Fivego

At 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h, the volume of gas produced was recorded using a 25 mL calibrated glass syringe with an air connector. Four bottles containing only rumen inoculums were included in each run for each sample time, and the average gas production amounts from these bottles were employed as blanks. The net volume of gas was determined by subtracting the blank values from each obtained value. The gas production data were fitted to the model of Ørskov and McDonald [41 (link)] as follows: y = a + b [1 − e^{(− ct)}], where a = the gas production from the immediately soluble fraction, b = the gas production from the insoluble fraction, c = constant rate of gas production for the insoluble fraction, a + b the potential extent of gas production, t = incubation time, and y = gas production at time “t”.
At 24 h of incubation, IVDMD and IVOMD [42 (link)] were evaluated using 24 bottles (4 bottles per treatment, 6 treatments). The pH (FiveGo, Mettler-Toledo GmbH, Greifensee, Switzerland), NH₃-N (Kjeltech Auto 1030 Analyzer, Tecator, Hoganiis, Sweden) [43 ], VFA [44 ], and fatty acid profiles [38 (link)] (GC 8890; Agilent Technologies Ltd., Santa Clara County, CA, USA) of ruminal fluid were evaluated using a second set of 24 bottles (4 bottles per treatment, 6 treatments).

The soil samples were air-dried, ground and sieved through a 2-mm mesh. Soil pH was measured in a soil-to-water ratio of 1:1 using a glass electrode pH meter (FiveGo, Mettler Toledo, Greifensee, Switzerland). Soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) contents were determined using dichromate oxidization and Kjeldahl digestion [35 ], and available nitrogen (AN) as described earlier [36 (link)]. Total phosphorus (TP) and total potassium (TK) contents were determined after digestion in HF-HClO₄. Soil moisture (MO) content was measured by drying the fresh soil samples at 105 °C until a constant weight [37 ]. Available phosphorus (AP) and available potassium (AK) contents were determined using sodium bicarbonate and ammonium acetate extraction [14 , 38 ]. Soil microbial biomass C (SMBC) and biomass N (SMBN) contents were estimated by using chloroform fumigation extraction as described earlier [39 (link)].

Conductance measurements were carried out in CH₂Cl₂ at concentrations using a Mettler Toledo FiveGo conductivity probe. All compounds were first measured at 1 mM concentrations. In the case of [Ph₄Sb][OTf] and [3][Cl], conductance measurements were carried out at three concentrations affording: at 1 mM, 0.5 mM, and 0.1 mM, affording the following conductance values: 48.4 μS cm⁻¹ at 1 mM, 28.8 μS cm⁻¹ at 0.5 mM, and 9.22 μS cm⁻¹ at 0.1 mM for Ph₄SbOTf; 52.4 μS cm⁻¹ at 1 mM, 29.0 μS cm⁻¹ at 0.5 mM, and 8.4 μS cm⁻¹ at 0.1 mM for [3 (link)][Cl]. The Λ° molar conductivity values were obtained by plotting the conductance data as a function of the square root of the concentration and by extrapolating to infinite dilution.

Fresh Fagus sylvatica sawdust with water content adjusted to 65% was composted in 2.0 m × 1.8 m × 1.5 m piles in an open space for 90 days. The piles were turned over during the heating and high temperature periods of the composting process. Samples were taken on day 0 and day 90 from the upper, middle, and lower sections of the sawdust pile. The 500 g samples were stored at –20°C. The sawdust samples were homogenized and passed through a 40-mesh sieve prior the analyses. Then, 10 g of sawdust was suspended in 90 mL of sterilized distilled water and left to stand 2 h at 25°C, after which pH was measured using a glass electrode pH meter (FiveGo, Mettler Toledo, Greifensee, Switzerland). The contents of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin were determined using the Van Soest method (40 (link), 41 (link)). Total nitrogen and organic carbon contents were determined using the Kjeldahl method and the potassium dichromate volumetric method, respectively.

At 83 days of age, a total of 40 randomly chosen birds (10 birds from each experimental group, 2 birds for each replication) were individually weighed, labelled and processed under commercial conditions. The carcass weight was obtained by removing the head, neck, shanks, and abdominal fat from bled, plucked, and eviscerated chickens; the carcass yield was calculated. Then, breast (including pectoralis major and pectoralis minor muscles), leg (thigh + drumstick), and wing weights were recorded; cut yields were calculated based on hot carcass weight. On the right pectoral muscle (PM), pH and color were recorded at 24 h post-mortem. The pH was measured on the upper part of the left-side breast fillet using a portable pH meter (FiveGo, Mettler-Toledo, Switzerland) equipped with a penetrating glass electrode. Tri-stimulus color coordinates (lightness, L*; redness, a*; yellowness, b*) were measured on the bone-side surface of the left-side breast fillet using a Chroma Meter CR-300 (Konica Minolta B. S. Italia Spa, Milan, Italy). The left PM was vacuum packaged and frozen (−20 °C) until chemical analysis. Water-holding capacity, expressed as expressible juice, was measured on PM 24 h after chilling using the press method [26 (link)].

Water activity (a_w) and pH values for both casing and meat samples were determined according to the NF ISO 21807:2005 and NF V04–408 standards, respectively. A_w and pH measurements were performed using an AQUALAB 4TEV (Meter, Germany) and a FiveGo (Mettler-Toledo, Switzerland) apparatus connected to a puncture electrode LE427-IP67 (Mettler-Toledo, Switzerland), respectively.