biodiversity in oil palm plantations and to compare it with High Conservation Value Forest as a conservation standard of RSPO. The research was conducted from March to April 2016. Data on biodiversity were collected on 16 plantations and 8 private oil palm plantations in the Districts of Kampar, Pelalawan, Kuantan, Singingi and Siak of Riau Province, Indonesia. In addition, data on community environmental perceptions of both smallholder plantation and High Conservation Value (HCV) Forest were also collected. Species that were observed were birds and earthworms. Data on birds were collected using transect method, while identification of earthworm was determine by taking some soil samples and counting the number of individual earthworm found for each worm species. The research used direct interview with oil palm owners and community members, as well as direct observation to examine the environmental conditions of each plantation. In general, field observation and measurement have found that birds species richness was higher in the forested HCV Forest. Nevertheless, if compared to non-forested HCV, bird’s species richness was higher in the independent smallholdings. On the other hand, different results were observed for earthworm, where the density was higher in the independent smallholdings than in the HCV. It can be concluded from this research that managing independent smallholder oil palm plantations and forested HCV forest could enhance biodiversity conservation. The results of this study justified the importance of retaining forested area to safeguard biodiversity in oil palm plantation.

Keywords: biodiversity conservation, high conservation value forest, independent smallholdings, oil palm plantations

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3703 Experimental Measurements for the Effect of Dilution Procedure in Blood Esterases as Animals Biomarker for Exposure to Organophosphate Compounds

Authors: Kasim Sakran Abass

Abstract:

This main aim of this study was to confirm and extend our current knowledge about the effects of dilutions on esterases activities in the blood for birds with respect to protecting the enzyme from organophosphate inhibition. There were significantly higher esterases activities in dilution 1:10 in all blood samples from quail, duck, and chick compared to other dilutions (1:5, 1:15, 1:20, and 1:25). Furthermore, our results also pointed to the importance of estimating different dilutions effects prior to using in birds as biomarker tools of environmental exposure. Concentration–inhibition curves were determined for the inhibitor in the presence of dilutions 1:5, 1:10 plus 1:15 (to stimulate carboxylesterase). Point estimates (concentrations calculated to produce 20, 50, and 80% inhibition) were compared across conditions and served as a measure of esterase-mediated detoxification. Among the thiol esters (dilution 1:5) was observed to have the highest specificity constant (kcat/Km), and the Km and kcat values were 176 μM and 16,765 s−1, respectively for S-phenyl thioacetate ester, while detected in (dilution 1:15) the lowest specificity constant (kcat/Km), and the Km and kcat values were 943 μM and 1154 s−1, respectively for acetylthiocholine iodide ester.

Keywords: esterase, animal, dilution, pesticides

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3702 Flight Safety Hazard: An Investigation into Bird Strike Prevention in the Vicinity of Suvarnabhumi Airport, Thailand

Authors: Chantarat Manvichien

Abstract:

The purpose of this research paper was aimed to examine the bird strike prevention in the vicinity of Suvarnabhumi Airport, Thailand. A bird strike event occurs when a bird or a flock of birds collide with an operating airplane and results in flight interruption. This is the reason why International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a part of the United Nations, has an assumption that birds, including other wildlife, are a serious hazard to aircraft and attempts should be accomplished to overcome this hazard. ICAO requires all airports worldwide to set up proactive countermeasures in order to reduce the risk from bird strike and wildlife hazard. In Thailand, the Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited which manages Suvarnabhumi Airport, also known as Bangkok International Airport, responds to the requirements and spends a lot of effort to ensure this hazard is manageable. An intensive study on the countermeasures to prevent aircraft accident from bird strike and other wildlife have been continuously executed since the early construction of the Airport until nowadays.

Keywords: bird strike, flight safety, wildlife hazard, Suvarnabhumi airport

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3701 Effect of Electron Beam Irradiated Cottonseed Meal on Carcass and Blood Parameters of Broiler Chickens

Authors: Somayyeh Salari, Marziyeh Nayefi, Mohsen Sari, Mehdi Behgar

Abstract:

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of electron beam- irradiated cottonseed meal at a dose of 30 KGy on carcass characteristics and some blood parameters of broiler chicks. Various levels of cottonseed meal (CSM) (0, 12, and 24%, radiation and no radiation) were used with 5 dietary treatments, 4 replicates and 10 birds of each for 42 days in completely randomized design. At 42 d of age, two birds per pen were randomly selected for determination of carcass characteristics and blood parameters. Relative weights of liver, gastrointestinal tract (GI), pancreatic, gizzard and abdominal fat were increased with increasing levels of CSM in the diet (p<0/05). Glucose, cholesterol, HDL, triglyceride, and phosphorous concentrations increased and LDL concentration decreased as the dietary CSM levels increased (p<0/05). But radiation had not significant effect on blood parameters. Electron irradiation seems to be a good procedure to improve the nutritional quality of CSM but it seems higher dose of it was needed to improve blood parameters of chickens.

Keywords: blood parameters, carcass characteristics, cottonseed meal, electron beam

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3700 Parasitological Tracking of Wild Passerines in Group for the Rehabilitation of Native Fauna and Its Habitat

Authors: Catarina Ferreira Rebelo, Luis Madeira de Carvalho, Fernando González González

Abstract:

The order Passeridae corresponds to the richest and most abundant group of birds, with approximately 6500 species, making it possible to assert that two out of every three bird species are passerines. They are globally distributed and exhibit remarkable morphological and ecological variability. While numerous species of parasites have been identified and described in wild birds, there has been little focus on passeriformes. Seventeen passerines admitted to GREFA, a Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, throughout the months of October, November and December 2022 were analyzed. The species included Aegithalos caudatus, Anthus pratensis, Carduelis chloris, Certhia brachydactyla, Erithacus rubecula, Fringilla coelebs, Parus ater, Passer domesticus, Sturnus unicolor, Sylvia atricapilla, Turdus merula and Turdus philomelos. Data regarding past history was collected, and necropsies were conducted to identify the cause of death and body condition and determine the presence of parasites. Additionally, samples of intestinal content were collected for direct/fecal smear, flotation and sedimentation techniques. Sixteen (94.1%) passerines were considered positive for the presence of parasitic forms in at least one of the techniques used, including parasites detected in necropsy. Adult specimens of both sexes and tritonymphs of Monojoubertia microhylla and ectoparasites of the genus Ornithonyssus were identified. Macroscopic adult endoparasitic forms were also found during necropsies, including Diplotriaena sp., Serratospiculum sp. and Porrocaecum sp.. Parasitism by coccidia was observed with no sporulation. Additionally, eggs of nematodes from various genera were detected, such as Diplotriaena sp., Capillaria sp., Porrocaecum sp., Syngamus sp. and Strongyloides sp., eggs of trematodes, specifically the genus Brachylecithum and cestode oncospheres, whose genera were not identified. To our knowledge, the respiratory nematode Serratospiculum sp. found in this study is being reported for the first time in passerines in the Iberian Peninsula, along with the application of common coprological techniques for the identification of eggs in the intestinal content. The majority of parasites identified utilize intermediary hosts present in the diet of the passerines sampled. Furthermore, the discovery of certain parasites with a direct life cycle could potentially exert greater influence, particularly in specific scenarios such as within nests or during the rehabilitation process in wildlife centers. These parasites may impact intraspecific competition, increase susceptibility to predators or lead to death. However, their cost to wild birds is often not clear, as individuals can endure various parasites without significant harm. Furthermore, wild birds serve as important sources of parasites across different animal groups, including humans and other mammals. This study provides invaluable insights into the parasitic fauna of these birds, not only serving as a cornerstone for future epidemiological investigations but also enhancing our comprehension of these avian species.

Keywords: birds, parasites, passerines, wild, spain

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3699 Profit-Based Artificial Neural Network (ANN) Trained by Migrating Birds Optimization: A Case Study in Credit Card Fraud Detection

Authors: Ashkan Zakaryazad, Ekrem Duman

Abstract:

A typical classification technique ranks the instances in a data set according to the likelihood of belonging to one (positive) class. A credit card (CC) fraud detection model ranks the transactions in terms of probability of being fraud. In fact, this approach is often criticized, because firms do not care about fraud probability but about the profitability or costliness of detecting a fraudulent transaction. The key contribution in this study is to focus on the profit maximization in the model building step. The artificial neural network proposed in this study works based on profit maximization instead of minimizing the error of prediction. Moreover, some studies have shown that the back propagation algorithm, similar to other gradient–based algorithms, usually gets trapped in local optima and swarm-based algorithms are more successful in this respect. In this study, we train our profit maximization ANN using the Migrating Birds optimization (MBO) which is introduced to literature recently.

Keywords: neural network, profit-based neural network, sum of squared errors (SSE), MBO, gradient descent

Procedia PDF Downloads 475
3698 Response to Comprehensive Stress of Growing Greylag Geese Offered Alternative Fiber Sources

Authors: He Li Wen, Meng Qing Xiang, Li De Yong, Zhang Ya Wei, Ren Li Ping

Abstract:

Stress always exerts some extent adverse effects on the animal production, food safety and quality concerns. Stress is commonly-seen in livestock industry, but there is rare literature focusing on the effects of nutrition stress. What’s more, the research always concentrates on the effect of single stress additionally, there is scarce information about the stress effect on waterfowl like goose as they are commonly thought to be tolerant to stress. To our knowledge, it is not always true. The object of this study was to evaluate the response of growing Greylag geese offered different fiber sources to the comprehensive stress, primarily involving the procedures of fasting, transport, capture, etc. The birds were randomly selected to rear with the diets differing in fiber source, being corn straw silage (CSS), steam-exploded corn straw (SECS), steam-exploded wheat straw (SEWS), and steam-exploded rice straw (SERS), respectively. Blood samples designated for the determination of stress status were collected before (pre-stress ) and after (post-stress ) the stressors carried out. No difference (P>0.05) was found on the pre-stress blood parameters of growing Greylags fed alternative fiber sources. Irrespective of the dietary differences, the comprehensive stress decreased (P<0.01) the concentration of SOD and increased (P<0.01) that of CK. Between the dietary treatments, the birds fed CSS had a higher (P<0.05)post-stress concentration of MDA than those offered SECS, along with a similarity to those fed the other two fiber sources. There was no difference (P>0.05) found on the stress response of the birds fed different fiber sources. In conclusion, SOD and CK concentration in blood may be more sensitive in indicating stress status and dietary fiber source exerted no effect on the stress response of growing Greylags. There is little chance to improve the stress status by ingesting different fiber sources.

Keywords: blood parameter, fiber source, Greylag goose, stress

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3697 Numerical and Sensitivity Analysis of Modeling the Newcastle Disease Dynamics

Authors: Nurudeen Oluwasola Lasisi

Abstract:

Newcastle disease is a highly contagious disease of birds caused by a para-myxo virus. In this paper, we presented Novel quarantine-adjusted incident and linear incident of Newcastle disease model equations. We considered the dynamics of transmission and control of Newcastle disease. The existence and uniqueness of the solutions were obtained. The existence of disease-free points was shown, and the model threshold parameter was examined using the next-generation operator method. The sensitivity analysis was carried out in order to identify the most sensitive parameters of the disease transmission. This revealed that as parameters β,ω, and ᴧ increase while keeping other parameters constant, the effective reproduction number R_ev increases. This implies that the parameters increase the endemicity of the infection of individuals. More so, when the parameters μ,ε,γ,δ_1, and α increase, while keeping other parameters constant, the effective reproduction number R_ev decreases. This implies the parameters decrease the endemicity of the infection as they have negative indices. Analytical results were numerically verified by the Differential Transformation Method (DTM) and quantitative views of the model equations were showcased. We established that as contact rate (β) increases, the effective reproduction number R_ev increases, as the effectiveness of drug usage increases, the R_ev decreases and as the quarantined individual decreases, the R_ev decreases. The results of the simulations showed that the infected individual increases when the susceptible person approaches zero, also the vaccination individual increases when the infected individual decreases and simultaneously increases the recovery individual.

Keywords: disease-free equilibrium, effective reproduction number, endemicity, Newcastle disease model, numerical, Sensitivity analysis

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