Bringing metasurfaces to analytical lens design: stigmatism and specific ray mapping.

We propose a method to design the exact phase profile of at least one metasurface in a stigmatic singlet that can be made to implement a desired ray mapping. Following the generalized vector law of refraction and Fermat's principle, we can obtain exact solutions for the required lens shape and phase profile of a phase gradient metasurface to respect particular ray conditions (e.g.

Long term improvement of knee osteoarthritis after injection of single high/very high volume of very pure PRP: A retrospective analysis of patients optimally managed in dedicated centers.

Introduction: PRP is gaining increasing interest for pain relief and improvement of joint function in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) but practices and results remain heterogeneous limiting its adoption as standard of care. Current international recommendations are to collect real-life evidence of efficacy with a systematic monitoring of PRP quality and patients' outcomes. We aimed to analyze the response of patients presenting KOA and treated with standardized PRP injection in routine care.

Reflux of N-labeled uric acid after intracloacal infusion in broiler chickens fed low- or high-protein diets.

Reflux of urine from the cloaca into the ceca provides chickens with a mechanism for recycling of urinary-Nitrogen (N) in a way analogous to urea recycling in mammals. However, it is unknown if reflux has substantial relevance in current poultry husbandry, where birds are fed ad libitum and have high protein intake. To evaluate the fate of urinary-N in ad libitum-fed broiler chickens, 15-day-old broilers were assigned to a high (21.

High throughput in vitro characterization of pectins for pig(let) nutrition.

Background: Fiber-rich feed components possess prebiotic potential to enhance pig health and are considered a potential solution to the high prevalence of post-weaning diarrhea in pig production under the phased suspension of antibiotics and zinc oxide use.

Methods: We screened the gut microbiota modulatory properties of pectin substrates prepared from sugar beet within the freshly weaned piglet gut microbiome using an in vitro colon model, the CoMiniGut. We focused on testing a variety (13) of sugar beet-derived pectin substrates with defined structures, as well as known prebiotics such as inulin, fructooligosaccharide (FOS) and galactooligosaccharide (GOS), to gain insights on the structure-function related properties of specific substrates on the weaner gut microbial composition as well as shortchain fatty acid production (SCFA).

On the diffraction of a high-NA aplanatic and stigmatic singlet.

We present a study of the diffraction pattern according to Richards-Wolf for an aplanatic and stigmatic singlet based on an exact analytical equation. We are able to put emphasis on the maximum diameter and illumination pattern, which are the two parameters that influence the diffraction pattern and how to compute it. Designs of low- and high-NA aplanatic and stigmatic lenses are implemented to display these effects.

Toric lens analysis as a focal ring and Bessel beam generator.

We propose an analytical solution of the focal ring generated at the focus of a toric lens. The analytical field of the focal ring is used with a Fourier transform lens to generate a Bessel beam. A comparative analysis between the use of an illuminated annular aperture, an axicon, and a toric lens to generate a Bessel beam is performed, and the benefits and drawbacks of each are discussed.

Analytical inversion of the focusing of high-numerical-aperture aplanatic systems.

We propose a method for an analytical inversion of the electric and magnetic fields at the focus of a high-NA aplanatic system to obtain incident light beam distribution. Our approach is based on an inverse Fourier transform of the Richards-Wolf formalism for targeted longitudinal fields along the radial or axial directions at the non-paraxial focus. Analytical solutions are discussed for both axial and radial focal fields for a radially polarized incident light beam, and a criterion is defined to access a physically valid solution.

Only 7% of the variation in feed efficiency in veal calves can be predicted from variation in feeding motivation, digestion, metabolism, immunology, and behavioral traits in early life.

High interindividual variation in growth performance is commonly observed in veal calf production and appears to depend on milk replacer (MR) composition. Our first objective was to examine whether variation in growth performance in healthy veal calves can be predicted from early life characterization of these calves. Our second objective was to determine whether these predictions differ between calves that are fed a high- or low-lactose MR in later life.

Substantial replacement of lactose with fat in a high-lactose milk replacer diet increases liver fat accumulation but does not affect insulin sensitivity in veal calves.

In veal calves, the major portion of digestible energy intake originates from milk replacer (MR), with lactose and fat contributing approximately 45 and 35%, respectively. In veal calves older than 4 mo, prolonged high intakes of MR may lead to problems with glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity, ultimately resulting in sustained insulin resistance, hepatic steatosis, and impaired animal performance. The contribution of each of the dietary energy sources (lactose and fat) to deteriorated glucose homeostasis and insulin resistance is currently unknown.

Dietary Protein Intake and Distribution Patterns of Well-Trained Dutch Athletes.

Dietary protein intake should be optimized in all athletes to ensure proper recovery and enhance the skeletal muscle adaptive response to exercise training. In addition to total protein intake, the use of specific proteincontaining food sources and the distribution of protein throughout the day are relevant for optimizing protein intake in athletes. In the present study, we examined the daily intake and distribution of various proteincontaining food sources in a large cohort of strength, endurance and team-sport athletes.

Insulin sensitivity in calves decreases substantially during the first 3 months of life and is unaffected by weaning or fructo-oligosaccharide supplementation.

Veal calves at the age of 4 to 6 mo often experience problems with glucose homeostasis, as indicated by postprandial hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and insulin resistance. It is not clear to what extent the ontogenetic development of calves or the feeding strategy [e.g.

The effect of replacing lactose by starch on protein and fat digestion in milk-fed veal calves.

Replacing dairy components from milk replacer (MR) with vegetable products has been previously associated with decreased protein and fat digestibility in milk-fed calves resulting in lower live weight gain. In this experiment, the major carbohydrate source in MR, lactose, was partly replaced with gelatinized corn starch (GCS) to determine the effect on protein and fat digestibility in milk-fed calves. In total, 16 male Holstein-Friesian calves received either MR with lactose as the carbohydrate source (control) or 18% GCS at the expense of lactose.

Lactose in milk replacer can partly be replaced by glucose, fructose, or glycerol without affecting insulin sensitivity in veal calves.

Calf milk replacer (MR) contains 40 to 50% lactose. Lactose strongly fluctuates in price and alternatives are desired. Also, problems with glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity (i.

Effects of replacing lactose from milk replacer by glucose, fructose, or glycerol on energy partitioning in veal calves.

Calf milk replacers contain 40 to 50% lactose. Fluctuating dairy prices are a major economic incentive to replace lactose from milk replacers by alternative energy sources. Our objective was, therefore, to determine the effects of replacement of lactose with glucose, fructose, or glycerol on energy and protein metabolism in veal calves.

Dietary Amino Acid Deficiency Reduces the Utilization of Amino Acids for Growth in Growing Pigs after a Period of Poor Health.

Background: During immune system activation, partitioning of amino acids (AAs) changes between protein gain and use by the immune system.

Objective: We determined the effects of health status and dietary AA deficiency on nitrogen retention and AA utilization in pigs.

Methods: Barrows (55 d of age) were obtained from good health (GH, n = 14) or poor health (PH, n = 14) status farms and allocated to a diet either adequate in essential amino acids (Adq) or 25% deficient in Met + Cys, Thr, and Trp (Def).

Optimal lysine:DE ratio in growing pigs is independent of starch or fat as main energy source at two energy intake levels.

In a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, 28 growing boars (initial BW of 24.7 ± 1.5 kg) were used to examine the effects of energy source (high starch vs.

Effects of solid feed level and roughage-to-concentrate ratio on ruminal drinking and passage kinetics of milk replacer, concentrates, and roughage in veal calves.

Effects of solid feed (SF) level and roughage-to-concentrate (R:C) ratio on ruminal drinking and passage kinetics of milk replacer, concentrate, and roughage were studied in veal calves. In total, 80 male Holstein-Friesian calves (45±0.2kg of body weight) were divided over 16 pens (5 calves per pen).

Fermentation in the small intestine contributes substantially to intestinal starch disappearance in calves.

Background: The proportion of starch disappearing from the small intestinal lumen is generally lower in ruminants than in monogastric animals, and there are indications that the starch digestion capacity in ruminants is limited.

Objectives: Milk-fed calves were used to study the rate-limiting enzyme in starch hydrolysis and to quantify starch fermentation in ruminants.

Methods: Forty male Holstein-Friesian calves were fed milk replacer containing either lactose (control) or 1 of 4 corn starch products.

Induced lung inflammation and dietary protein supply affect nitrogen retention and amino acid metabolism in growing pigs.

It is hypothesised that during immune system activation, there is a competition for amino acids (AA) between body protein deposition and immune system functioning. The aim of the present study was to quantify the effect of immune system activation on N retention and AA metabolism in growing pigs, depending on dietary protein supply. A total of sixteen barrows received an adequate (Ad) or restricted (Res) amount of dietary protein, and were challenged at day 0 with intravenous complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA).

Effect of protein provision via milk replacer or solid feed on protein metabolism in veal calves.

The current study evaluated the effects of protein provision to calves fed a combination of solid feed (SF) and milk replacer (MR) at equal total N intake on urea recycling and N retention. Nitrogen balance traits and [(15)N2]urea kinetics were measured in 30 calves (23 wk of age, 180±3.7kg of body weight), after being exposed to the following experimental treatments for 11 wk: a low level of SF with a low N content (SF providing 12% of total N intake), a high level of SF with a low N content (SF providing 22% of total N intake), or a high level of SF with a high N content (SF providing 36% of total N intake).

Estimation of milk leakage into the rumen of milk-fed calves through an indirect and repeatable method.

In milk-fed calves, quantification of the milk that enters the rumen (ruminal milk volume, RMV) because of malfunction of the esophageal groove reflex may explain part of the variability observed between animals in their growth performance. The RMV can directly be quantified by adding an indigestible marker to the diet and measuring its recovery in the rumen at slaughter, but this technique cannot be repeated in time in the same animal. The objective of the study was to evaluate three indirect methods for estimating RMV.

A titration approach to identify the capacity for starch digestion in milk-fed calves.

Calf milk replacers (MR) commonly contain 40% to 50% lactose. For economic reasons, starch is of interest as a lactose replacer. Compared with lactose, starch digestion is generally low in calves.

Utilization of roughages and concentrates relative to that of milk replacer increases strongly with age in veal calves.

We aimed to investigate the feeding values of milk replacer (MR), roughage, and concentrates for veal calves in a paired-gain setting, thus avoiding any prior assumptions in feeding values and major differences in nutrient intakes. One hundred sixty male Holstein-Friesian calves at 2 wk of age and 45 ± 0.2 kg of body weight (BW) were included in the experiment.