Search

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of feeding duration of diets containing corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) on productive performance, egg quality, and lutein and zeaxanthin concentrations of egg yolk in laying hens. A total of 300 57-week-old Hy-Line Brown laying hens were randomly assigned to one of 5 treatment groups (feeding duration) with 6 replicates consisting of 5 consecutive cages with 2 hens per cage. Diets were formulated to contain either 0% (the control diet) or 20% DDGS. Experimental diets were fed to hens for 12 wk. The feeding duration of diets containing 20% DDGS was 0, 3, 6, 9, or 12 wk before the conclusion of the experiment. Feeding the diet containing 20% DDGS for 3, 6, or 9 wk followed feeding the control diet for 9, 6, or 3 wk, respectively. The data for productive performance were summarized for 12 wk of the feeding trial. Results indicated that increasing feeding duration of diets containing 20% DDGS had no effects on productive performance of laying hens, but increased egg yolk color (linear, P

In preparation for a clinical trial on the efficacy of Echinacea products with a pediatric population, a rational method for selection of test products was developed, based on phytochemical and bioassay evaluation. Ten currently available commercial products of Echinacea angustifolia (EA) or Echinacea purpurea (EP) were selected, and 3 bottles of each of 2 different lots were purchased for each product. Investigators were blinded to product identity before phytochemical analysis. Lot-to-lot variation was small, but product variation due to species and formulation was large. Products derived from ethanol extracts had low polysaccharide content and high levels of alkamides (EA), echinacoside (EA), cynarin (EA), cichoric acid (EP), and caftaric acid (EP). These products possessed high antiviral activities that differed between EA and EP products, but limited immune activation properties. In contrast, products derived without ethanol extraction had higher polysaccharide levels, but low levels of other components. These aqueous compounds showed immunostimulant activity as measured in a mouse macrophage model and a somewhat different antiviral profile. The choice of Echinacea product for clinical trial must therefore consider the impact of immune enhancement, the specific viral infection targeted, and the potential to reduce symptoms via antiinflammatory activity. Product selection may also depend on whether the intent of the trial is prophylaxis or treatment.

Buckwheat has been considered a functional health-improving pseudocereal grain throughout large areas of Eurasia, North America, South Africa, and Australia. Buckwheat is generally classified into common and Tartary buckwheat. Common buckwheat is self-incompatible while Tartary buckwheat is capable of self-pollination to some extent. In addition, the sprouts of Tartary buckwheat possess higher amounts of rutin, showing a strong antioxidant compound, than common buckwheat. Besides rutin, buckwheat contains plentiful quantities of functional metabolites for possible use in medicinal foods. The currently available buckwheat genomic information (proteome sequences), although incomplete, enables us to understand seed physiology, allowing improvements in the production and quality of buckwheat grains. In this review, we present previously published buckwheat proteomic studies, initially performed using gel-based and shotgun proteomic approaches. The challenges and perspectives of future buckwheat biochemical study will be addressed in light of the current advanced proteomic technologies.

There is an ever increasing range of shielding gases, which vary from the pure gases to complex mixtures based on argon, helium, oxygen, and carbon dioxide. The commercially available gas mixtures should be considered in terms of their suitability for ensuring arc and metal transfer stability, performance, and weld quality. The objective of the present paper is to study the toughness of Al5083–O aluminium alloy, to evaluate the variation of welding zone toughness as a function of the shielding gas composition and the testing temperature. To achieve these objectives, gas metal arc welding was performed with four different shielding gas compositions (100%Ar−0%He, 67%Ar+33%He, 50%Ar−50%He, and 33%Ar+67%He), and tests were carried out at four different temperatures, namely,+25°C (+77°F), −30°C (−22°F), −85°C (−121°F), and −196°C (−321°F). The welding zone was divided into four subzones for analysis, namely, weld metal, fusion line, heat affected zone, and base metal according to the notch position. Te...

Effects of culture medium supplements and osmotic stress treatment on embryogenic callus induction andsomatic embryogenesis were investigated in order to optimize tissue culture conditions of alfalfa( Medicagosativa L.). SH medium containing 5mg/L 2,4-D and 0.2mg/L kinetin was optimal for embryogenic callusinduction from cotyledon tissue of alfalfa. Somatic embryos were formed when the embryogenic callus wascultured on SH medium supplemented with 1mg/L 2,4-D and 2mg/L BA. Supplementation of 5mM L-pro-line and 1g/L casein hydrolysate into the regeneration medium further increased plant regenerationfrequency. Osmotic stress treatment of callus appeared to improve the frequency of somatic embryo for-mation, but the frequency of somatic embryo formation differed by the osmotic stress treatment using dif-ferent osmotic stressors. The highest plant regeneration frequency of 30.7% was observed when embryogeniccallus was treated with 0.7M sucrose for 18h. Efficient regeneration system established in this study will beuseful for molecular breeding of alfalfa through genetic transformation.

Aims: To investigate changes in the bacterial population and the safety of the biofilm at the end of the drinking water distribution system in Seoul (Korea), selective media and bacterial community analyses were applied to a semi-pilot galvanized iron pipe (GIP) model. Methods and Results: No total coliforms or faecal streptococci were detected on m-Endo or m-Enterococcus agar. No Salmonella spp. and Shigella spp. were detected on bismuth sulphite agar or Hektoen enteric agar, respectively. The latter two media detected coliforms, where m-Endo was negative. Biofilm formation started within 1 week (ca 104 CFU cm−2) and exceeded 105 CFU cm−2 within 6 weeks. Although the fatty acid methyl ester analysis revealed dynamic changes in bacterial composition, Micrococcus, Bacillus, and Pseudomonas spp. were persistent members of the biofilm community. Micrococcus spp. was detected most frequently and in high numbers. Conclusions: Coliforms and Enterococcus species can be recovered from biofilms in water distribution systems. Significance and Impact of the Study: This study illustrates the role of biofilms in the chronic deterioration of the water-distribution system in Seoul (Korea).

Europium-activated yttrium oxide (Eu:Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}) phosphor films have been grown in situ on (100) bare silicon and diamond-coated silicon substrates using a pulsed laser deposition technique. Diamond-coated silicon substrates were prepared by hot filament chemical vapor deposition onto (100) silicon wafers. Measurements of photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence properties of Eu:Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} films have shown that the films grown on diamond-coated silicon substrates are brighter than the films grown on bare silicon substrates under identical deposition conditions. The improved brightness of the Eu:Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} films on diamond-coated silicon substrates is attributed to reduced internal reflection, low photon energy absorption by substrate, and enhanced scattering of incident beam with lattice. All these effects are primarily brought about by the presence of a rough diamond interfacial layer between the phosphor films and substrates.

The structure of the Ascaris allergen, ABA-1 was characterized at several levels. Purified allergen monomers eluted from reducing PAGE were found to reassociate into dimers in phosphate buffered saline containing 0.9 mM Ca2+. This association may involve the formation of disulfide bonds between monomers. The primary amino acid sequence was used to predict secondary structure and compare the allergen to other known proteins sequences. ABA-1 appears to be highly helical protein of two domains. Sequence analysis reveals short regions (25 amino acids) of high homology (76%) between ABA-1 and the major body wall myosin of Onchocerca volvulus. In addition, ABA-1 has sequence similarity to a family of EF-hand containing calcium binding proteins called S100 proteins. The dimerization and two-domain structure of ABA-1 is consistent with the possibility that ABA-1 is a member of the S100 family of calcium binding proteins.

Heavy polymer residue has been observed on the sidewall of thick metal during the process release. The thickness of metal line is more than 3 micron. This thick polymer residue on the aluminum metal sidewall is seen from tilt Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) profile analysis. This polymer residue on the metal sidewall with chlorine (Cl2) trapped will result in metal corrosion. The focus on this paper is on the removal of this polymer residue on the thick metal sidewall. The experiments were run with splits of varying the chemical dispensing time and the rinsing time in the process. The success criteria are determined by passing the Defect Source Analysis (DSA) and tilt SEM profile analysis. These wafers are sent for electrical test, wet box test (corrosion test) and electrical sort test to ensure the reliability of the post metal cleaning condition.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive degeneration and loss of neuronal cells in the brain. β-Amyloid peptide (Aβ) is produced by proteolysis of amyloid precursor protein (APP), and its accumulation in the senile plaque is the major hallmark of AD pathogenesis [1, 2, 3]. Various experimental evidence support that Aβ plaque can induce neurotoxic effect on neuronal cells [4]. In the course of screening of anti-dementia agents from medicinal plants, the ethanolic extract of Fraxinus rhynchophylla Hance showed neuroprotective effect against Aβ25–35-induced cytotoxicity in cultured B103 cells. The extract was partitioned with dichloromethane (CH2Cl2), n-butanol (n-BuOH), and water, successively. The repeated chromatographic separation afforded an active compound, and its chemical structure was elucidated as syringin by 1H- and 13C-NMR and LC-MS. Its effects on apoptotic cell death were determined by MTT, H2DCF-DA and caspase-3 activity assay. As results, syringin significantly increased B103 cell viability up to 79.16% at 20µM in the presence of 12.5µM of Aβ25–35, and it remarkably decreased Aβ25–35-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation up to 92.87% at the same concentration. In addition, the activity of caspase-3, an enzymatic major marker of apoptosis, was decreased up to 39.75% at 25µM. These results indicate that syringin and ethanolic extracts from Fraxinus rhynchophylla Hance could be a promising agent for anti-dementia. References: 1. Kayed, R. et al. (2003) Science 300: 486–489. 2. Selkoe, D. J. (1994) Annu. Rev. Cell Biol. 10: 373–403. 3. Nunan, J., Small, D. H. (2000) FEBS Lett. 483: 6–10. 4. Estus, S. et al. (1997)J. Neurosci. 17: 7736–7745.

Graphite has been used as a moderator and reflector of neutrons in more than 100 nuclear power plants as well as many experimental reactors and plutonium production reactors in various countries. Most of the older graphite moderated reactors are already shut down and are awaiting decommissioning planning and preparation. The graphite waste has different characteristics than other decommissioning waste due to its physical and chemical properties and also because of the presence of tritium and carbon-14. Therefore radioactive graphite dismantling, handling, conditioning and disposal are a common part of the decommissioning activities. A volume reduction of the waste is needed to reduce disposal cost of radioactive waste. However the existing processing technologies are based mostly on the isolation of radioactive graphite from the environment, they are not able to provide for a significant volume reduction. For this reason, the high-temperature thermal treatment process such as an incineration or a pyrolysis is considered as promising technologies, since it provides a substantial volume reduction. Currently, the fluidized bed incineration is considered as efficient technology for the treatment of radioactive graphite waste. In this study, the fluidized bed incineration condition and the radioisotopes behavior were experimentally investigated by using irradiated graphite waste which has arisen from the decommissioning of Korean Research Reactor 2 (KRR-2).Copyright © 2007 by ASME

The peptides take random structures in phosphate buffer, while showing a high α-helicity in 50% TFE or 30 mM SDS. CA-MA showed no hemolytic activity at 100 mg/ml, whereas CA-ME containing CA(1–8) and melittin(1–12) [1] showed a high hemolytic activity. A decrease in the positive charge at the two positions 18 and 19 of CA-MA by substituting with Thr (A1) induced a significant reduction in antitumor activity, but did not have a significant effect on antibacterial and hemolytic activity. The increase in hydrophobicity of

Metal-defined polymer optical waveguides have been demonstrated for the first time. A metal strip patterned on top of a polymer slab waveguide causes a stress-induced refractive index change, providing lateral optical mode confinement within the core layer. Fabricated waveguides exhibit low propagation loss values of 1.1 dB/cm at 1.31 µm and 1.3 dB/cm at 1.55 µm for both TE and TM polarisations.

RNA has been isolated from adult Nip- postrongylus brasiliensis (NB) homogenized in guani- dium isothiocyanate. The mRNA has been translated in vitro utilizing a rabbit reticulocyte lysate system and translated products immunoprecipitated with rabbit anti-adult NB antiserum and rat infection serum. ABSTRACT: RNA has been isolated from adult Nip- postrongylus brasiliensis (NB) homogenized in guani- dium isothiocyanate. The mRNA has been translated in vitro utilizing a rabbit reticulocyte lysate system and translated products immunoprecipitated with rabbit anti-adult NB antiserum and rat infection serum.

A new species of dasycladacean alga is present in the upper Thumb Mountain and in the overlying Irene Bay Formations of the Cornwallis Group on Cornwallis Island, Northwest Territories. The alga is associated with the 'Arctic Ordovician' fauna, which is of considerable biogeographical and biostratigraphical importance. This fauna is believed to be of early Late Ordovician (Caradocian) age.The new alga is a member of the cyclocrinitid tribe and clearly is to be referred to the genus Cyclocrinites. It is distinguished from all other cyclocrinitid species by the exceptionally small size, the unusual bilobate form, and the mode of calcification of its thallus. It is believed to have lived in tropical waters which were quiet and shallow, to have been anchored to the seabed by means of rhizoids. and to have grown only in areas in which fine-grained carbonate sediment was accumulating.

The irradiation of aqueous solutions of ethanol-1-C14, containing about 2% ethanol by weight, with up to 58.0 million rads of Co60 γ-rays led to the formation of up to 0.49% ethanol-2-C14 in the alcohol recovered after irradiation. The G value of this isotope position rearrangement was about 0.04 and amounted to approximately 2% of the G value for the total amount of ethanol decomposed. Possible mechanisms for the rearrangement are discussed.

With the development of isolation and purification techniques for mast cells from connective and mucosal tissues, histochemically, biochemically and functionally distinct mast cell subpopulations have been identified (1–6). However, there is little knowledge about the basis of mast cell heterogeneity. It could be due to differences in the stages of differentiation and development, or to microenvironmental influences which induce unique phenotypic expression. Moreover, histochemical and biochemical studies on peritoneal mast cells (PMC) in rats have shown that PMC are, themselves, heterogeneous populations (7,8), a problem which requires careful assessment of the use of the terra “heterogeneity.”

Consistent with their nearly ubiquitous distribution throughout the body, mast cells interact with a variety of cell types and react to numerous environmental stimuli. They can be activated by macrophage (1) and T cell factors (2), by complement fragments, as well as by IgE-allergen interactions. However, mast cells are involved in more than immediate hypersensitivity reactions because under appropriate conditions their mediators play a role in cell and organismal toxicity, immunoregulation, promotion of neovascularization and fibroblast proliferation (3). Moreover, mast cells and the nervous system appear to communicate with one another, an association that implies important physiological functions. For example, intimate contact between mast cells and nerves is common (i.e., 4,5), vagus nerve stimulation enhances antigen-induced histamine release (6); and neuropeptides and endorphins degranulate mast cells (7,8). Whether mast cells activate nerves and are, therefore, engaged in bidirectional interchanges is unclear.

We report soft X‐ray spectra from nitrogen clusters irradiated by 28‐fs laser pulses at an intensity of about 7 × 1016 W/cm2. While the spectrum obtained at room temperature showed entirely transitions from N4+ ions, new lines originating from N5+ and N6+ charge states appeared with cooling. By lowering the pre‐expansion gas temperature we have observed strong, nonlinear increase of X‐ray emission on lines of N4+, N5−, and N6+. The generation of highly charged ions of N5+ and N6+ is explained by collisional processes in near‐solid‐density clusters. A preliminary experiment on the feasibility of a charge‐exchange‐pumped X‐ray laser has been performed in longitudinal geometry.

On irradiation of 2-phenylethyl-l-C/sup 14/ iodide with Co/sup 60/ gamma -rays, 2-phenylethyl-2-C/sup 14/ iodide was formed with a G value oi 0.50 plus or minus 0.05 for the dosage range of 8.8 to 47.9 million rads. The mechanism for this isotope position rearrangement likely involves a 1,2-phenyl shift of the 2e G values for total decomposition of 2-phenylethyl iodide and for ethylbenzene formation were about 2 and 0.4, respectively. Radiolysis of ordinary 2-phenylethyl iodide showed that G/sub 1/2I2/ was 2.0 plus or minus 0.1 for the dosage range of 7.3 to 22.4 million rads. Another experiment with ordinary 2-phenylethyl iodide irradiated with 38 million rads showed G/sub HI/ to be 0.2 and that the organic products of radiolysis, measured by vapor phase chromatography, were styrene, ethylbenzene, and toluene in relative amounts of 82: 17: 1, respectively. (auth)