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This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of extracellular CLA on proliferation and differentiation of cultured adipocytes and its dietary supplementation on backfat and intramuscular fat deposition in finishing pigs. Seven-day-old Duroc x Landrace x Large White pigs were killed to obtain adipocytes for culture. Adding 3 forms of CLA (cis-9, trans-11 CLA, trans-10, cis-12 CLA, or CLA mixture) at concentrations of 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, and 400 [micro]M to culture medium for 10 d increased cell differentiation (P < 0.05). In addition, 3 forms of CLA enhanced cell proliferation (P < 0.05) at 50 to 350 [micro]M and inhibited cell proliferation (P < 0.05) at a concentration of 400 [micro]M. Seventy-two Duroc x Landrace x Large White crossbred gilts weighing 60.7 [+ or -] 2.8 kg were randomly assigned to 1 of the 3 dietary treatments (control, 1.25% CLA, and 2.5% CLA). The pigs were slaughtered at 100.0 [+ or -] 5.7 kg. Dietary CLA increased lean percentage (3.5 to 4.7%; P = 0.07), intramuscular fat content (P < 0.05), and shear force (P < 0.05), but reduced 10th- and first-rib backfat depth (P [less than or equal to] 0.05) and lipid oxidation (P < 0.05). The adipocyte diameter in baekfat or LM was not affected by CLA. Supplemented CLA reduced [[DELTA].sup.9]-saturase activity (P < 0.05) in backfat and LM, as well as fatty acid synthetase activity and lipoprotein lipase activity in backfat, but enhanced (P < 0.05) adipocyte fatty acid binding protein mRNA content in LM. These data indicate that dietary CLA regulates fat deposition by affecting adipoeyte proliferation, adipocyte differentiation, gene expression, and key metabolic enzymes of lipid metabolism. Key words: adipocyte, conjugated linoleic acid, differentation, fat deposition, finishing pig, proliferation doi: 10.2527/jas.2008-1551

The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of dietary glycyl-glutamine (Gly-Gln) on postweaning growth, small intestinal morphology, and immune response of stressed or nonstressed piglets. Pigs (n = 144; initially 4.49 kg and 14 d of age) were randomly allocated to 24 pens (6 pigs/pen) in an environmentally controlled nursery and assigned to Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge (PBS vs. LPS) and Gly-Gln supplementation (0 vs. 0.15%) in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments with 6 pens/treatment. The LPS was the stress-inducing agent, and it was injected on d 7 and 14 of the 21-d experiment. Inflammatory challenge with LPS reduced ADG (P < 0.05) and tended to reduce ADFI (P = 0.06) of piglets from d 7 to 21 of the experiment. Supplementation of Gly-Gln increased ADG and G:F from d 0 to 21 (P < 0.05). On d 21 (1 wk after the second LPS injection), there was an LPS challenge x diet GlyGln interaction for ADFI (P < 0.05), but it was difficult to ascertain whether Gly-Gln increased ADFI. A trend for an LPS challenge x diet Gly-Gln interaction was observed for ADG (P = 0.07). There were no differences in lymphocyte proliferation among treatments. The LPS challenge increased crypt depth (CD) of the duodenum and decreased the ratio of villus height (VH) to CD of the ileum (P < 0.05) on d 14 (1 wk after the first LPS injection), whereas dietary supplementation of Gly-Gln increased VH of the ileum and VH:CD of the duodenum (P < 0.05). The concentration of peripheral blood IL-1[beta] was increased by injection of LPS (P < 0.05) and was decreased by dietary Gly-Gln supplementation during the experimental period (P < 0.05); however, there was no interaction of LPS challenge x Gly-Gln addition for IL-1[beta] concentration. Concentrations of peripheral blood IL-2 tended to increase at d 14 (P = 0.09) and soluble IL-2 receptor tended to decrease at d 7 (P = 0.06) in piglets supplemented with Gly-Gln; therefore, the peripheral blood IL-2/soluble IL-2 receptor system tended to favor the secretion of IL-2 during the first 2 wk of the experiment. In conclusion, considerable suppression of growth and immune function occurred in early weaning piglets challenged with LPS, and such depression could be alleviated by dietary Gly-Gln supplementation independent of the LPS challenge. Key words: glycyl-glutamine, growth, immunity, lipopolysaccharide, weaning piglet doi: 10.2527/jas.2008-1120

During Typhoon Mindulle in early July 2004, the Choshui River (central-western Taiwan) discharged ~72 Mt of sediment to the eastern Taiwan Strait; peak concentrations were [greater than or equal to] 200 g/L, ~35%-40% of which was sand. Box-core samples and CHIRP (compressed high-intensity radar pulse) sonar records taken just before and after the typhoon indicate that the hyperpycnal sediment was first deposited adjacent to the mouth of the Choshui, subsequently resuspended and transported northward (via the Taiwan Warm Current), and redeposited as a patchy coastal band of mud-dominated sediment that reached thicknesses of 1-2 m within megaripples. Within a month most of the mud was gone, probably continuing its northward transit, but more mud appeared in late August in response to Typhoon Aere. Following autumn and winter storms, the entire nearshore area was again sand dominated by early spring. Keywords: hyperpycnal, Taiwan, typhoon, seafloor.

Fabrication of nitride-based green light-emitting diodes is described and discussed.

Research is described involving fabrication of nitride-based blue light emitting diodes (LED).

In this paper, two efficient codebook searching algorithms for vector quantization (VQ) are presented. The first fast search algorithm utilizes the compactness property of signal energy on transform domain and the geometrical relations between the input vector and every codevector to eliminate those codevectors that have no chance to be the closest codeword of the input vector. It achieves a full search equivalent performance. As compared with other fast methods of the same kind, this algorithm requires the fewest multiplications and the least total times of distortion measurements. Then, a suboptimal searching method, which sacrifices the reconstructed signal quality to speed up the search of nearest neighbor, is presented. This algorithm performs the search process on predefined small subcodebooks instead of the whole codebook for the closest codevector. Experimental results show that this method not only needs less CPU time to encode an image but also encounter less loss of reconstructed signal quality than tree-structured VQ does.

The use of trouble call information for handling service interruption events that exist between primary feeders and customers is discussed in this paper. Artificial neural networks are used for fast pattern recognition and classification of trouble calls such that the time and effort required for service restoration can be reduced. Back propagation network is chosen as our neural network model. This proposed trouble call analysis system is embedded in an integrated Automated Mapping, Facilities Management and Geographic Information System environment.

Closed-form expressions are derived for the TE scattering by a narrow resistive strip array in the presence of a dielectric slab. This is accomplished by introducing a single edgemode expansion to represent the strip current density followed by a Galerkin's solution of the pertinent integral equation. The accuracy of the derived approximate expressions are examined by comparison with a moment method solution and several curves are shown, illustrating how the different array parameters affect the reffectivity and transmissivity of the array. Particular attention is given to the free-standing resistive strip array where an equivalent uniform resistive sheet is constructed for simulating the original periodic structure. The reactance of this equivalent sheet is compared with published expressions pertinent to the metallic strip array.

Sensory, chemical and gas liquid chromatographic (GLC) evaluations were used to determine the effects of propyl gallate with and without ascorbic palmitate and monoglyceride citrate on the stability during accelerated storage of canola oil. The addition of propyll gallate and ascorbic palmitate could prevent canola oil samples, which had been put into Schaal storage for 12 days, from deteriorating. Canola oil samples could not be saved from deterioration if exposed to fluorescent light. Additions of propyll gallate and ascorbyl palmitate could retard oil photoxidation.

The performance of the Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) was evaluated while on orbit. EGRET consist of a multilayer spark chamber, a plastic scintillator trigger hodoscope, a NaI(Tl) calorimeter and a plastic scintillator anticoincidence dome to reject charged particles. The gamma ray telescope measures the highest-energy photons and tests show that its time resolution, angular resolution and gamma ray detection efficiency are within normal limits.

Mule duck muscle changes during postmortem, after red wine marination were investigated.

Accounting standards in the UK allow goodwill to be written off to the balance sheet, and for fixed assets to be revalued by management. The effect of this on different financial indicators is examined.

The magnetic ordering of Ce ions in the heavy-fermion compound Ce(sub3)AI has been studied using neutron diffraction and specific heat measurements. Ce ions may be grouped into two types in the Ce-AI chain and the Ce-Ce chain. Transition at 2.2K was magnetic and linked to the ordering of the Ce spins, with only Ce ions in the Ce-AI chains involved in the ordering at 2.2K.

Local environment surrounding Zr atoms in the thin films of nanocrystalline zirconia (Zr[O.sub.2]) is examined by using the extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) method. The x-ray results have provided direct evidence for the existence of oxygen vacancies arising from local disorder and distortion of the oxygen sublattice in nanocrystalline Zr[O.sub.2], which is essential stabilizing factor for the nanostructurally stabilized cubic zirconia.

Pressure-induced resonant Raman scattering is adopted to analyze the zone-center optical phonon modes and crystal characteristics of [Zn.sub.1-x][Mn.sub.x]Te thin films. The results have shown that the manganese ions have increased the iconicity of ZnTe under ambient conditions, whereas an external hydrostatic pressure has reduced the iconicity and the bond length of [Zn.sub.1-x][Mn.sub.x]Te.

The conventional magnetostrictive property is analyzed in the polycrystalline Fe-30Pd-4Rh alloy. The advantages of using the Fe-Pd-Rh alloy as the material for a magnetic-type microactuator or spring are that the alloy is ductile and the magnetostrictive susceptibility is high at low field.

Byline: Y.C. George Lin, Junming Hsu, Shiao-Tuan Tsai This study investigates the impacts of five types of firm-specific news events on the Post-Earnings-Announcement Drift (PEAD). The results show that about one third of the Cumulative Abnormal Returns (CARs) for the extremely positive Standardised Unexpected Earning (SUE) portfolio sources from ex post firm-specific news events. It indicates that the magnitude of the 'pure' PEAD is not so pronounced as that documented in previous studies.

PSR1706-44 is the fourth radio pulsar to be identified as a source of pulsed gamma-radiation. PSR1706-44's gamma rays, measured at more than 100 MeV in energy and with a pulse period of 102 minutes, are emitted as one broad peak rather than as two narrow peaks as with the other three radio pulsars. The geometry of the magnetic and rotation axes and the line of sight probably accounts for this difference. Further research on gamma-radiation emissions from these pulsars is needed since such radiation comprises at least 1% of total neutron-star spin-down energy.