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Experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of hops on ruminal fermentation, fecal shedding of Escherichia coli and the growth of feedlot cattle. In a feedlot experiment, 60 British × Charolais steers (393 ± 3.6 kg) were randomly assigned to individual pens and fed a barley grain and barley silage-based diet for a 55-day growing and a 105-day finishing period. Hops were added to the growing diet at levels of 0, 119, 238 and 476 mg/kg dry matter (DM) and to the finishing diet at levels of 0, 238, 476 and 952 mg/kg DM. Fecal samples were collected to determine the effects of hops on shedding of E. coli. Carcass data from all steers were collected at a commercial abattoir at the end of the finishing period. Inclusion of hops in growing or finishing diets at these rates did not affect the shedding of E. coli or the feed intake, growth, feed efficiency, carcass characteristics or fatty acid composition of diaphragm tissue of steers. However, average daily gain of steers supplemented with the highest level of hops during the growing and finishing period was 6% higher (P = 0.11) than the controls. In an in vitro experiment, DM disappearance (IVDMD) and concentration of volatile fatty acid (VFA) linearly (P

The RAC1-WAVE-Arp2/3 signaling pathway generates branched actin networks that power lamellipodium protrusion of migrating cells. Feedback is thought to control protrusion lifetime and migration persistence, but its molecular circuitry remains elusive. Using proteomics, we identified PPP2R1A among proteins differentially associated with the WAVE complex subunit ABI1 when RAC1 was activated and downstream generation of branched actin was blocked. PPP2R1A was found to associate at the lamellipodial edge with a novel form of WAVE complex, the WAVE Shell Complex (WSC), that contains NHSL1 instead of the Arp2/3 activating subunit WAVE as in the canonical WAVE Regulatory Complex (WRC). PPP2R1A was required for persistence in random and directed migration assays and for RAC1-dependent actin polymerization in cell extracts. PPP2R1A requirement was abolished by NHSL1 depletion. PPP2R1A mutations found in tumors impaired WSC binding and migration regulation, suggesting that this novel function of PPP2R1A is critical for its tumor suppressor activity.

Background Lipomyces starkeyi has been widely regarded as a promising oleaginous yeast with broad industrial application prospects because of its wide substrate spectrum, good adaption to fermentation inhibitors, excellent fatty acid composition for high-quality biodiesel, and negligible lipid remobilization. However, the currently low experimental lipid yield of L. starkeyi prohibits its commercial success. Metabolic model is extremely valuable to comprehend the complex biochemical processes and provide great guidance for strain modification to facilitate the lipid biosynthesis. Results A small-scale metabolic model of L. starkeyi NRRL Y-11557 was constructed based on the genome annotation information. The theoretical lipid yields of glucose, cellobiose, xylose, glycerol, and acetic acid were calculated according to the flux balance analysis (FBA). The optimal flux distribution of the lipid synthesis showed that pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) independently met the necessity of NADPH for lipid synthesis, resulting in the relatively low lipid yields. Several targets (NADP-dependent oxidoreductases) beneficial for oleaginicity of L. starkeyi with significantly higher theoretical lipid yields were compared and elucidated. The combined utilization of acetic acid and other carbon sources and a hypothetical reverse β-oxidation (RBO) pathway showed outstanding potential for improving the theoretical lipid yield. Conclusions The lipid biosynthesis potential of L. starkeyi can be significantly improved through appropriate modification of metabolic network, as well as combined utilization of carbon sources according to the metabolic model. The prediction and analysis provide valuable guidance to improve lipid production from various low-cost substrates.

Rationale Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic, severe, progressive neurodegenerative disorder associated with cognitive and memory impairment, and it ultimately causes death. Most approved drugs can only alleviate some of the symptoms of AD, but no interventions have been found that reverse the underlying disease mechanisms. Rhodiola crenulata extract (RCE) has been reported to alleviate AD symptoms in rats. However, its underlying mechanism of action is still unclear. Methods A brain lipidomics study was conducted to investigate the protective effects of RCE against AD in rats to identify potential biomarkers of AD, Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) coupled with high-performance reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) and hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC). Differences in lipid metabolism profiles were evaluated using multivariate statistical analysis. Finally, the possible mechanism of action of RCE on AD was investigated by analysing metabolic pathways. Results The RPLC/HILIC FT-ICR MS results showed 20 lipid components with significant differences between the control and model groups. After RCE administration, the levels of 10 lipids in AD rats tended to shift toward reference levels. The pathway analysis revealed that the protective effect of RCE against AD might be related to regulation of glycerophospholipid metabolism. Conclusions This study provides a novel perspective on the potential intervention mechanism of RCE in the treatment of AD.

Aims Elevated intraocular pressure is primarily induced by the increased resistance of conventional outflow of aqueous humor. Dysfunction of the juxtacanalicular region of trabecular meshwork (TM) and Schlemm's canal (SC) endothelium, as the main conventional outflow tissue, have been implicated as the major reasons for the increased resistance. Integrins are widespread in these tissues, especially alpha8 integrin (ITGA8). We aim to investigate the properties of cells expressing ITGA8 in the conventional outflow tissue. Main methods Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and immunofluorescence (IF) were performed to detect the mRNA and protein levels of ITGA8 in human conventional outflow tissue. ITGA8-positive cells were isolated from the cultured human TM cells through a magnetic bead-based approach. Flow Cytometry was used to determine the purification efficiency. The expressions of TM and SC biomarkers and dexamethasone-induced myocilin secretion capacity of ITGA8-positive cells was assessed by Real-time PCR, IF and Western blot. A gel contraction assay was performed to evaluate contractility of ITGA8-positive cells after endothelin 1 treatment. Key findings ITGA8 was found with robust expression near the inner wall of SC endothelium. After purification, the proportion of ITGA8-positive cells were increased by about 10%. ITGA8-positive cells were identified with the properties as SC endothelial cells, such as more robust expressions of SC biomarkers, less dexamethasone-inducible myocilin expression, and stronger contractility. Significance This study demonstrated that cells expressing ITGA8 in SC region possess more properties as SC endothelial cells. Our data implicate a crucial role of ITGA8 in aqueous humor (AH) outflow resistance regulation.

Study on diffusion behaviors, such as contagion of virus, adoption of production, and information propagation, is one of the hottest topics of social network research. The conventional models usually focus on a particular factor that influences the contagion process. A novel model of diffusion based on multiple behavior evidence fusion is proposed on the analysis of prevalent social network data set, which can simulate the information propagation process with the fitting goodness of 0.79. In this model, impact factors, i.e. the influence between neighborhood, and the activity of user, are taken into account together and fused into combined evidence mass function, which can be used to infer users' forwarding behavior by D-S theory reasoning. Series of experiments tested on the published Enron email data set show that the multiple evidence fusion based diffusion model (MEFDM) is reasonable and feasible in demonstrating the cascading of information in the social network.

Microfibrillated cellulose (MFC)-collagen composite films were prepared with a dispersion of acid swollen collagen fibers and carboxylated MFC at different ratios in an alkaline homogenous system. The surface topographic results obtained from SEM analyses indicated that the MFC entangled uniformly with collagen in the film and formed a closely interwoven network to reinforce the film structure. However, the MFC addition decreased the smoothness and light transparency of the films due to the aggregation of MFC. Compared to the film prepared with pure collagen, the hybrid composite film showed a higher strength and Young’s modulus but lower elongation. The swelling of the composite film in water increased with the increase of the MFC ratio in the film matrix. DSC and TG analyses demonstrated that adding MFC to collagen benefited the thermal stability of the films, due to the conformational and crystal changes in the MFC/collagen structure indicated by the FT-IR and XRD results. The MFC/collagen composite film can potentially be used as an edible material in the food and packaging industry, in particular for meat products.

Background—The urokinase type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) may play a critical role in cancer invasion and metastasis.Aims—To study the involvement of uPAR in colorectal carcinogenesis.Methods—The cellular expression and localisation of uPAR were investigated in colorectal adenomas and invasive carcinomas by in situ hybridisation, immunohistochemistry, and northern and western blot analyses.Results—uPAR mRNA expression was found mainly in the cytoplasm of dysplastic epithelial cells of 30% of adenomas with mild (19%), moderate (21%), and severe (47%) dysplasia, and in that of carcinomatous cells of 85% of invasive carcinomas: Dukes’ stages A (72%), B (93%), and C (91%). Some stromal cells in the adjacent neoplastic epithelium were faintly positive. Immunoreactivity for uPAR was detected in dysplastic epithelial cells of 14% of adenomas and in carcinomatous cells of 49% of invasive carcinomas. uPAR mRNA and protein concentrations were significantly higher in severe than in mild or moderate dysplasia (pConclusions—Colorectal adenoma uPAR, expressed essentially in dysplastic epithelial cells, was upregulated with increasing severity of atypia, and increased notably during the critical transition from severe dysplasic adenoma to invasive carcinoma. These findings implicate uPAR expression in the invasive and metastatic processes of colorectal cancer.

Highly conductive perovskite La0.5Sr0.5CoO3 thin films were grown on (012) LaAlO3 by pulsed-laser deposition at different substrate temperatures. Magnetoresistance (MR) measurements show only a negative effect for the films grown at a temperature of 800 °C. However, a positive MR effect was found for the films grown at lower temperatures of 400 and 500 °C. The sign of the magnetoresistance changed from positive to negative near 150 K under an applied magnetic field of 5.0 T, and the largest positive MR of 2.6% was obtained at a temperature of 4.2 K for the film grown at 500 °C. Low-temperature magnetic hysteresis of the films was also studied, and it is suggested that the scattering of the carrier at the domain boundary may lead to the positive-MR effect.

The size of household CO2 emissions (HCE) has drawn increasing attention recently. Due to differences in geographical location, traditional models do not provide a valid basis or countermeasures fo...

Potential feed enzyme additives for ruminants were tested in vitro for their stability to ruminal microbial and gastrointestinal proteolysis. Four commercial preparations from Trichoderma longibrachiatum (A, B, C, and D) and one from an undisclosed source (E) were incubated up to 6 h with ruminal fluid taken from four lactating dairy cows before or 2 h after feeding. The stability of preparation B was also tested in the presence of pepsin at pH 3 and pancreatin at pH 7. Cellulase (EC 3.2.1.4), cellulose 1,4-beta-cellobiosidase (EC 3.2.1.91), beta-glucanase (EC 3.2.1.6), xylanase (EC 3.2.1.8), beta-glucosidase (EC 3.2.1.21), and beta-xylosidase (EC 3.2.1.37) activities were monitored throughout the incubations. Polysaccharidase activities of all enzyme preparations were remarkably stable in ruminal fluid taken after feeding. Ruminal fluid obtained before feeding inactivated the polysaccharidases in preparations B and D to a greater extent than ruminal fluid obtained after feeding. Cellulase and cellulose 1,4-beta-cellobiosidase activities were the least stable, declining (P < 0.05) by 35 and 60% for preparations B and D, respectively. Xylanase activity of preparation D decreased (P < 0.05) by up to 30% after 6 h of incubation, whereas beta-glucanase activity was not affected. The ability to degrade exogenous enzymes also differed among cows (P < 0.05). Pepsin and acid (pH 3.0) did not affect polysaccharidases in preparation B but decreased glycosidase activities by 10 to 15% (P < 0.05) after 1 h of incubation. Pancreatin, at the maximum concentration used, inactivated cellulase, cellulose 1,4-beta-cellobiosidase, and xylanase activities at a rate of 0.55, 1, and 0.45%/min, respectively. beta-Glucosidase and beta-xylosidase activities decreased by 1 and 0.75%/min, respectively. Partial proteolysis of cellulase, cellulose 1,4-beta-cellobiosidase, and xylanase by pancreatin produced a transient increase in activity. This twofold increase for cellulase and fourfold increase for cellulose 1,4-beta-cellobiosidase was directly proportional to pancreatin concentration. These results suggest that the enzyme feed additives tested were stable in the rumen of animals after feeding. Exogenous enzymes are likely to be more susceptible to the host gastrointestinal proteases in the abomasum and intestines than to ruminal proteases. However, exogenous polysaccharidases may survive for a considerable period of time in the small intestine and they probably maintain activity against target substrates in this environment.

The effects of an exogenous enzyme preparation, the application method and feed type on ruminal fermentation and microbial protein synthesis were investigated using the rumen simulation technique (Rusitec). Steam-rolled barley grain and chopped alfalfa hay were sprayed with water (control, C), an enzyme preparation with a predominant xylanase activity (EF), or autoclaved enzyme (AEF) 24 h prior to feeding, or the enzyme was supplied in the buffer infused into the Rusitec (EI). Microbial N incorporation was measured using (15NH4)2SO4in the buffer. Spent feed bags were pummelled mechanically in buffer to segregate the feed particle-associated (FPA) and feed particle-bound (FPB) bacterial fractions. Enzymes applied to feed reduced neutral-detergent fibre content, and increased the concentration of reducing sugars in barley grain, but not alfalfa hay. Ruminal cellulolytic bacteria were more numerous with EF than with C. Disappearance of DM from barley grain was higher with EF than with C, but alfalfa was unaffected by EF. Treatment EF increased incorporation of15N into FPA and FPB fractions at 24 and 48 h. In contrast, AEF reduced the 24 h values, relative to C; AEF and C were similar at 48 h. Infused enzyme (EI) did not affect15N incorporation. Xylanase activity in effluent was increased by EF and EI, compared to C, but not by AEF. Xylanase activity in FPA was higher at 48 h than at 24 h with all treatments; it was higher with EF than C at 24 and 48 h, but was not altered by AEF or EI. Applying enzymes onto feeds before feeding was more effective than dosing directly into the artificial rumen for increasing ruminal fibrolytic activity.

Obesity is taking on worldwide epidemic proportions, yet effective pharmacological agents with long-term efficacy remain unavailable. Previously, we designed the iminosugar N-adamantine-methyloxypentyl-deoxynojirimycin (AMP-DNM), which potently improves glucose homeostasis by lowering excessive glycosphingolipids. Here we show that AMP-DNM promotes satiety and activates brown adipose tissue (BAT) in obese rodents. Moreover, we demonstrate that the mechanism mediating these favorable actions depends on oral, but not central, administration of AMP-DNM, which ultimately stimulates systemic glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP1) secretion. We evidence an essential role of brain GLP1 receptors (GLP1r), as AMP-DNM fails to promote satiety and activate BAT in mice lacking the brain GLP1r as well as in mice treated intracerebroventricularly with GLP1r antagonist exendin-9. In conclusion, AMP-DNM markedly ameliorates metabolic abnormalities in obese rodents by restoring satiety and activating BAT through central GLP1r, while improving glucose homeostasis by mechanisms independent of central GLP1r.

Two experiments were conducted to study the effects of six processing techniques for barley grain in a 3 x 2 factorial arrangement of grain conditions and roller settings on ruminal degradation of the grain (Exp. 1) and on growth performance by 138 feedlot steers (n = 23 per treatment; Exp. 2). Dry barley (11% moisture, D barley), barley tempered to 20% moisture (M barley), and barley tempered with 60 mL/t of surfactant-based tempering agent (GrainPrep, Agrichem, Inc., Anoka, MN; MS barley), were each rolled at two roller settings selected from preliminary tests. The settings selected for the study were RD, the roller position that had yielded optimally processed D barley, and RMS, the setting that had yielded optimally processed MS barley. Setting RMS was tighter than RD. Barley rolled at the RMS setting was more extensively processed (i.e., had a lower [P 0.05) PI, percentage of whole kernels, or kernel thickness at either roller setting. The processing characteristics of tempered barley were unaffected (P > 0.05) by surfactant. The extent of in situ DM disappearance (ISDMD) was higher (P 0.05) ADG, DMI, or G:F during backgrounding, but improved (P < 0.01) these variables during finishing. Surfactant improved (P < 0.05) G:F but not DMI or ADG. The improvement in G:F was most pronounced when setting RMS was used. The optimal PI values calculated from performance data were numerically greater for the backgrounding diet than for the finishing diet. Steers fed M or MS barley had heavier (P < 0.01) hot carcasses and thicker (P < 0.05) fat cover but lower (P < 0.05) dressing percentages than steers fed D. When the feed barley was rolled at setting RMS, steers fed MS barley produced heavier (P < 0.05) carcasses than those fed M. Tempering with or without surfactant increased performance by feedlot steers compared with not tempering. Diet composition and degree of barley processing mediated this effect.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates have shown rapid development in recent years, but the use of transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) in SERS is still limited. Here, a series of In-...

The effects of pretreating wheat straw with alkali on the efficacy of exogenous fibrolytic enzymes for improving straw digestibility were studied in vitro, in situ, and in vivo. In Exp. 1, untreated straw (US); alkali-treated (5% NaOH, wt/wt) straw (AS); and autoclaved, alkali-treated straw (AAS) were sprayed with 0 or 1.5 mg/g DM of enzyme mix (xylanase, β-glucanase, carboxymethylcellulase, and amylase) and incubated for 30 h in buffered ruminal fluid (3 x 2 factorial arrangement). Enzymes increased (P < 0.001) gas production and the incorporation of 15 N into microbial N at 4 h, more so with AS or AAS than with US (P < 0.001 for gas; P < 0.05 for 15 N). In Exp. 2, US and AS were sprayed with enzymes at 0, 0.15, or 1.5 mg/g DM (2 x 3 factorial) and incubated ruminally in nylon bags for up to 80 h to determine the in situ DM disappearance (ISDMD). Interactive effects (P < 0.05) of pretreatment and enzymes were observed on all ruminal degradation parameters. Alkali increased the rate (P < 0.01) and extent (P < 0.001) of ISDMD irrespective of enzymes. Enzymes applied to US did not affect the extent of ISDMD, but they increased (P < 0.01) the extent of ISDMD when applied to AS. Substrates from Exp. 1 and 2 were incubated in acetate buffer for 24 h to measure the hydrolytic loss of DM and release of reducing sugars and phenolic compounds. Alkali pretreatment and enzymes each increased (P < 0.001) DM loss and the release of reducing sugars and, in combination, exerted synergistic effects (P < 0.001). Enzymes did not affect the release of phenolic compounds from the straw. In Exp. 3, total-tract digestibility of untreated and enzyme-treated (100 mL/kg DM) ammoniated straw was assessed using 32 beef cows in eight pens. Wrapped straw bales were injected with NH 3 (3% [wt/wt], DM basis) 4 mo before the study; enzymes were applied immediately before feeding. Applying enzyme to ammoniated straw increased (P < 0.05) digestibilities of DM, OM, and total N but did not affect the intake of DM or digestibility of ADF. Pretreatment of straw with alkali enhanced the efficacy of exogenous enzymes, presumably by breaking esterified bonds and releasing phenolic compounds and/or by swelling the crystalline cellulose and enhancing enzyme penetration. Including enzymes that mimic alkali hydrolysis (e.g., esterases) in commercial feed additives could substantially improve the value of these products for ruminants.

The sea ice floe size distribution (FSD) is an important component for sea ice thermodynamic and dynamic processes, particularly in the marginal ice zone. Recently FSD-related processes have been incorporated in sea ice models, but the sparsity of existing observations limits the evaluation of FSD models, so hindering model improvements. In this study, three FSD models are selected for the evaluation – Waves-in-Ice module and Power law Floe Size Distribution (WIPoFSD) model and two branches of a fully prognostic floe size-thickness distribution model: CPOM-FSD and FSDv2-WAVE. These models are evaluated against a new FSD dataset derived from high-resolution satellite imagery in the Arctic. The evaluation shows an overall overestimation of floe perimeter density by the models against the observations. Comparison of the normalized distributions of the floe perimeter density with the observations show that the models exhibit much larger proportion for small floes (the radius < 10–30 m) but much smaller proportion for large floes (the radius > 30–50 m). Observations and the WIPoFSD model both show a negative correlation between sea ice concentration and the floe perimeter density, but the two prognostic models (CPOM-FSD and FSDv2-WAVE) show the opposite pattern. These differences between models and the observations may be attributed to limitations of the observations (e.g., the image resolution is not sufficient to detect small floes), or limitations of the model parameterisations, including the use of a global power-law exponent in the WIPoFSD model, as well as too-weak floe welding and enhanced wave fracture in the prognostic models.

The design and microfabrication of a silicon co-axial scanning near-field microwave probe (SNMP) compatible with atomic force microscope (AFM) system are reported. Scanning near-field microwave microscopy (SNMM) imaging is suitable for nondestructive surface and subsurface characterization of materials over a wide frequency range-between 0.1 GHz and 300 GHz, which bridges the frequency gap among other scanning local probe microscopy (SLPM) methods. The microfabricated SNMP consists of a silicon (Si) V-shaped cantilever beam, a co-axial tip, and aluminum waveguides. The design and microfabrication procedure are described. Mechanical and electrical characterizations, and simultaneous contact AFM and SNMM surface imaging are presented.

The high disability rate of osteoarthritis (OA), a joint disease with an insidious onset and widespread effects, places a heavy financial burden on patients, families, and society. Traditional diagnostic approaches, including radiology and physical examination, cannot achieve early-stage screening of OA and thus, miss early intervention for patients. Therefore, the need of biomarkers for the early diagnosis of OA is crucial. In this study, we combined data from two gene expression omnibus datasets with information from OA samples, screened differentially expressed genes (DEGs) for OA using the limma package in the R software, and built a weighted gene coexpression network. After obtaining the intersecting genes, four diagnostic marker genes (FKBP5, EPYC, KLF9, and PDZRN4) highly associated with OA were screened using three machine-learning algorithms: random-forest, SVM-RFE, and LASSO. Subsequently, based on the screened signature genes, we developed a nomogram model and evaluated its diagnostic significance using calibration, DCA, and receiver operating characteristic curves. The nomogram model showed excellent predictive power and clinical value. The CIBERSORT algorithm and hallmark enrichment analysis were used to evaluate the involvement of feature genes in immune infiltration and hallmark pathways in patients with OA. The TCGA and GTEx databases provided raw data on FKBP5 expression in tumor and paracancerous samples. After further background research, immune infiltration, and functional enrichment analysis, we found that FKBP5 might play a significant role in the prognosis and immune infiltration of various cancers, and this hypothesis was validated by pancancer analysis. Correlation analysis of FKBP5 expression and drug response suggested that this gene may be a possible target for tumor therapy.

HIV-1 infection is characterized by a gradual decline of immune function, and the immune dysfunction is widely regarded as one of the most important determinants of disease progression. The present study was performed to analyze in more detail the immunological status of HIV-infected people in China. T cell counts, activation of T cells, HIV-1 specific CTL and plasma levels of cytokines were determined with flow cytometry, IFN-gamma Elispot or ELISA techniques. The HIV viral load was negatively correlated with CD4(+), CD8(+) T cell counts (r=-0.654, P0.001; r=-0.228, P0.05); the breadth and magnitude of HIV-1 specific CTL responses against HIV-1 Gag peptides was related to disease progression; the activation of CD8(+) T cells was significantly higher than that in HIV-negative controls; the level of plasma IL-12 was much lower and the plasma IFN-gamma, IL-10 and IL-6 were much higher in HIV-infected persons than in HIV-negative controls (P0.05). Study on immunological status in HIV-infected Chinese is very important in predicting the disease progression and providing information for HAART therapy in China.

The behavior of frictional hardening and softening of steel 52100 with different microstructures during dry sliding was studied based on dynamic metallographic analysis. It was demonstrated that such frictional behavior significantly affected wear resistance of the steel. The results showed that anti-softening microstructures exhibited a rather better wear resistance; the difference in the wear resistance of various steels with different microstructures was caused by the difference in the energy consumption in surface layers during wear. These results indicate that the original structures and properties of steels should not be taken as the only criterion for judging the wear resistance. It is necessary to consider the influence of dynamic microstructural changes under specific wear conditions in order to evaluate the wear resistance.

New heptamethine cyanine dyes with an alkylamino group at the central position were found to exhibit a large Stokes shift (>140 nm) and strong fluorescence. They were suggested to be a new paradigm for excited-state intramolecular charge transfer (ICT). The configuration change of the bridgehead amine accompanying ICT was investigated in different viscosity and pH media.

An efficient photoinduced electron transfer (PET) system in near-infrared region was described. The PET in heptamethine cyanine dyes was tuned by changing the electron-donating ability of the substituent at the central position of the polymehine chain. 4-Aminophenylthio-substitution led to an efficient PET and the lowest fluorescence quantum yield. The acetylation, protonation or transition metal cation coordination of the amino group could recover fluorescence greatly via suppressing the PET.

Natural killer (NK) cells, natural killer T (NKT) cells, and T lymphocytes were analyzed by using a flow cytometer in 225 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive individuals infected through the past sale of blood and plasma without receiving antiretroviral therapy in the People’s Republic of China. According to CD4 T-cell counts these HIV-infected adults were stratified into three groups: long-term slow progressors, HIV-infected subjects, and AIDS patients. NK cell counts in long-term slow progressors were higher compared to HIV infection and AIDS patients ( P < 0.05) and lower compared to normal controls ( P < 0.05), whereas NKT cell counts in slow progressors and the HIV infection group were not different from those of normal controls. NK cell counts in HIV-seropositive subjects were positively correlated with CD4 T-cell counts ( P < 0.05), and NKT cell counts were positively correlated with CD4 T-cell and CD8 T-cell counts ( P < 0.05). The CD8 T-cell counts were higher in slow progressors compared to those with HIV infection, AIDS patients, and normal controls. These results indicated that HIV infection causes alterations of NK cells and T cells in slow progressors, HIV-infected subjects, and AIDS patient groups, but no difference was found in NKT cell counts and percentages in slow progressors and the HIV-infected group compared to normal controls.

Fibrolytic enzymes hold great potential to improve feed utilization and productivity in ruminants. In the past, it was believed that the endogenous activity against plant cell walls could not be augmented by supplementary exogenous enzymes. However, when diets of dairy and beef cattle are supplemented with commercial xylanases and cellulases, animal performance is significantly improved. The most likely site of action is the rumen rather than in the small intestine as is the case for poultry. Because of the complexity of the rumen environment, it has been difficult to identify the exact mode of action for this beneficial response. Since xylanases and cellulases are the main activities that occur in efficacious enzyme mixtures, it may be assumed that the enzymes are having a direct, additive effect on the hydrolysis of plant fiber in the rumen. However, evidence to date suggests that the benefits of exogenous enzymes is synergistic to ruminal endogenous enzymes. This synergy may explain why relatively small amounts of enzyme can have such large effects on animal productivity. Limitations to the exploitation of this technology are the development of an adequate screening system for new enzymes, and the identification of the specific enzyme activities that are critical for efficacy.

a series of fluorinated nanosized hzsm-5 catalysts were prepared by impregnating the zeolite with nh4f solution. the samples were characterized by xrd, xrf, ftir-py, tpd, al-27 and si-29 mas-nmr. the effect of calcination temperature on the structure and acidity was studied in the range of 400-500 degrees c. when the calcination temperature increases, more framework aluminum atoms are removed due to the fluorination. as a result, the number of acid sites and the acid strength decrease, but the ratio of the total bronsted acid sites to the total lewis acid sites (b-t/l-t) increases. the fluorinated nanosized hzsm-5 catalysts exhibit better stability in the methylation of biphenyl (bp) with methanol. moreover, the stability increases with the increase of the calcination temperature. when the fluorinated nanosized hzsm-5 is calcined at 500 degrees c, the conversion of bp can keep at about 10% for 50 h. the enhancement of stability may be due to the decrease of the acid strength and the increase of the ratio of b-t/l-t.

A new experimental method describing the determination of the mechanical spectra (complex Young’s modulus Y*=Y′+iY″ versus temperature) of materials from the liquid to the glassy state, including the glass transition, is reported. The conventional vibration-reed method developed for solids is extended to composite systems consisting of a reed substrate and a deposited material. Mathematical expressions for the evaluation of the mechanical spectrum of the deposited material are obtained by solving either directly the vibrating equation of the nonuniform reed, or that of an equivalent uniform reed, with new length and stiffness, using a coordinate transformation. The mechanical spectra of glycerol and 1,2-propanediol carbonate covering the liquid and the glassy state are presented as examples in this work. The glass transitions of these two kinds of materials, as well as the recrystallization, melting and, evaporation processes of 1,2-propanediol carbonate, are identified in the respective spectra.

It has been shown that adenovirus-mediated overexpression of human ApoAV (hApoAV) in C57BL/6 mice results in decreased plasma triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) levels with a major reduction occurring in the HDL fraction. In order to study the effect of ApoAV on hypercholesterolemic mice, an adenoviral vector expressing hApoAV was constructed and injected into ApoE deficient mice. High levels of hApoAV mRNA in the liver and ApoAV proteins in the liver and plasma were detected. The treatment reduced plasma TG levels by 50% and 75%, and TC levels by 45% and 58% at day 3 and 7, respectively, after treatment as compared with a control group treated with Ad-hAP (human alkaline phosphatase). Plasma HDL-C levels remained unaltered, which were different from normolipidemic mice. These findings suggest that ApoAV might serve as a therapeutic agent for hyperlipidemic disorder.

Grazing experiments were conducted over two years to evaluate the effects of incorporating sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) into alfalfa (Medicago sativa) pasture on bloat, ruminal fermentation, and feed intake. Pastures of alfalfa (Alf) and alfalfa-sainfoin (AS) were established by cross-seeding (in 1998) or parallel-seeding in (1999) sainfoin into strip-seeded alfalfa. The pastures were used in grazing studies in 1999 and 2000. For periods of 4 or 5 d, 12 ruminally cannulated Jersey steers were turned out into pastures from 0830 to 1430 daily (without access to water) then were moved to a fenced area (with free access to water but no feed) until the next morning. Feed intake during grazing was estimated using alkane markers, development of bloat was assessed, and ruminal fluid (RF) fermentation properties were determined. Incidence of bloat on first-growth pastures grazed at early bloom in 1999 was unaffected by sainfoin (at 8.3%, DM basis) but was reduced by 80% (P < 0.001) in AS pasture compared with Alf, when grazed at full-bud in 2000 (12.1% sainfoin). With re-growth forage, bloat incidence was decreased by 77% (P < 0.05) on pasture containing 35% sainfoin, but treatment effect was not observed on pastures containing < 23% sainfoin. Incidence of bloat was reduced as the proportion of sainfoin in herbage mass increased. In 2000, ruminal ammonia concentrations were reduced (P < 0.05) with mixed forage containing ≥ 12.1% sainfoin, compared with Alf. Protozoal numbers, RF viscosity, and total volatile fatty acids (VFA) were unaffected by sainfoin in the forage, but acetate:propionate ratios were consistently reduced (P ≤ 0.036). Extracellular polysaccharide-degrading enzyme activities in RF were increased (carboxymethylcellulase and β-glucanase, P ≤ 0.034; xylanase, P = 0.008 and 0.08) by sainfoin at ≥ 12.1%, and proteolytic activities (intracellular and extracellular) were reduced (P ≤ 0.01). Enzyme activities were unaffected by sainfoin at ≤ 9.1%. Sainfoin did not affect (P ≥ 0.202) organic matter intake from any of the pastures surveyed. Sainfoin was more effective for reducing bloat when cattle were grazing first growth pastures than when grazing re-growth. Including 35% sainfoin in mixed alfalfa-sainfoin pastures reduced, but did not eliminate, bloat in beef cattle and enhanced protein utilization by decreasing proteolytic activity. Feed efficiency may be improved through associative effects of the two forages. Key words: Alfalfa, beef cattle, feed intake, grazing, pasture bloat, sainfoin

NF3 decomposition over transition metal oxides coated MgO reagents in the absence of water is investigated. The results show that NF3 can be decomposed completely over pure MgO but the time of NF3 steady full conversion kept as short as 80 min, while the reactivities of coated MgO reagents were remarkably enhanced by transition metal oxides, for example the time of NF3 complete conversion over 12%Fe/MgO extended to 380 min. It is suggested that not only an increase in surface area but also a significant enhancement in the fluorination of MgO substrate caused by the surface transition metal oxides result in an improved reactivity of coated MgO reagents for NI3 decomposition.

12-Molybdophosphoric acid (PMo), Ni and Ni–PMo loaded on nanoscale HZSM-5 zeolites were prepared and characterized by BET, IR, XRD, Py-IR, NH3-TPD, TG and SEM. The hydroconversion of n-octane over various catalysts was investigated in order to obtain light isomers alkanes and aromatics products with high-octane-number. The acid amounts of the catalysts were modified after the loading of PMo and Ni, and its relation to the activity of the reaction was discussed. It is concluded that the stability of aromatization is improved, and the yield of light iso-alkanes is enhanced due to the introduction of PMo and Ni. The improved activity of n-octane hydroconversion over PMo and Ni loaded nanoscale HZSM-5 zeolites could be attributed to the increase of the acid amounts and the synergetic effect between Bronsted and Lewis acid sites.

Two continuous culture (CC) systems, the rumen simulation technique (Rusitec) and a dual-flow (DF) fermenter, were used to evaluate effects of the essential oil from cinnamon leaf (CIN) on rumen microbial fermentation. Incubations (d 1 through 8 for adaptation and d 9 through 16 for sampling) were conducted concurrently in the 2 systems, with CIN added at 0 (control) and 500 mg/L of rumen fluid culture. Eight Rusitec (920 mL; dilution rate = 2.9%/h) and 6 DF (1,300 mL; dilution rate = 6.3%/h) fermenters were randomly assigned to treatment. Inoculum was prepared from 4 ruminally cannulated lactating Holstein cows fed a total mixed ration consisting of 51% forage and 49% concentrate (dry matter basis). Ruminal pH, total volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration, and diet digestibility were reduced by CIN addition in the Rusitec but were not affected by CIN administration in the DF. The addition of CIN in the Rusitec decreased apparent N disappearance, NH3-N concentration, and molar proportions of branched-chain VFA. In contrast, in the DF no effect of CIN was observed on apparent N degradation, NH3-N concentration, and molar proportion of branched-chain VFA. In the Rusitec, the molar proportion of acetate was similar between treatments on d 9 and 13, but was lower from d 10 to 12 and higher on d 14 to 16 with CIN than with control (interaction of treatment x sampling day). The molar proportion of acetate remained unaffected by CIN addition in the DF. In both CC systems, the molar proportion of propionate was decreased whereas that of butyrate was increased by CIN addition. In the DF, CIN decreased microbial N flow and efficiency of microbial protein synthesis. Protozoa numbers were lower with CIN than with control in both CC fermenters. In the Rusitec, CIN increased 15N enrichment in total bacterial fractions, but no effect was observed on the production of microbial N. This study showed that CIN exhibited antimicrobial activity in both CC systems, but the effects were more pronounced in the Rusitec than in the DF system. These differences are likely a reflection of the higher dilution rate in the DF resulting in a lower effective concentration of CIN than in Rusitec. Based on these changes in rumen microbial fermentation, supplementation of CIN at the concentration evaluated in this study may not be nutritionally beneficial to ruminants.

Closed-form expressions are presented for effective material properties of human dentine in this paper. The derivation is based a Generalized Self Consistent Method and the strain energy principle. The Generalized Self Consistent Model for cell model of fiber-reinforced composites is extended to the case of hollow cylinder model and the corresponding cell model is chosen to consist of a circular hollow cylinder filled with liquid or gas phase, which surrounded by a circular cylindrical shell of matrix phase. Each layer of cylindrical shell is here considered as a kind of composite consisting of collagen fibrils, with mineralized hydroxyapatite, loosely connected to their neighbours, and water (or gas in the case of dry dentine composite). Using the cell model, the effect of Poisson’s ratio and volume fraction of intertubular dentine on effective mechanical constants is analyzed. Results obtained from the proposed model are compared with those from other models such as nano-indentation method.

Soil and water conservation project in the loess plateau of China is focus on improving its feasibility with new technology. This paper discussed on the application of "3S" technology in a soil and water conservation project of selected small watershed of Jingjiahe, Loess plateau. The research presents an approach to apply RUSLE to quantify soil and water loss by the help of "3S" technology, the suitability evaluation for each piece of land is implemented with the assessment indices. Finally, according to the nature condition and economic development trend, by accomplishing the analysis of the comprehensive control benefits for the small watershed, establishing rational land use pattern. Through five years construction of soil and water conservation, the controlling soil erosion area up to 2369.98 hectares, harnessed degree reaches 80.66%, the per capita net income will float up from yen 944.72 to yen 1049.75, the annual preserved area of endangered soil will be 90,000t with the efficiency increased by more than 22%, eventually the soil and water loss shall be well under control. This indicates that "3S" technology make the work more cost-effective, more efficient and more reliable taking into account the precise data which are processed in the planning.