Determination of water in forages and animal feeds by Karl Fischer titration.

Oven methods for determining moisture (volatiles) in forages and other animal feeds are empirical. The moisture concentration obtained depends upon the time and temperature the sample was dried and is influenced by the presence of other volatiles than water. A validated reference method to measure water in forages and animal feeds could be used to evaluate the appropriateness of oven methods for various types of animal feeds and forages. Karl Fischer titration is a well-established method for determining water. However, thorough extraction of water from forages and feeds is a challenge because they often contain cellular structures that release water slowly. Water was successfully extracted into methanol-formamide (50 + 50) by high-speed homogenization and then titrated directly at 50 degrees C with a one-component Karl Fischer reagent based on imidazole. The method is described in detail, results of day-to-day repeatability and laboratory-to-laboratory reproducibility are reported, and preliminary comparison data between oven methods are provided.

Squatting facets on the neck of the talus and extensions of the trochlear surface of the talus in late Byzantine males.

Remodelling of bone occurs in response to physical stress. Habitual squatting is associated with modifications of the neck of the talus (squatting facets) and its trochlear/malleolar surfaces (trochlear extensions), and individual populations exhibit different incidences of these modifications that reflect their lifestyle. The occurrence of talar modifications was therefore investigated in a population of late Byzantine (13th century AD) adult male skeletons. Lateral squatting facets occurred most frequently (37.7%), but medial (0.6%), combined (0.6%) and continuous (gutter-like) facets (0.6%) were also observed. Lateral (8.0%), medial (10.9%) and continuous (lateral/central/medial) extensions (4.6%) of the trochlear surface were all present in the late Byzantine population. There was no evidence of side dimorphism. The occurrence of lateral squatting facets in the late Byzantine population was greater than that reported for modern Europeans, but similar to that reported for some populations of modern Indians. The frequency of occurrence of trochlear extensions in the late Byzantine population was substantially less than in modern Indian populations, but similar to modern Europeans. Therefore, it is unlikely that precisely the same factors determine the expression of squatting facets and trochlear extensions.