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The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) or betaine on the growth performance, carcass characteristics and fatty acid composition in backfat and belly fat of pigs fed distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS). Thirty-two (60±2 kg) crossbred barrows (Duroc×Landrace×Yorkshine) were assigned to one of four diets randomly: (1) the control diet containing no corn DDGS (control group); (2) the diet containing 30% corn DDGS (DDGS-fed group); (3) the diet containing 30% corn DDGS and 10 g/kg CLA (CLA-fed group); (4) the diet containing 30% corn DDGS and 1 g/kg BET (BET-fed group). The pigs fed DDGS showed that the percentages of C18:2, polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) and iodine value (IV) increased, while C18:1, saturated fatty acid (SFA) and monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) decreased. Pigs fed the DDGS+CLA or DDGS+betaine diets showed the increased percentage of SFA, and the decreased percentage of C18:2, PUFA and IV. In conclusion, results confirmed that the diets containing 30% DDGS had no detrimental effects on growth performance, but increased the percentage of PUFA and IV and decreased the percentage of SFA and MUFA in the backfat and belly fat. However, supplementation with CLA or BET can part reverse these effects on carcass fat in finishing pigs.

The composition and sequence structure of a serial of ethylene-propylene diene (EPDM) were analyzed according to the 13C-NMR analysis. The stress-induced crystallization was occurred in EPDM 3080 which the segment chains of methylene were long enough. The mechanical properties of stress-induced crystallization of EPDM 3080 were increased rapidly when the extension ratio reached about 4.5. With the observation by the synchrotron two-dimensional wide angle X-ray diffraction, it confirmed that the increasing stress just begin at the extension ratio of 4.5, which can be attributed to the stress-induced crystallization. Based on the rubberlike network model with crosslinking, entanglement and stress-induced crystallization interaction points, the constitutive equation can be derived according to rubber statistical distribution function and the free energies of deformation. The modified constitutive equation was compared with the stress-strain experimental data. It showed that the deduced stress-induced crystallization constitutive equation of EPDM rubber was in good agreement with the experimental results, which offered a theoretical base for the prediction of the stress-induced crystallization rubber materials.

HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) inhibit cholesterol biosynthesis, and also decrease the formation of isoprenoid intermediates required for the activation of Rho kinase (ROCK) pathway. ROCK pathway plays pivotal roles in cardiovascular diseases including arteriosclerosis. It has been implicated that inhibition of ROCK can reverse vascular dysfunction in humans with atherosclerosis. However, it is not clear whether statins, at doses used to lower cholesterol levels, inhibit ROCK activity in humans with atherosclerosis.We treated 40 subjects with stable atherosclerosis with rosuvastatin 10 mg/day, or rosuvastatin 40 mg/day for 28 days in a randomized, double-blinded study. We assessed the change in the lipid levels, C-reactive protein (CRP), ROCK activity, and flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of the brachial artery before and after statins therapy.Treatment with rosuvastatin 10 mg and 40 mg significantly reduced LDL cholesterol by 43.2% to 55.9% and increased FMD by 29.3% to 42.5% (p0.05 for both compared with baselines). Both doses inhibited ROCK activity (p0.05), and the extent of inhibition was greater with rosuvastatin 40 mg compared with 10 mg (p0.05). Only rosuvastatin 40 mg significantly reduced hsCRP (p0.05).There was no correlation between changes in ROCK activity and changes in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (r=0.37, p0.05 vs. r=0.41, p0.05) among patients randomized to rosuvastatin 10 mg group or 40 mg group. There was a correlation between ROCK inhibition and change in FMD among patients with rosuvastatin 10 mg therapy (r=0.43, p0.05), and 40 mg therapy (r=0.54, p0.05). Correlation was found between changes in ROCK inhibition and changes in CRP in rosuvastatin 40 mg/day group (r=0.47, p0.05).These results demonstrate that high dose rosuvastatin exerts greater effects on LDL-C, ROCK activity, and CRP than low dose rosuvastatin. These findings provide clinical evidence that statins are effective in improving endothelium dysfunction by a cholesterol-independent mechanism in patients with atherosclerosis.

The compositions of a series of ethylene-propylene copolymers were quantitatively determined by13C-NMR at 300K in the solvent o-dichlorobenzene. The monomer composition and sequence distribution were analyzed. The glass transition temperatureTg, half temperature of decomposition and crystallinity were found to be closely related to the sequence structures of methylene. The Tg, half temperature of composition, and crystallinity appeared an abrupt change when the methylene length arrived 7~8 because of the movement of the ethylene segments. Also, theTgof copolymers were simulated according to the monomer compositions. The simulatedTgtended to decrease with the increasing methylene, which was opposite to that of experimented. That was due to the increased crystallization along with the growth of methylene length. While the polymer was amorphous constructed in the simulation, theTgtended to decrease with the increasing soft segment methylene.