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The coordinate determination of the rotation center of a space TT&C (Telemetry, Tracking and Command) radar is an important task of radar-calibration. The conventional method mostly using total stations is expensive, inefficient, and faces technological limitations. This paper presents a new method of measuring the rotation center coordinates of TT&C radar equipment using GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) high precision positioning technology, providing the principle, mathematical model, and data processing algorithm of the new method. According to the exclusively-designed scheme, the new method has been fully tested and validated from both simulation & real-scene radar test. The test result and comparison show that the new method requires fewer equipment, fewer participants, and shorter working hours, with 60% efficiency improvement, compared to the traditional method. The accuracy of the new method could reach millimeter level, with 45% accuracy improvement over the traditional method. In summary, the results show that the new method not only offers higher efficiency and lower cost, but also expands the application method and scene of high-precise GNSS positioning in signal-challenging environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The CRISPR/Cas9 technique has emerged as a powerful and promising tool for precise genomic integration, which applied to various cell types and organisms, but its efficiency largely depends on single-guide RNA (sgRNA). There are multiple strategies available to evaluate the cleavage activity of sgRNAs, and one such approach is T7 endonuclease I (T7EI) assay, which is laborious and time consuming, especially when one must address multiple samples in parallel. In this study, a simple and rapid method to detect the cleavage activity of sgRNA was developed. Based on the single-strand annealing (SSA) repair mechanism, a surrogate reporter system using firefly luciferase was constructed to evaluate the targeting efficiency of sgRNAs. Using this system, the luciferase activities of eight sgRNAs were observed, and one of them had highest cutting efficiency (p < 0.01). Thereby, T7EI assay was compared with the method established in this study to determine the accuracy and sensitivity, and the results of these two methods were consistent suggesting that the SSA reporter system was compatible with T7EI assay. Compared with T7EI assay requiring multiple steps, such as PCR amplification, the SSA reporter system with one-step transfection can be completed on a large scale of sgRNAs within approximate two days. These findings suggested that SSA-based reporter system can accurately and rapidly evaluate the cleavage activities of multiple sgRNAs, thereby providing a robust and reliable process for CRISPR/Cas9 to select sgRNAs efficiently in genome editing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vibration of the leveling mill is common in metallurgical enterprises, which causes vibration marks on the surface of the support rolls and affects the surface quality of the strip. This paper establishes a bearing-rotor system model for a leveling mill, and finds that reducing the bearing clearance helps to improve the stability of the mill. The study of different speeds under the amplitude of the change, the work of the roll system gap changes on the vibration of the mill. Finally, the results of the study can provide reference for the theory of vibration suppression of rolling mills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pituitary specific transcription factor-1 (Pit-1) gene is responsible for pituitary development and growth hormone expression, which is considered a pivotal candidate gene for growth in pig. This study aims to detect novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in porcine Pit-1 gene, investigate its effect on growth traits in the Duroc, Landrace and Yorkshire pigs. Two novel polymorphisms were detected, one located in the intron 2 (g. 13700 A>G) and another located in exon 4 (g.25783 C>T) which caused an amino acid change from threonine to methionine (Thr36Met). At g.13700 A>G site, the frequency of A allele was higher than G allele in Duroc, Landrace and Yorkshire. At the g.25783 C>T site, it was remarkable differences in allelic frequencies and genotypic frequencies among the three pig breeds. This study demonstrated the significant genotype effect of Pit-1 on body weights at 70 d, age when reached 30kg, 50kg, 100kg and average daily gain from 30kg to 100kg. According to our results, the novel Pit-1 polymorphisms may be useful in pig selection as molecular markers and required in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Myxovirus resistance (Mx) is a protein produced by the interferon-induced natural immune response with broad spectrum antiviral function. However, the role and expression characteristics of the Mx gene in immune defence against viral infection in goose have not yet been reported. 2. This study found a 2576 bp genomic sequence and a 2112 bp mRNA sequence for Mx, encoding 703 amino acids. Multiple sequence alignments of the amino acid sequences showed that the Yangzhou goose Mx (goMx) had 86.99% similarity to the mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos). 3. Tissue-specific expression profiling revealed that the expression of goMx was highest in the lung and spleen. Both poly (I:C) and GPV were found to elevate the expression of goMx. The upregulated expression of goMx was associated with interferon pathway-related genes IRF7, JAK1, STAT1, and STAT2. Furthermore, overexpression of goMx significantly activated the transcription of poly (I:C) induced TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-18. 4. The findings of this study suggest that the goMx modulation of the antiviral response is mediated by the interferon pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sirtuin 6 (SIRT6) is an NAD-dependent deacetylase/deacylase/mono-ADP ribosyltransferase, a member of the sirtuin protein family. SIRT6 has been implicated in hepatic lipid homeostasis and liver health. Hepatic lipogenesis is driven by several master regulators including liver X receptor (LXR), carbohydrate response element binding protein (ChREBP), and sterol regulatory element binding protein 1 (SREBP1). Interestingly, these three transcription factors can be negatively regulated by SIRT6 through direct deacetylation. Fatty acid oxidation is regulated by peroxisome proliferator activated receptor alpha (PPARα) in the liver. SIRT6 can promote fatty acid oxidation by the activation of PPARα or the suppression of miR-122. SIRT6 can also directly modulate acyl-CoA synthetase long chain family member 5 (ACSL5) activity for fatty acid oxidation. SIRT6 also plays a critical role in the regulation of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol through the regulation of SREBP2 and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), respectively. Hepatic deficiency of Sirt6 in mice has been shown to cause hepatic steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis, hallmarks of alcoholic and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. SIRT6 can dampen hepatic inflammation through the modulation of macrophage polarization from M1 to M2 type. Hepatic stellate cells are a key cell type in hepatic fibrogenesis. SIRT6 plays a strong anti-fibrosis role by the suppression of multiple fibrogenic pathways including the transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ)-SMAD family proteins and Hippo pathways. The role of SIRT6 in liver cancer is quite complicated, as both tumor-suppressive and tumor-promoting activities have been documented in the literature. Overall, SIRT6 has multiple salutary effects on metabolic homeostasis and liver health, and it may serve as a therapeutic target for hepatic metabolic diseases. To date, numerous activators and inhibitors of SIRT6 have been developed for translational research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a conjunction of Cluster in the mid‐altitude dayside magnetosphere and Swarm in the low‐altitude ionosphere, we show, by employing multi‐spacecraft analysis, that matched, strong magnetic perturbations and the corresponding mesoscale field‐aligned current (FAC) structures are measured in the high latitude polar cusp region during the 7 October 2015 storm. Two pairs of opposite (positive/negative) FACs are observed by both Cluster and Swarm, which may relate to pulsed magnetic reconnection at the dayside magnetopause. Furthermore, the current intensity of these matched FACs decreases from high to low latitude, consistent with the time elapsed since reconnection. Corresponding geomagnetic disturbances are also observed by ground stations. Our observations provide direct evidence for the coupling of mesoscale FACs between the magnetosphere, ionosphere and ground in the polar cusp region, where the signatures are driven in this case by conditions suitable for inducing reconnection. Plain Language Summary: Field‐aligned currents (FACs) are the key medium for the interaction between the distant space magnetosphere (a region filled with Earth's magnetic field) and the near‐Earth space ionosphere. Magnetic reconnection is the most important process to transfer solar wind energy from dayside magnetosphere to nightside, which is accompanied by the generation of FACs extending from the high latitude region of the ionosphere to the magnetosphere. For such structures, extending across different space regions, joint observations by multiple spacecraft are necessary. Using simultaneous measurements of Cluster in the magnetosphere, Swarm in the ionosphere and geomagnetic stations on the ground, coordinated mesoscale FAC structures could show matched signatures in the magnetosphere and the ionosphere and the corresponding geomagnetic disturbances on the ground. Our observations provide direct evidence for the magnetosphere‐ionosphere‐ground coupling during the pulsed magnetic reconnection process. Key Points: Multi‐spacecraft Cluster and Swarm reveal matched magnetic perturbation and corresponding mesoscale field‐aligned currents (FACs) at different altitudes in the cusp regionMultiple pairs of opposite FACs associated with pulsed magnetic reconnection are dominant currents system at the dayside during storm timeDirect evidence for detailed dayside mesoscale FACs coupling between magnetosphere, ionosphere and ground is provided [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we restudy the dependence of luminosity function and event rates for different gamma-ray burst samples on the criteria of sample selection and threshold effect. To compare with many previous studies, we have chosen two samples including 88 and 118 long bursts with known redshift and peak flux over 2.6 ph cm−2 s−1, from which 79 bursts are picked out to constitute our complete sample. It is found that the evolution of luminosity with redshift can be expressed by L ∝(1 + z) k with a diverse k relied more on the sample selection. Interestingly, the cumulative distributions of either non-evolving luminosities or redshifts are found to be also determined by the sample selection rather than the instrumental sensitivity. Nevertheless, the non-evolving luminosities of our samples are similarly distributed with a comparable break luminosity of L 0 ∼ 1051 erg s−1. Importantly, we verify with a K-S test that three cases of event rates for the two burst samples evolve with redshift similarly except a small discrepancy due to sampling differences at low-redshift of z < 1, in which all event rates show an excess of Gaussian profile instead of monotonous decline no matter whether the sample is complete. Most importantly, it is found that the burst rates violate the star formation rate at low redshift, while both of them are good in agreement with each other in the higher-redshift regions as many authors discovered previously. Therefore, we predict that two types of long bursts are favored in terms of their associations with both the star formation and the cosmic metallicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to characterize the most updated utilization of eye care services and obtain a holistic understanding of barriers among patients with diabetes in China. This was a convergent mixed methods study. A convergent triangulation mixed methods approach was used, with a quantitative cross-sectional survey of patients with diabetes and semistructured interviews involving patients and health workers. Following the conceptual framework of the World Health Organization Determinants of Health Behaviours, multivariate logistic regression for quantitative analysis and thematic analysis for qualitative data were used to examine barriers to seeking eye care among patients with diabetes. Triangulation was used to integrate quantitative and qualitative results. Among 1167 surveyed patients who participated in the quantitative component, 29.1% had undergone eye examinations within the last 12 months, and 9.3% had received eye surgery. Awareness that diabetes causes eye diseases (P < 0.001) and knowing laser treatment can treat diabetic retinopathy (DR; P < 0.001) were associated with higher examination rates. In the qualitative component, involving 20 patients and 11 health workers, barriers were identified from individual, social, and cultural environmental factors. Integration of data highlighted the complex interplay of these factors in shaping care-seeking behaviors and the importance of non-economic factors, including patients' information about costs of DR services and cultural environmental factors. Diabetic eye care utilization remains suboptimal in China, emphasizing the impact of cultural and contextual factors. Comprehensive education strategies, along with training for primary health workers and task-shifting, are likely to enhance eye care service utilization in underserved settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The behavior of the marine snail Neptunea cumingii cultured at different temperatures (0, 4, 8, 12, 16 (control), 20, 24, and 28 °C) and the histology, immune enzyme activity, and transcriptome of its gills and kidneys were studied using ecological and molecular methods. At 0 °C, most of the snails shrank in size and did not eat during the first 6 h. At 28 °C, snails also did not eat, death began to occur at 24 h. The histology of the gills and kidneys differed among test temperatures. At 0 °C, the morphology of the gill pieces was difficult to judge. At 24 °C, edema was present in the gill lamella, and at 28 °C the gill lamella were severely deformed. Temperature increase or decrease from 16 °C caused the columnar cells of the kidney to become shorter and more numerous. The total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase activities (SOD) of the gill and kidney differed significantly among the temperature conditions (p < 0.05). The DEGs were subject to GO and KEGG enrichment analysis, and which showed that most of the DEGs in gill were involved in protein folding, defolding, translation, ribosome, and most of the DEGs in kidney were involved in DNA recombination, nuclear euchromatin, RNA-directed DNA polymerase activity. Finally, the results from this study showed that N. cumingii prefers the temperature range was 8 to 16 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) data to investigate the energy dissipation in a magnetopause reconnection electron diffusion region (EDR) event with moderate guide field. The four MMS spacecraft were separated by about 10 km so that comparative study among spacecraft within the EDR can be implemented. Similar magnetic field and electric current properties at each spacecraft indicate the formation of a quasi‐homogeneous magnetic and current structure in the diffusion region. However, we find that the energy dissipations detected by each spacecraft are still different due to the temporal or spatial effect of the out‐of‐plane reconnection electric field (EM) within the dissipation region. Our study suggests that the nonuniform or unsteady energy dissipation in the reconnection EDR may be a universal process. Plain Language Summary: Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental physical process during which magnetic topologies are changed and magnetic energy is transferred to plasma. Although the effects and structures created by reconnection can be very large in scales, reconnection is actually triggered within a small diffusion region. In the electron diffusion region, energy dissipation is a significant issue, which needs to be investigated further. Previous studies have shown that energy dissipation can be localized and oscillatory due to plasma waves or turbulent environment. Our study shows that the energy dissipations are still nonuniform or unsteady even under diffusion region with quasi‐homogeneous magnetic field and electric current structure. Thus, we suggest that the nonuniform or unsteady energy dissipation in the reconnection dissipation region is a universal process. Key Points: A quasi‐homogeneous magnetic field and current structure in the reconnection electron diffusion region at the magnetopause is observedThe reconnection electric field (EM) in the electron diffusion region is nonuniform among the four spacecraftThe energy dissipations are nonuniform due to the temporal or spatial effect of the reconnection electric field [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) data to investigate the energy dissipation in a magnetopause reconnection electron diffusion region (EDR) event with moderate guide field. The four MMS spacecraft were separated by about 10 km so that comparative study among spacecraft within the EDR can be implemented. Similar magnetic field and electric current properties at each spacecraft indicate the formation of a quasi‐homogeneous magnetic and current structure in the diffusion region. However, we find that the energy dissipations detected by each spacecraft are still different due to the temporal or spatial effect of the out‐of‐plane reconnection electric field (EM) within the dissipation region. Our study suggests that the nonuniform or unsteady energy dissipation in the reconnection EDR may be a universal process. Plain Language Summary: Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental physical process during which magnetic topologies are changed and magnetic energy is transferred to plasma. Although the effects and structures created by reconnection can be very large in scales, reconnection is actually triggered within a small diffusion region. In the electron diffusion region, energy dissipation is a significant issue, which needs to be investigated further. Previous studies have shown that energy dissipation can be localized and oscillatory due to plasma waves or turbulent environment. Our study shows that the energy dissipations are still nonuniform or unsteady even under diffusion region with quasi‐homogeneous magnetic field and electric current structure. Thus, we suggest that the nonuniform or unsteady energy dissipation in the reconnection dissipation region is a universal process. Key Points: A quasi‐homogeneous magnetic field and current structure in the reconnection electron diffusion region at the magnetopause is observedThe reconnection electric field (EM) in the electron diffusion region is nonuniform among the four spacecraftThe energy dissipations are nonuniform due to the temporal or spatial effect of the reconnection electric field [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article has been retracted. Please see the Retraction Notice for more detail: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1070328424030011 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the histopathological effect of gas explosion on rats, and to explore the metabolic alterations associated with gas explosion-induced acute blast lung injury (ABLI) in real roadway environment using metabolomics analyses. All rats were exposed to the gas explosion source at different distance points (160 m and 240 m) except the control group. Respiratory function indexes were monitored and lung tissue analysis was performed to correlate histopathological effect to serum metabolomics. Their sera samples were collected to measure the metabolic alterations by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS). HE staining in lung showed that the gas explosion caused obvious inflammatory pulmonary injury, which was consistent with respiratory function monitoring results and the serum metabolomics analysis results. The metabolomics identified 9 significantly metabolites different between the control- and ABLI rats. 2-aminoadipic acid, L-methionine, L-alanine, L-lysine, L-threonine, cholic acid and L-histidine were significantly increased in the exposed groups. Citric acid and aconitic acid were significantly decreased after exposure. Pathway analyses identified 8 perturbed metabolic pathways, which provided novel potential mechanisms for the gas explosion-induced ABLI. Therefore, metabolomics analysis identified both known and unknown alterations in circulating biomarkers, adding an integral mechanistic insight into the gas explosion-induced ABLI in real roadway environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted extensive attention in electrochemical research fields due to their high surface area and controlled porosity. Current study is design to investigate the ECL performance of the chemically modified electrode (CME) based on the bio‐MOF‐1, a porous zinc‐adenine framework, which loaded ruthenium complex and employed for the detection of dopamine (DA). The composite material [Ru(bpy)3]2+@bio‐MOF‐1 (Ru‐bMOF) modified carbon glassy electrode (Ru‐bMOF/GCE) exhibited an excellent ECL performance having a linear co‐efficient response (R2=0.9968) for 2‐(dibutyl amino) ethanol (DBAE), a classical ECL co‐reactant was obtained over a concentration range of 1.0×10−9 M to 1.0×10−4 M in 0.10 M pH=6.0 phosphate buffer solution (PBS). Furthermore, DA was detected based on its inhibition effect on [Ru(bpy)3]2+/DBAE system. Compared to traditional analytical methods, this method has various advantages such as simple electrode preparation, quick response, high reproducibility (RSD<2.0 %), low limit of detection (LOD=1.0×10−10 mol/L). This chemical investigated modified electrode had exploited potential for detection of DA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using high‐resolution data from Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission, we report an in situ observation of a secondary reconnection electron diffusion region (EDR) beside the leading edge of an ion‐scale flux rope at the magnetopause. This reconnection EDR is characterized by strong electron current and electron jet reversal, a normal Hall electric field, unmagnetized electrons with nongyrotropic distributions, a large parallel electric field, and strong energy dissipation. The ion‐scale flux rope beside the EDR consists of a force‐free structure with diameter of only ~3 ion inertial lengths. Our observation of secondary reconnection beside the flux rope gives further evidence that flux ropes can be created and evolved in the reconnection exhaust region. Plain Language Summary: Small‐scale flux transfer events (FTEs), characterized by a helical flux rope structure, play a significant role in the macroscopic and microscopic physical process during magnetic reconnection at the magnetopause. Although they are widely observed at the magnetopause boundary layer, the mechanisms of generation and evolution remain an open question. In this letter, we report in situ observation of a secondary reconnection region beside the leading edge of a small‐scale FTE, and thus, our work could contribute to understanding the relation between flux ropes and magnetic reconnection at the magnetopause. Key Points: First in situ observation of secondary reconnection diffusion region beside ion‐scale flux rope at the magnetopause is reportedThe observation provides further evidence for the creation and evolution of flux ropes in the reconnection exhaust region [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structure and magnetic properties of LaFe11.6Si1.4/Ce40Co60 bulk composites prepared by hot pressing sintering (HPS), followed by high-temperature diffusion annealing, were investigated. During the HPS process, the La(Fe,Si)13 alloy powder particles combined with Ce40Co60 binder and a porous structure with high mechanical strength were obtained. The addition of Ce40Co60 can also promote the peritectic reaction. Annealing has important effects on the magnetocaloric properties due to the diffusion of Ce and Co into the La(Fe,Si)13 phase during annealing. HPS samples were annealed at 1373 K for 24 h, and a table-like magnetocaloric effect, exhibiting a constant high magnetic entropy change (− ∆SM) of ~ 4.0 J/(kg K) in a commercially useful temperature region of 28 K (236–264 K), was obtained for a field change of 2 T. The values of full width at half maximum of (− ∆SM)–T plots (ΔTFWHM) and enhanced refrigeration capacity for the composites are 55 K and 173 J/kg, respectively, for a field change of 2 T. The composites exhibit high compressive strength of up to 312 MPa. The present results indicate that LaFe11.6Si1.4/Ce40Co60 bulk composites can meet the requirement of near room temperature magnetic refrigeration based on the Ericsson cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rare-earth titanate cubic pyrochlore Ho2Ti2O7 ceramics are prepared by the standard solid state reaction. The magnetic, dielectric, and ferroelectric behaviors are measured in order to investigate the multiferroic behaviors of Ho2Ti2O7. Upon the gradual spin ordering sequence with decreasing temperature, a ferroelectric transition with a small polarization is identified. We discuss the origin of ferroelectricity and its possible correlation with the spin order at low temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bi5Ti3FeO15 bulk ceramic and thin film samples are prepared using the sol-gel method. The dielectric, ferroelectric, and magnetic behaviors of these samples are measured in order to investigate the possible multiferroic effect. The superparamagnetic behavior with dominant antiferromagnetic (AFM) interaction background for the as-prepared Bi5Ti3FeO15 samples is revealed. The clearly identified magnetocapacitance effect at low temperature is argued to originate from the suppression of the AFM interaction by external magnetic field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multiferroic Y-type hexaferrites BaxSr2−xMe2Fe12−yAlyO22 (Me = Zn2+, Co2+, Mg2+, etc.) have attracted much attention due to their giant magnetoelectric (ME) effect up to room temperature and low modulated magnetic field by the chemical doping control of the complex magnetic phases. However, the research of substitution between the Me ions is rare. As doping at the Me ion site can combine the advantages of both, e.g., higher magnetic ordering temperature in Co2 and stronger ME coefficient in Mg2 Y-type hexaferrites, herein, we report the stability and switching of magnetoelectric states in the Y-type hexaferrites Ba0.5Sr1.5CoMgFe11AlO22 single crystals. Our results demonstrate that substituting half of the Mg2+ with Co2+ enhances the transition temperature of the alternating longitudinal conical phase to proper screw spin order up to room temperature compared to those Mg2 Y-type hexaferrites. Simultaneous occurrence of in-plane and out-of-plane ferroelectric polarization is observed, alongside comparable spontaneous magnetization. It was found that the in-plane spin-driven polarization can be reversible below 50 K with a substantial ME coefficient α = −8000 ps/m but becomes irreversible at 100 K. This reversal in the sign of the ME coefficient signifies the transition between two distinct ME states at high temperature. The reversibility and irreversibility of spin-induced polarization are discussed within the framework of free energy based on the ferroelectric phase, which prevail in numerous Y-type hexaferrites. Our results provide insights into understanding the role of the Me ions in the magnetoelectric coupling in Y-type hexaferrites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural and magnetic characteristics of iron nanoparticles synthesized by a chemical vapor condensation (CVC) process were investigated systematically by an x-ray diffraction method, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, M&oum;ssbauer spectroscopy, magnetometry and thermogravimetric analysis. Typical particle sizes were found to be in the range of 5-13 nm with uniform dispersion. The resulting microstructure of the nanoparticles correlated with parameters of the CVC process. In particular, a CVC technique was derived to fabricate Fe nanoparticles with different magnetic states, e.g., superparamagnetic, ferromagnetic, or a mixture of these two states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on a study which investigated the characterization and magnetic properties of Fe--Co(C) nanocapsules by means of x-ray diffraction. Experimental details; Results; Conclusion.

The importance of low-frequency seismic data has been already recognized by geophysicists. However, there are still a number of obstacles that must be overcome for events recovery and noise suppression in low-frequency seismic data. The most difficult one is how to increase the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at low frequencies. Desert seismic data are a kind of typical low-frequency seismic data. In desert seismic data, the energy of low-frequency noise (including surface wave and random noise) is strong, which largely reduces the SNR of desert seismic data. Moreover, the low-frequency noise is non-stationary and non-Gaussian. In addition, compared with seismic data in other regions, the spectrum overlaps between effective signals and noise is more serious in desert seismic data. These all bring enormous difficulties to the denoising of desert seismic data and subsequent exploration work including geological structure interpretation and forecast of reservoir fluid. In order to solve this technological issue, feed-forward denoising convolutional neural networks (DnCNNs) are introduced into desert seismic data denoising. The local perception and weight sharing of DnCNNs make it very suitable for signal processing. However, this network is initially used to suppress Gaussian white noise in noisy image. For the sake of making DnCNNs suitable for desert seismic data denoising, comprehensive corrections including network parameter optimization and adaptive noise set construction are made to DnCNNs. On the one hand, through the optimization of denoising parameters, the most suitable network parameters (convolution kernel、patch size and network depth) for desert seismic denoising are selected; on the other hand, based on the judgement of high-order statistic, the low-frequency noise of processed desert seismic data is used to construct the adaptive noise set, so as to achieve the adaptive and automatic noise reduction. Several synthetic and actual data examples with different levels of noise demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of the adaptive DnCNNs in suppressing low-frequency noise and preserving effective signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five hundred and forty 19-wk-old HyLine Brown laying hens were randomly distributed to 6 dietary treatments and fed 1of 6 corn-soybean meal-based diets added into choline with 0, 425, 850, 1,700, 3,400, and 6,800 mg/kg to investigate effects of dietary choline supplementation on lipid profiles of egg yolk, serum and liver, and hepatic redox status of laying hens. Yolk weight and total lipid, triglyceride, cholesterol and phosphatidylcholine, serum triglyceride, cholesterol, apolipoprotein B 100 (apoB 100), and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), and liver relative weight, total lipid, triglyceride and apoB 100 as well as hepatic total superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities, total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in laying hens at weeks 58 and 68 of age were determined. The differences (P < 0.001) were caused by choline treatments in yolk phosphatidylcholine (at 850 mg/kg or more choline), serum VLDL, and liver triglyceride (at 1,700 and 3,400 mg/kg choline) of birds, at weeks 58 and 68 of age, and yolk total lipids were elevated (P < 0.05) by supplemental choline at 3,400 mg/kg whereas liver total lipids were reduced (P < 0.05) by 1,700 and 3,400 mg/kg choline addition. Hens fed diets supplemented choline had higher (P = 0.005) liver GSH-Px activity (with 3,400 mg/kg choline) and greater (P = 0.014) T-AOC (with 1,700 mg/kg choline) than those fed diets with 0 and 425 mg/kg choline addition. Choline affected serum VLDL, liver total lipid, triglyceride and apoB 100 at weeks 58 and 68 of age and hepatic GSH-Px activity, T-AOC and MDA at week 68 of age quadratically (P < 0.05), whereas it influenced total lipid and phosphatidylcholine of egg yolk linearly (P < 0.05) and quadratically (P < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary choline supplementation elevated yolk total lipid and phosphatidylcholine and serum VLDL, reduced liver total lipid and triglyceride, and enhanced hepatic GSH-Px activity and T-AOC in laying hens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The low‐latitude boundary layer (LLBL) plays an important role as a transition layer in coupling the magnetosheath and magnetosphere. Using high‐resolution Magnetospheric Multiscale data, we analyze the electron distributions in the inner region of the LLBL, during an active period of magnetic reconnection under southward interplanetary magnetic field. According to the measured electron energy anisotropy, we suggest that this inner LLBL can be divided into six sublayers corresponding to three types of magnetic field‐line topologies: (1) open magnetic field line topology from magnetosheath to southern magnetosphere, (2) open magnetic field line topology from magnetosheath to northern magnetosphere, and (3) reclosed magnetic field line topology. These different scenarios indicate that magnetic reconnection occurs at both northern and southern locations of the spacecraft and thus suggest that magnetic reconnection was active simultaneously at high and low latitude on the magnetopause, equatorward of the cusps. These results provide evidence within the LLBL for such multiple X‐line formation. Plain Language Summary: Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental energy conversion process in space, astrophysical, and laboratorial plasmas. At the Earth's magnetopause, the occurrence and location of magnetic reconnection are of particular interest. By analyzing the detailed sublayers of the inner low‐latitude boundary layer, we identified different magnetic field‐line topologies. The different field line topologies indicate that magnetic reconnection happens both north and south of the spacecraft and thus suggest that magnetic reconnection was active at both the high‐ and low‐latitude dayside magnetopause. These results provide further evidence for large‐scale multiple X‐line formation. Key Points: Observational results show that the inner LLBL contains multiple electron sublayers, which are more complex than previous resultsThese sublayers include three different magnetic field line topologiesThe study reports evidence in the LLBL that high‐ and low‐latitude magnetic reconnection can happen simultaneously under southward IMF [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. The objective of the study was to investigate the susceptibility of young and older laying hens to fatty liver-haemorrhagic syndrome (FLHS) and to evaluate the reliability of different blood lipid fractions for predicting or diagnosing FLHS. 2. Forty young hens and 40 older hens were caged individually. Each group of hens was randomly allotted to four treatments for 21 days: either a control, an oestradiol group, a high energy-low protein diet (HELPD) group or a HELPD + oestradiol group. Blood levels of oestradiol, triglyceride (TG), cholesterol (CHOL), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) and low-density lipoproteincholesterol (LDL-C), liver total lipids, hepatic haemorrhagic scores and productive performance were assessed. 3. In older hens, ƒÀ-oestradiol increased (P < 0.05) liver total lipids, hepatic haemorrhagic scores and the incidence of FLHS but reduced (P < 0.05) productive performance; however, such changes were not observed in young hens. 4. In two groups of hens, serum TG, CHOL and HDL-C levels were increased (P < 0.001) by ƒÀ- oestradiol. Hens with FLHS had higher serum TG, CHOL and HDL-C (P < 0.001) than non-FLHS birds in the older layer group of hens. 5. An interaction (ƒÀ-oestradiol ~ HELPD) (P < 0.05) for LDL-C levels was observed in both groups of hens. In young hens, ƒÀ-oestradiol induced a decrease (P = 0.004) in serum LDL-C levels but the effect was attenuated by HELPD. In older hens, HELPD caused an increase (P = 0.02) in serum LDL-C although the effect depended on the presence of ƒÀ-oestradiol. 6. In conclusion, older layers were more susceptible to FLHS than young layers after oestradiol treatment. Blood TG, CHOL and HDL-C rather than LDL-C levels can be used as a prediction tool for the overall susceptibility to FLHS in older rather than young layers. There were interactions between oestradiol and HELPD on blood LDL-C levels in laying hens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with Clostridium butyricum on laying performance, egg quality, serum parameters, and cecal microflora of laying hens in the late phase of production. Jinghong-1 strain laying hens (n = 960; 48 wk of age) were randomly allocated to 5 treatment groups with 6 replicates of 32 hens. Hens were fed with basal diet (control) and basal diet supplemented with 2.5 × 104 (CB1), 5 × 104 (CB2), 1 × 105 (CB3), and 2 × 105 (CB4) cfu/g C. butyricum for 10 wk. The results showed that egg production, egg mass, and eggshell strength increased quadratically as supplemental C. butyricum increased, and these responses were maximized in the CB2 group (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the addition of C. butyricum resulted in quadratic effects on serum total protein, uric acid, calcium, complement component C3 and catalase concentrations, and these responses were maximized or minimized in the CB2 group (P < 0.05). Linear and quadratic increases were observed in serum IgM, total superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase concentrations, and these responses were maximized in CB2 or CB3 group (P < 0.05). The addition of C. butyricum in the CB2 group resulted in linearly increasing levels of serum IgG concentration as compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Spleen index increased (P < 0.05) in the CB2 group. Hens fed with C. butyricum reduced (P > 0.05) the population of E. coli, while Bifidobacterium counts increased quadratically and maximized in the CB2 group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the results indicated that dietary supplementation with C. butyricum (5 × 104 or 1 × 105 cfu/g) could improve laying performance and egg quality by promoting immune function, enhancing antioxidative capacity, and benefiting the cecal microflora of laying hens in the late phase of production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated switching behavior of the hybrid structures consisting of low Curie temperature ($T_{C}$) and high $T_{C}$ layers. The $T_{C}$ of [Co (0.3 nm)/Pd (1.2 nm)]6 and [Co54Pd46 (0.3 nm)/Pd (1.2 nm)]6 multilayers (MLs) were confirmed to have much higher than 200 °C and around 110 °C, respectively. In the bi-ML hybrid structure with Co/Pd and CoPd/Pd MLs, the two MLs are exchange-coupled at room temperature, and the CoPd/Pd ML was switched following the magnetization of the high $T_{C}$ Co/Pd ML at high temperature (~170 °C) at which the CoPd/Pd ML becomes paramagnetic. The tri-layered hybrid structure with a stack of [Co (0.4 nm)/Pt (1.2 nm)]6/[Co48Pd52 (0.3 nm)/Pd (1.2 nm)]3/[Co (0.4 nm)/Pd (1.2 nm)]3 was also investigated. The tri-ML stack showed one-step hysteresis loop at room temperature and two-step loop at higher than 120 °C due to the loss of magnetic order of the intermediate low $T_{C}$ CoPd/Pd ML. From the data of tri-ML stack, the exchange coupled and decoupled situations between Co/Pt and Co/Pd MLs were found to be realized by changing the temperature from room temperature to around 150 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Two new coordination polymers, namely [Cu2(o-Cpia)(OH)(Bitb)0.5]n (I) (H3o-Cpia = 5-(2-carboxy-phenoxy)-isophthalic acid, Bitb = 1,4-bis(1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)-butane) and {[Zn7(OH)4(Bta)4-(H2O)2](H2NMe2)2(DMF)3}n (II) (H3Bta = biphenyl-3′-nitro-3,4′,5-tricarboxylic acid, DMF = N,N′-dimethylformamide), have been successfully constructed under solvothermal conditions. The structures of the two complexes have been successfully determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction (CIF files CCDC nos. 1811807 (I) and 1811808 (II)). In addition, in vitro antitumor activity of compounds I and II on four human ovarian cancer cells (OV2, 3AO, OVCA420, OVCA429) was further determined and the results show that the two compounds showed promising activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous study in our lab showed that indigenous Xianju chickens from free-range system (FRS) under summer conditions had lower egg production than those from conventional cage rearing system (CRS). The objective of this study was to preliminarily determine the FRS-dependent mechanism of depressing laying performance according to determining the effect of rearing systems on reproductive hormones secretion and their receptors mRNA expression in Xianju chickens reared under summer conditions. A total of 360 indigenous Xianju chickens were randomly allocated to CRS and FRS groups, each of which included 5 replicates of 36 hens. The experiment lasted between 21 and 29 wk of age. We found that the ovarian weight, numbers of small yellow follicles, and large white follicles in the FRS group were lower than those in the CRS group (P < 0.05). Changing from CRS to FRS increased serum concentrations of prolactin and decreased serum-luteinizing hormone and progesterone levels (P < 0.05). Gene expressions in the preovulatory follicles from FRS hens were upregulated for prolactin receptor and downregulated for luteinizing hormone receptor and progesterone receptor, compared to those from CRS hens (P < 0.05). It can be concluded that changing from CRS to FRS in the current experimental conditions depressed egg production traits in Xianju chickens by inducing a synergistic activity of reproductive hormones and the gene expressions of their receptors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new complexes [{Zn(L1)(μ-OAc)Zn(CH3CHOHCH3)}2] and [Ni(L2)(H2O)(CH3OH)] with asymmetric Salamo-type ligands (H3L1 and H2L2) are synthesized and structurally characterized. In the Zn(II) and Ni(II) complexes, the terminal and central Zn(II) atoms are found to have slightly distorted square pyramidal and trigonal bipyramidal symmetries respectively, while the Ni(II) atom is hexa-coordinated and has a slightly distorted octahedral symmetry. Interestingly, a self-assembling continual zigzag 1D chain is formed by intermolecular hydrogen bonds in the Ni(II) complex. Furthermore, the Zn(II) and Ni(II) complexes in the ethanol solution show intense photoluminescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the effects of Bacillus subtilis CGMCC 1.921 supplementation on the production performance, cecal microbiota and mucosal transcriptome of laying hens by 16s rRNA gene sequencing and RNA-seq. A total of 144 27-week-old Hy-Line Brown laying hens were allocated into two treatments, namely, a basal diet without additions (T0) and the basal diet supplemented with 1.0 × 108 cfu/g (T1) B. subtilis CGMCC 1.921, with six replicates of 12 birds in each for 24 weeks. The results showed that T1 significantly decreased feed:egg ratio compared with T0 (P < 0.05). Dietary supplementation with B. subtilis CGMCC 1.921 increased the Shannon index (P < 0.05) which indicated enhanced diversity of cecal microflora. An increasing trend in Observed species index (P = 0.072) was observed in hens fed with diets supplemented with B. subtilis CGMCC 1.921 that showed a higher species richness. And T1 modulated cecal microbiota by increasing the relative proportion of Alistipes, Subdoligranulum, Ruminococcaceae UCG-014, Anaerotruncus, Ruminiclostridium 5, Ruminococcaceae UCG-010, Erysipelatoclostridium, Ruminococcaceae UCG-009, Family XIII AD3011 group, Bacillus, Faecalicoccus, Firmicutes bacterium CAG822, Oxalobacter, and Dielma at genus level (P < 0.05). In addition, there was a tendency of increase in the relative abundance of Lactobacillus (P = 0.055), Anaerobiospirillum (P = 0.059) and Family XIII UCG-001 (P = 0.054), Peptococcus (P = 0.078), and Ruminococcaceae UCG-004 (P = 0.078). Moreover, heatmap analysis indicated that the abundance of Campylobacter and Clostridium sensu stricto 1 was lower than T0. A total of 942 genes were identified by differential expression analysis, among which 400 genes were upregulated and 542 genes were downregulated. Bioinformatics analysis suggested that the upregulated genes were involved in Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor (PPAR) signaling pathway, starch and sucrose metabolism, glycine/serine/threonine metabolism, and galactose metabolism, which may promote nutrient absorption. This study provided novel insights into the probiotic mechanisms of B. subtilis on laying hens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two hundred and sixteen 28-wk-old Hy-line laying hens were randomly distributed to three dietary treatments and fed 1of 3 diets containing 8% soybean oil, fish oil, or coconut oil from 28 to 47 wk of age to investigate comparative effect of dietary soybean oil, fish oil, and coconut oil on the performance, egg quality and blood malondialdehyde (MDA), aspartate transaminase (AST) and uric acid (UA). Hens fed fish oil showed poor performance compared with soybean oil or coconut oil, and especially egg weight throughout the trial was significantly and consistently decreased (P < 0.05) due to dietary fish oil. Unexpectedly, shell reflectivity throughout the majority of the trial was consistently and significantly higher (P < 0.05) when hens fed fish oil than that when fed soybean oil or coconut oil. Dietary treatments affected (P < 0.05) shell shape at 4 of 8 time points tested. Average shell shape in fish oil treatment was higher (P < 0.05) than that of coconut oil group. Albumen height, Haugh unit and yolk color were influenced by dietary treatments only at 1 or 2 time points. However, average albumen height and Haugh unit in fish oil treatment were higher (P < 0.05) than that of soybean oil or coconut oil treatments and average yolk color in coconut oil treatment was higher (P < 0.05) than that of soybean oil group. Serum MDA, AST and UA concentrations were increased (P < 0.05) by fish oil during the majority of the first 2 mo of the trial. These data suggested that the inclusion of fish oil into feed may reduce the performance of laying hens, especially the egg weight, decrease the intensity of egg brown color and increase blood MDA, AST and UA levels compared with soybean oil or coconut oil. As a result, hens fed fish oil may lay smaller, longer and lighter-brown eggs whereas those fed coconut oil produce blunter and darker-brown eggs relative to soybean oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new trinuclear Zn(II) complex [(ZnL)2(OAc)2Zn]·2THF with a Salamo-type bisoxime ligand H2L (2,2′-[ethylenedioxybis(nitrilomethylidyne)]dinaphthol) is synthesized and structurally characterized. The luminescence study demonstrates that the Salamo-type ligand exhibits a good antennae effect with respect to the Zn(II) ion due to an efficient intersystem crossing and ligand-to-metal energy transfer. From a more general perspective, this work opens interesting perspectives for the development of efficient luminescent stains to obtain a novel luminescent Zn(II) complex with Salamo-type derivatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amino acids not only serve as precursors for protein synthesis but also function as signaling molecules that can regulate the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. Methionine and Lys are the most-limiting AA for milk production and a ratio of ~3:1 Lys: Met in the metabolizable protein has been determined to be ideal. Besides Met and Lys, recent studies have evaluated Ile, Leu, Val, and Thr as potentially limiting for milk protein synthesis. The objective of this experiment was to determine if varying the ratio of Lys: Thr, Lys: Ile, Lys: Val, and Lys: Leu while maintaining an ideal ratio of Lys: Met and fixed ratio of other essential AA (IPAA) elicits changes in intracellular metabolites, gene transcription related to protein synthesis, and phosphorylation status of mTOR pathway proteins. Immortalized bovine mammary epithelial cell line (MACT) cells were incubated for 12 h (n = 5 replicates/treatment) with IPAA (2.9:1 Lys: Met; 1.8:1 Lys: Thr; 2.38:1 Lys: His; 1.23:1 Lys: Val; 1.45:1 Lys: Ile; 0.85:1 Lys: Leu; 2.08:1 Lys: Arg) or IPAA supplemented with Thr, Ile, Val, and Leu to achieve a Lys: Thr 1.3:1 (LT1.3), Lys: Ile 1.29:1 (LI1.29), Lys: Val 1.12:1 (LV1.12), or Lys: Leu 0.78:1 (LL0.78). Compared with IPAA, metabolomics via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry revealed that increases in availability of Thr, Ile, Val, and Leu led to greater concentrations of essential AA (Leu, Ile, Thr), nonessential AA (Gly, Glu, Gln, Ser, Pro, Asp), and various metabolites including uric acid, phosphoric acid, N-acetylglutamic acid, and intermediates of glycolysis and the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Compared with other treatments, LV1.12 led to greater phosphorylation status of serine/threonine kinase B (Akt), mTORC1, and ribosomal protein S6 and lower phosphorylation of α subunit of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2. In addition, LV1.12 upregulated abundance of CSN2 and both the abundance and promoter methylation of CSN1S1. Although LI1.29 led to the second highest response in mTORC1 phosphorylation status, it resulted in the lowest phosphorylation of Akt and eEF2 and mRNA abundance of CSN2 and various AA transporters (SLC7A5, SLC36A1, SLC38A2, SLC38A9, SLC43A1). Overall, data indicate that an increase in Val at an ideal ratio of Lys: Met could further enhance milk protein synthesis by altering intracellular concentrations of essential AA and metabolites that could play a regulatory role, increasing phosphorylation status of mTORC1 and key signaling proteins, and upregulation of AA transporters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Given the universal presence of antagonism between arginine and lysine, determining the optimal dietary arginine/lysine level is of great importance. In this study, eight diets were formulated to contain different arginine/lysine level, followed by a 9‐week feeding trial with shrimps of 2.10 ± 0.01 cm in length and 0.38 ± 0.02 g in weight to determine the effect of dietary arginine/lysine level on growth performance, body composition and enzyme activity. The results showed that the Diet 6 (arginine/lysine level of 29.4/21.0 g/kg) group had significantly higher weight gain rate, and specific growth rate than the control group and most of the other groups (p < .05) did. Similarly, the retention efficiency of arginine and lysine in the Diet 6 group was significantly higher than the control group and most of the other groups (p < .05). Moreover, most digestive enzymes had higher activity levels in the Diet 6 group, and evident antagonism between dietary arginine and lysine was detected. In summary, dietary arginine/lysine level of 29.4/21.0 g/kg produced the best growth performance, suggesting that a better growth performance in Macrobrachium rosenbergii culture can be obtained by adjusting the dietary arginine/lysine level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reliable markers for the rapid discrimination of severe renal damage remain a vital concern for lupus nephritis (LN). To determine a better tool for kidney damage detection, the present study compared the evaluation ability of novel urinary cytokines and chemokines (namely urinary monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (uMCP-1), tumor necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis (uTWEAK)) with traditional serum or urinary markers (namely urinary alpha 1-microgrobulin (uα1-MG), beta 2-microglobulin (uβ2-MG) and serum complement C3 (C3), complement C4 (C4), creatinine (Cr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and cystatin C (Cys C)) in discriminating LN renal damage. Correlations between markers with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) renal SLEDAI scores, biopsy activity index (BAI) and biopsy chronicity index (BCI) scores were evaluated. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to evaluate a single or combined model in discriminating active renal involvement (rSLEDAI scores > 0) and patients with poor pathological outcome (BAI scores ≥ 7). uMCP-1 and uTWEAK possess higher correlation coefficients with renal damage and larger areas under ROC curves (AUCs) than other markers. A combined model of uMCP-1 and uTWEAK showed an AUC of 0.887, sensitivity of 86.67% and specificity of 80.00% to discriminate active LN, and an AUC of 0.778, sensitivity of 75.00% and specificity of 81.82% to discriminate LN with poor outcome, which are better than the utility of any markers individually. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Based on the method combining the critical plane with crystallographic slip theory, an anisotropic low cycle fatigue life model is proposed to reflect the effects of orientation dependence and damage factors on fatigue life. According to this method, the crystallographic slip plane is adopted as the critical plane by searching for 30 potential slip systems. In addition, considering the effects of normal strain and strain ratio on fatigue failure, the normal strain ratio is introduced into model and regression model is obtained by fitting method. The proposed model is verified by estimating the low cycle fatigue lives of single crystal nickel–based superalloys PWA1480, CMSX‐2 and DD3 for different loading conditions. The results show that the proposed model is applicable for more complicated loading situations and give a higher prediction accuracy compared to Sun's model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) plays an important role in the synthesis of triacylglycerol, but its effects on meat quality and carcass composition in pigeons are unclear. In this study, single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the exons of the DGAT2 gene were identified and analysed by using DNA sequencing methods in 200 domestic pigeons (Columba livia). The associations between DGAT2 polymorphisms and carcass and meat quality traits were also analysed. 2. Sequencing results showed that 5 nucleotide mutations were detected in exons 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the DGAT2 gene. The analysis revealed three genotypes (AA, AB and BB) in G18398T and G22484C, in which the AA genotype and A allele had the highest frequency. 3. In the SNP of G18398T located in exon 5, individuals with genotype BB had significantly higher meat quality and lower abdominal fat content than those with AA or AB genotype. In the SNP of G22484C located in exon 6, the genotype AA showed highest carcass trait values, while the genotype BB represented better meat quality, compared to AA and AB genotypes. 4. The results imply that DGAT2 gene has a close relationship with carcass and meat quality traits in pigeons, and the SNPs of G18398T and G22484C can be used as genetic markers for marker-assisted breeding in pigeon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amino acids are not only precursors for but also signaling molecules regulating protein synthesis. Regulation of protein synthesis via AA occurs at least in part by alterations in the phosphorylation status of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway proteins. Although the ideal profile of Lys: Met to promote milk protein synthesis during established lactation in dairy cows has been proposed to be 3:1, aside from being the most-limiting AA for milk protein synthesis, the role of Met in other key biologic pathways such as methylation is not well characterized in the bovine. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of increasing supplemental Met, based on the ideal 3:1 ratio of Lys to Met, on intracellular metabolism related to protein synthesis and mTOR pathway phosphorylation status. MAC-T cells, an immortalized bovine mammary epithelial cell line, were incubated (n = 5 replicates/ treatment) for 12 h with 3 incremental doses of Met while holding Lys concentration constant to achieve the following: Lys: Met 2.9:1 (ideal AA ratio; IPAA), Lys: Met 2.5:1 (LM2.5), and Lys: Met 2.0:1 (LM2.0). The ratios of Thr: Phe (1.05:1), Lys: Thr (1.8:1), Lys: His (2.38:1), and Lys: Val (1.23:1) were the same across the 3 treatments. Applying gas chromatography–mass spectrometry metabolomics revealed distinct clusters of differentially concentrated metabolites in response to Lys: Met. Lower Phe, branched-chain AA, and putrescine concentrations were observed with LM2.5 compared with IPAA. Apart from greater intracellular Met concentrations, further elevations in Met level (LM2.0) led to greater intracellular concentrations of nonessential AA (Pro, Glu, Gln, and Gly) compared with IPAA and greater essential AA (EAA; Met, Ile, and Leu) and nonessential AA (Pro, Gly, Ala, Gln, and Glu) compared with LM2.5. However, compared with IPAA, mRNA expression of β-casein and AA transporters (SLC7A5, SLC36A1, SLC38A2, SLC38A9, and SLC43A1) and mTOR phosphorylation were lower in response to LM2.5 and LM2.0. Overall, the results of this study provide evidence that increasing Met while Lys and the ratios of Phe, Thr, His, and Val relative to Lys were held constant could increase the concentration and utilization of intracellular EAA, in particular branched-chain AA, potentially through improving the activity of AA transporters partly controlled by mTOR signaling. Because EAA likely are metabolized by other tissues upon absorption, a question for future in vivo studies is whether formulating diets for optimal ratios of EAA in the metabolizable protein is sufficient to provide the desired levels of these AA to the mammary cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Dietary patterns may interfere with the efficacy of herbal intervention. Our results demonstrated the protective effects of Salvia miltiorrhiza aqueous extract (SMA) on bone metabolism were influenced by levels of dietary fat and sucrose in ovariectomized (OVX) rats through its actions on attenuating lipid deposition and oxidative stress in rats. Introduction: Salvia miltiorrhiza (SM), also known as Danshen, has been tested as an osteoporosis treatment in a series of small, short human trials that generally report improvements in bone property. However, dietary patterns may interfere with the effects of herbal intervention. We hypothesized that dietary fat and sucrose levels could influence the effects of SM supplementation on bone in estrogen-deficient animals. Methods: Six-month-old Sprague-Dawley sham or OVX rats were fed either a low-saturated fat-sucrose (LFS, a diet that was similar in composition to normal rat chow) or a high-fat-sucrose (HFS) diet and OVX rats were treated (8 rats/group) with SM aqueous extract (SMA, 600 mg/kg/day), 17β-estradiol (1 mg/kg/day), or vehicle for 12 weeks. Results: SMA significantly improved bone properties as revealed by the increase in trabecular bone mineral density and decrease in trabecular separation at proximal metaphysis of the tibia (PT) in HFS-fed OVX rats, but not in LFS-fed OVX rats. SMA greatly reduced lipid deposition and malondialdehyde levels, improved the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase in the livers of HFS-fed OVX rats. SMA could directly improve the proliferation and differentiation in vitro in an HO-induced preosteoblast cell model by attenuating cellular reactive oxygen species levels. Conclusions: The protective effects of SMA on bone metabolism were influenced by dietary fat and sucrose levels in OVX rats. The ability of SMA to reduce bone loss in HFS-fed OVX rats was associated with the attenuation of lipid deposition and oxidative stress levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to compare the laying performance, egg quality, and serum biochemistry of hens maintained in conventional cage rearing system (CRS), flat net-rearing system (NRS), and free range system (FRS) under summer conditions. Indigenous Xianju chickens (n = 540) were randomly allocated into cages or pens of rearing system groups, within each system there were 5 replicates with 36 hens in each replicate. The experiment lasted between 21 and 29 wk of age. Hen-day egg production (P = 0.00) and egg mass (P = 0.00) were higher in the CRS but were similar in the NRS and FRS. Lowest egg weight (P = 0.02), yolk weight (P = 0.00) and yolk ratio (P = 0.01), and feed intake (P = 0.01) were observed from the FRS, whereas lowest feed conversion ratio (FCR) was recorded from the CRS (P = 0.01). Rearing systems had negligible effect on egg quality. Serum Ca (P = 0.04) and total protein (P = 0.03) levels were found to be higher in the CRS but were lower in the FRS. Serum levels of glucose (P = 0.01), cholesterol (P = 0.00), and triglyceride (P = 0.00) in the CRS increased compared with the NRS and FRS groups, whereas serum levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C; P = 0.01) in the CRS decreased. It can be concluded that under summer conditions, Xianju chickens from CRS had an advantage in terms of productivity parameters, but exhibited higher levels of serum lipids and glucose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of supplemental dietary threonine (Thr) on laying performance, expression of intestinal mucin 2 (MUC2) and secretory IgA (sIgA), and intestinal microbiota of laying hens fed a low CP diet were investigated. A total of 240 Lohmann Brown laying hens, 28 wk of age, was allocated to 3 dietary treatments, each of which included 5 replicates of 16 hens. Hens were fed a control diet (16% CP), a low CP diet (14% CP), or a low CP diet supplemented with 0.3% L-Thr for 12 weeks. Chemical analyses of the diets for Thr are 0.49, 0.45, and 0.69%, respectively. Lowering dietary CP impaired egg production and egg mass of laying hens. Dietary Thr supplementation to the low CP diet increased (P < 0.05) egg production and egg mass. In addition, ileal sIgA contents and MUC2 and sIgA mRNA expression were increased (P < 0.05) by dietary Thr addition. Dietary CP reduction reduced (P < 0.05) intestinal bacterial diversity, whereas dietary Thr supplementation to the low CP diet recovered the bacteria diversity and significantly increased the abundance of potential beneficial bacteria. In conclusion, dietary Thr supplementation to a low CP diet could affect intestinal health and hence productivity via regulating intestinal mucin and sIgA expression, and microbial population of laying hens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Threonine (Thr) may be a limiting amino acid for laying hens fed diets with lowered protein level. An experiment was conducted to examine laying performance, and the intestinal immune function of laying hens provided diets varying in digestible Thr levels. Lohmann Brown laying hens ( n = 480), 28 weeks of age, were allocated to six dietary treatments, each of which included five replicates of 16 hens. Dietary crude protein ( CP) 16.18% diet was offered as the positive control diet. L-Thr was added to the negative diet (14.16% CP) by 0, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 g/kg, corresponding 0.44%, 0.43%, 0.49%, 0.57%, 0.66% and 0.74% digestible Thr. At 40 weeks, a reduction in CP level decreased laying performance (p < 0.05). In the low CP, increasing dietary Thr increased (p < 0.05) egg production and egg mass and rose to a plateau between 0.57% and 0.66%. The hens fed 0.66% Thr showed the lowest value (p < 0.05) of feed conversion ratio ( FCR). Serum level of uric acid showed the lowest values (p < 0.05) at 0.57-0.66%. In addition, serum-free Thr maximized (p < 0.05) between 0.66% and 0.74%. Digestive trypsin activity decreased (p < 0.05) when hens fed the low- CP diet compared with hens fed CP (16.18%) and hens fed 0.57-0.66%. Expressions of ileal MUC2 mRNA maximized (p < 0.05) at 0.66% Thr. Occludin mRNA increased with increasing Thr level (p < 0.05). sIgA mRNA reached to the maximum level (p < 0.05) at 0.66% and 0.74% Thr. INF- γ mRNA reached to the lowest level (p < 0.05) at 0.65%. Expressions of ileal IL-2, IL-6, IL-1 β mRNA decreased with increasing Thr level (p < 0.05). In conclusion, Thr supplementation resulting in optimal laying performance and stimulated the mucosal immune system, suggesting that it is a limiting amino acid in the low-crude-protein diet of laying hens during the peak production period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the local stiffness or damping variation happens when damage occurs in engineer structures, it is useful to detect the local variation as a way for structural damage inspection. As a vibration based approach, transmissibility has attracted considerable interest because of its convenience and effectiveness in damage detection. However, using the traditional Fourier transform, it should be very careful to select the frequency bands in transmissibility calculation. Inappropriate choice of frequency band could cause a complete inaccurate result. For unknown damage detection, it is difficult to select the frequency band which eigen-frequency should be included. This paper proposes a novel method using wavelet based transmissibility for local variation detection. Benefiting from the ability in subtle information acquisition of wavelet transform, it is useful in reducing the influence of frequency bands to the indicators. Analytical derivation using wavelet balance method and numerical studies of a multiple degree of freedom (MDOF) system are carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. In the last section, the method is applied for detecting crack position in cantilever beam with analysis of its sensitivity to frequency bands and measurement inaccuracies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]