ABSTRACT The possibility of using mushroom (Flammulina velutipes) stem waste (FVW) in layer diets was explored in this study. A total of 180, 40-week-old ISA Brown laying hens were randomly assigned to 5 groups, with 6 replications of 6 birds for each group. Layers were fed a standard basal diet as control; antibiotic (0.05% flavomycin); 2% FVW; 4%FVW; and 6% FVW. No significant differences (p>0.05) were observed on hen daily egg production, egg weight, egg mass, unmarketable eggs, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, and live weight among experimental groups. Haugh unit was found higher (p<0.05) in FVW fed groups than in antibiotic fed groups. Shape index, shell weight, shell thickness, yolk weight, yolk index, yolk weight and albumen weight were not affected (p>0.05) by feeding FVW in this study. Yolk color was found higher (p<0.05) in FVW fed groups than in control and antibiotic groups. The shell color was higher (p<0.05) both in 4% FVW and 6% FVW fed groups than in control and antibiotic groups. Calcium retention and calcium in egg shell deposition were higher (p<0.05) both in 4% FVW and 6% FVW fed groups than in control and antibiotic groups respectively. Apparent nutrient retention for dry matter, crude protein, crude fat, and organic matter were higher (p<0.05) in FVW fed groups than in control and antibiotic groups. FVW at 6% level in layer ration can be used for organic eggs production which would be safe and sound for human consumption.

After detonation of the explosive, the final blast-induced damage area around the blast-hole falls into three categories, namely crushed zone, fractured zone, and elastic deformation zone. This paper presents a modified model to calculate the size of crushed zone around a blast-hole in drill-and-blast, with the hoop compressive stress and cavity expansion effect taken into account. The material in the crushed zone was assumed to be a granular medium without cohesion, but with internal friction. On this basis, the formula for crushing zone radius was derived. The proposed approach was verified with tests reported in the literature and the simulated results from SPH-FEM coupled models. A full statistical analysis was also carried out, and the predicted values were found to be in better agreement with the test results compared with other models. A sensitivity analysis of the modified model showed that the size of the blast-induced damage area is mainly affected by the following factors: rock mass properties, in situ stress, and borehole pressure. In particular, the roles of borehole pressure and in situ stress are discussed. Finally, suggestions are made on how the size of the crushing zones can be decreased.

ABSTRACT This study is a family survey based on a typical patient with seborrhoeic keratosis (SK). Family members comprised 47 people of four generations, including 22 affected members (12 males and 10 females). The 17 people of the fourth generation were aged less than 26 years old. The proband in this study had typical clinical manifestations and pathology of SK, and all affected members of the family had characteristic skin rash that was easy to be identified. The pattern is consistent with autosomal dominant inheritance and SK is indicated to have a certain age onset.

RESUMEN Este estudio es una encuesta familiar basada en un paciente típico con queratosis seborreica (QS). Los miembros de la familia comprendían 47 personas de cuatro generaciones, incluyendo a 22 miembros afectados (12 varones y 10 hembras). Las 17 personas de la cuarta generación tenían menos de 26 años de edad. El probando (caso índice) en este estudio tenía manifestaciones clínicas típicas y patología de QS, y todos los miembros afectados de la familia presentaban la erupción de la piel característica, fácil de identificar. El patrón concuerda con la herencia autosómica dominante, y se indica que QS tiene su inicio a una cierta edad.

Pot experiments were performed to investigate the responses of nitrogen metabolism to copper stress in Luffa cylindrica roots. Four treatments were used, in which varying copper concentrations (25, 50, 75 and 100 µM ) were added to MS medium. The fresh weights of the roots decreased gradually with the increasing copper concentrations. At the lower concentrations, the ammonium and nitrite levels increased compared with the control, but the nitrate concentrations significantly decreased with 75 and 100 µM copper. Compared with the control, nitrate reductase activity levels gradually increased with increasing copper concentrations of up to 50 µM, and nitrite reductase activity levels significantly decreased. Copper stress led to variable increases in the activities of glutamine synthetase and glutamate synthase compared with the controls. The NADH- glutamate dehydrogenase (NADH-GDH) and NAD-glutamate dehydrogenase (NAD-GDH) activities were affected by the copper treatments, but that of NAD-GDH was significantly reduced by 100 µM copper. The activities of alanine aminotransferase (AlaAT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AspAT) showed varying changes following the copper treatments. The present results indicate that Luffa cylindrica shows altered activities of enzymes associated with nitrogen metabolism during copper stress, enabling it to monitor and adapt to changes in its N status and supply, thereby minimizing the harmful effects of the stress.