Nutrient-dependent methylation of a membrane-associated protein of Escherichia coli

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Young, C.C.; Alvarez, J.D.; Bernlohr, R.W.

1990-01-01

Starvation of a mid-log-phase culture of Escherichia coli B/r for nitrogen, phosphate, or carbon resulted in methylation of a membrane-associated protein of about 43,000 daltons (P-43) in the presence of chloramphenicol and [methyl-3H]methionine. The in vivo methylation reaction occurred with a doubling time of 2 to 5 min and was followed by a slower demethylation process. Addition of the missing nutrient to a starving culture immediately prevented further methylation of P-43. P-43 methylation is not related to the methylated chemotaxis proteins because P-43 is methylated in response to a different spectrum of nutrients and because P-43 is methylated on lysine residues. The characteristics of P-43 are similar to those of a methylated protein previously described in Bacillus subtilis and B. licheniformis and are consistent with the proposal that methylation of this protein functions in nutrient sensing

Assessment of macro and micro nutrients around brick kilns agricultural environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdul Halim Farhad Sikder

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Brick kiln is well known as one of the main sources of air pollution; however, the pollutants produced from it do not remain in the air, they ultimately fall down to the soil and pollute the surroundings, therefore, this study was carried out to assess the status of macro (N, P, K and S and micro nutrients (Fe, Mn and Zn, Cu in the agricultural environment near the brick kilns of Young Brahmaputra and Jamuna Floodplain soils. Composite soil and plant samples were collected from four distances such as 250 m, 500 m, 1000 m, and 1500 m in three different sites. Sulphur (2352–3378 mg kg−1, Zn (86–156 mg kg−1 and Cu (24.7–46.9 mg kg−1 are found in the elevated levels near brick kiln soils that is released due to burning of poor quality coal and fire woods. The alarming news is that plant uptake of S and micro nutrients in the nearest areas of the brick kilns are significantly higher than the areas far from the brick production and their concentration ranges from 23 mg kg−1 to 101 mg kg−1 for Zn, 10–41 mg kg−1 for Cu, 35–1309 mg kg−1 for Fe, 26–126 mg kg−1 for Mn and 2590–mg kg−1 for S. Data indicates both soil and plant received maximum amount of micronutrients and S concentrations within 500–1000 m distances from brick kilns. Iron and Mn concentrations vary within a permissible limit but the plant uptake is high. Nitrogen concentrations is increasing with the distance from the brick kilns in both soils and plants but no definite pattern of P and K accumulation was found. Research suggested avoiding agricultural practice nearby brick kiln soils due to micronutrient contamination in order to preserve adjoined agricultural environment.

FY 2000 report on the results of the regional consortium R and D project - Regional consortium field. First year report. R and D of highly integrated micro-protein reactor array system; 2000 nendo chiiki consortium kenkyu kaihatsu jigyo - chiiki consortium bun'ya. Koshusekigata micro protein reactor array system no kenkyu kaihatsu (dai 1 nendo) seika hokokusho

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2001-03-01

By micro-processing, micro-protein reactor array is fabricated, and inside it a very trace of gene is amplified by PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and then was amplified by adding the transcription/translation reaction mixture to it. By causing the protein synthesis reaction using the amplified gene, a highly integrated protein library is constructed. For it, the development of a new micro-protein reactor array system ({mu} PRAS) was proceeded with. Studies were made in the following 8 fields: 1) materials of micro reactor array and the manufacturing method; 2) development of the element unit of {mu} PRAS; 3) trial manufacture of micro reactor array chip and the evaluation; 4) trial manufacture of the micro-domain high-speed DNA manipulation system; 5) method to control non-specific DNA amplification in unimolecular PCR; 6) basic study of technology of molecular evolution of degrading enzymes of degradation-resistant substances such as dioxin; 7) method to construct the enzyme lipase library and computer simulation; 8) optimization of a system to synthesize optical activity useful compounds using enzyme lipase. (NEDO)

Raster-scanning serial protein crystallography using micro- and nano-focused synchrotron beams

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coquelle, Nicolas [Université Grenoble Alpes, IBS, 38044 Grenoble (France); CNRS, IBS, 38044 Grenoble (France); CEA, IBS, 38044 Grenoble (France); Brewster, Aaron S. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Kapp, Ulrike; Shilova, Anastasya; Weinhausen, Britta [European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, BP 220, 38043 Grenoble (France); Burghammer, Manfred, E-mail: burgham@esrf.fr [European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, BP 220, 38043 Grenoble (France); Ghent University, Ghent B-9000 (Belgium); Colletier, Jacques-Philippe, E-mail: burgham@esrf.fr [Université Grenoble Alpes, IBS, 38044 Grenoble (France); CNRS, IBS, 38044 Grenoble (France); CEA, IBS, 38044 Grenoble (France)

2015-05-01

A raster scanning serial protein crystallography approach is presented, that consumes as low ∼200–700 nl of sedimented crystals. New serial data pre-analysis software, NanoPeakCell, is introduced. High-resolution structural information was obtained from lysozyme microcrystals (20 µm in the largest dimension) using raster-scanning serial protein crystallography on micro- and nano-focused beamlines at the ESRF. Data were collected at room temperature (RT) from crystals sandwiched between two silicon nitride wafers, thereby preventing their drying, while limiting background scattering and sample consumption. In order to identify crystal hits, new multi-processing and GUI-driven Python-based pre-analysis software was developed, named NanoPeakCell, that was able to read data from a variety of crystallographic image formats. Further data processing was carried out using CrystFEL, and the resultant structures were refined to 1.7 Å resolution. The data demonstrate the feasibility of RT raster-scanning serial micro- and nano-protein crystallography at synchrotrons and validate it as an alternative approach for the collection of high-resolution structural data from micro-sized crystals. Advantages of the proposed approach are its thriftiness, its handling-free nature, the reduced amount of sample required, the adjustable hit rate, the high indexing rate and the minimization of background scattering.

Protein-material interactions: From micro-to-nano scale

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsapikouni, Theodora S.; Missirlis, Yannis F.

2008-01-01

The article presents a survey on the significance of protein-material interactions, the mechanisms which control them and the techniques used for their study. Protein-surface interactions play a key role in regenerative medicine, drug delivery, biosensor technology and chromatography, while it is related to various undesired effects such as biofouling and bio-prosthetic malfunction. Although the effects of protein-surface interaction concern the micro-scale, being sometimes obvious even with bare eyes, they derive from biophysical events at the nano-scale. The sequential steps for protein adsorption involve events at the single biomolecule level and the forces driving or inhibiting protein adsorption act at the molecular level too. Following the scaling of protein-surface interactions, various techniques have been developed for their study both in the micro- and nano-scale. Protein labelling with radioisotopes or fluorescent probes, colorimetric assays and the quartz crystal microbalance were the first techniques used to monitor protein adsorption isotherms, while the surface force apparatus was used to measure the interaction forces between protein layers at the micro-scale. Recently, more elaborate techniques like total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), surface plasmon resonance, Raman spectroscopy, ellipsometry and time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) have been applied for the investigation of protein density, structure or orientation at the interfaces. However, a turning point in the study of protein interactions with the surfaces was the invention and the wide-spread use of atomic force microscopy (AFM) which can both image single protein molecules on surfaces and directly measure the interaction force

Effect of Nutrient Formulations on Permeation of Proteins and Lipids ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Purpose: To investigate the effect of nutrient formulations on the permeation of proteins and lipids through porcine intestine in vitro. Method: In vitro permeation studies of proteins and lipids of two peptide-based formulations, composed of various compounds and sources of hydrolyzed protein was carried out, and compared ...

Evaluation of high nutrient diets on litter performance of heat-stressed lactating sows

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Yohan Choi

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Objective The present study investigated the litter performance of multiparous sows fed 3% and 6% densified diets at farrowing to weaning during summer with mean maximum room temperature of 30.5°C. Methods A total of 60 crossbred multiparous sows were allotted to one of three treatments based on body weight according to a completely randomized design. Three different nutrient levels based on NRC were applied as standard diet (ST; metabolizable energy, 3,300 kcal/kg, high nutrient level 1 (HE1; ST+3% higher energy and 16.59% protein and high nutrient level 2 (HE2; ST+6% higher energy and 17.04% protein. Results There was no variation in the body weight change. However, backfat thickness change tended to reduce in HE1 in comparison to ST treatment. Dietary treatments had no effects on feed intake, daily energy intake and weaning-to-estrus interval in lactating sows. Litter size, litter weight at weaning and average daily gain of piglets were significantly greater in sows in HE1 compared with ST, however, no difference was observed between HE2 and ST. Increasing the nutrient levels had no effects on the blood urea nitrogen, glucose, triglyceride, and creatinine at post-farrowing and weaning time. The concentration of follicle stimulating hormone, cortisol and insulin were not affected by dietary treatments either in post-farrowing or weaning time. The concentration of blood luteinizing hormone of sows in ST treatment was numerically less than sows in HE2 treatment at weaning. Milk and colostrum compositions such as protein, fat and lactose were not affected by the treatments. Conclusion An energy level of 3,400 kcal/kg (14.23 MJ/kg with 166 g/kg crude protein is suggested as the optimal level of dietary nutrients for heat stressed lactating sows with significant beneficial effects on litter size.

Nucleotides, micro- and macro-nutrients, limonoids, flavonoids, and hydroxycinnamates composition in the phloem sap of sweet orange.

Science.gov (United States)

Hijaz, Faraj; Manthey, John A; Van der Merwe, Deon; Killiny, Nabil

2016-06-02

Currently, the global citrus production is declining due to the spread of Huanglongbing (HLB). HLB, otherwise known as citrus greening, is caused by Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) and is transmitted by the Asian citrus psyllids (ACP), Diaphorina citri Kuwayama. ACP transmits CLas bacterium while feeding on the citrus phloem sap. Multiplication of CLas in the phloem of citrus indicates that the sap contains all the essential nutrients needed for CLas. In this study, we investigated the micro- and macro-nutrients, nucleotides, and others secondary metabolites of phloem sap from pineapple sweet orange. The micro- and macro-nutrients were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Nucleotides and other secondary metabolites analysis was accomplished by reversed phase HPLC coupled with UV, fluorescence detection, or negative mode electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Calcium (89 mM) was the highest element followed by potassium (38.8 mM) and phosphorous (24 mM). Magnesium and sulfur were also abundant and their concentrations were 15 and 9 mM, respectively. The rest of the elements were found in low amounts (sap.

Design of an Efficient Turbulent Micro-Mixer for Protein Folding Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Inguva, Venkatesh; Perot, Blair

2015-11-01

Protein folding studies require the development of micro-mixers that require less sample, mix at faster rates, and still provide a high signal to noise ratio. Chaotic to marginally turbulent micro-mixers are promising candidates for this application. In this study, various turbulence and unsteadiness generation concepts are explored that avoid cavitation. The mixing enhancements include flow turning regions, flow splitters, and vortex shedding. The relative effectiveness of these different approaches for rapid micro-mixing is discussed. Simulations found that flow turning regions provided the best mixing profile. Experimental validation of the optimal design is verified through laser confocal microscopy experiments. This work is support by the National Science Foundation.

Phytotoxic effects of nickel on yield and concentration of macro- and micro-nutrients in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) achenes.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, Muhammad Sajid Aqeel; Ashraf, Muhammad; Hussain, Mumtaz

2011-01-30

The phytotoxic effects of varying levels of nickel (0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 mg L(-1)) on growth, yield and accumulation of macro- and micro-nutrients in leaves and achenes of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) were appraised in this study. A marked reduction in root and shoot fresh biomass was recorded at higher Ni levels. Nickel stress also caused a substantial decrease in all macro- and micro-nutrients in leaves and achenes. The lower level of Ni (10 mg L(-1)) had a non-significant effect on various yield attributes, but higher Ni levels considerably decreased these parameters. Higher Ni levels decreased the concentrations of Ca, Mn and Fe in achenes. In contrast, achene N, K, Zn, Mn and Cu decreased consistently with increasing level of Ni, even at lower level (10 mg L(-1)). Sunflower hybrid Hysun-33 had better yield and higher most of the nutrients in achenes as compared with SF-187. The maximum reduction in all parameters was observed at the maximum level of nickel (40 mg L(-1)) where almost all parameters were reduced more than 50% of those of control plants. In conclusion, the pattern of uptake and accumulation of different nutrients in sunflower plants were nutrient- and cultivar-specific under Ni-stress. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the micro nutrients daily ingestion and mercury on pre-elementary school children from some communities of the state of Amazonas, Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santos, Andrea C.P.; Favaro, Deborah I.T.; Farias, Luciana; Maihara, Vera A.; Vasconcellos, Marina B.A.; ime P.L.; Alencar, Fernando H.; Yuyama, Lucia K.

2007-01-01

This study evaluates the daily dietetic ingestion of Hg and some nutrients of pre-scholar children from eight communities of Amazonas state, Brazil. Some children from each community were selected and their diets (24 hours total consumption) were collected by the duplicate quantity method and a pool of diets composed for each of these communities. The diet samples were analysed for the Hg total content by a CV AAS linear accelerator and neutron activation analysis for determination of Ca, Fe, K, Se and Zn micro nutrients. Both analytical methodologies precision and accuracy were validated using the certified reference materials analysis. The provisional tolerable weekly ingestion (PTWI) for Hg and the daily micro nutrient ingestion were calculated for each group, considering an 10 kg average weight for each child. The obtained results for all diets were shown the inadequacy prevail for the evaluated micro nutrients, and some communities exceeded the limit of 5 μg Hg/kg of body weight (PTWI). Those results suggested that the nutritional education program must be implemented at those communities, aiming the better utilization of the local food natural resources. (author)

Nutrient patterns and their food sources in an International Study Setting: report from the EPIC study.

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Aurelie Moskal

Full Text Available Compared to food patterns, nutrient patterns have been rarely used particularly at international level. We studied, in the context of a multi-center study with heterogeneous data, the methodological challenges regarding pattern analyses.We identified nutrient patterns from food frequency questionnaires (FFQ in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC Study and used 24-hour dietary recall (24-HDR data to validate and describe the nutrient patterns and their related food sources. Associations between lifestyle factors and the nutrient patterns were also examined. Principal component analysis (PCA was applied on 23 nutrients derived from country-specific FFQ combining data from all EPIC centers (N = 477,312. Harmonized 24-HDRs available for a representative sample of the EPIC populations (N = 34,436 provided accurate mean group estimates of nutrients and foods by quintiles of pattern scores, presented graphically. An overall PCA combining all data captured a good proportion of the variance explained in each EPIC center. Four nutrient patterns were identified explaining 67% of the total variance: Principle component (PC 1 was characterized by a high contribution of nutrients from plant food sources and a low contribution of nutrients from animal food sources; PC2 by a high contribution of micro-nutrients and proteins; PC3 was characterized by polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin D; PC4 was characterized by calcium, proteins, riboflavin, and phosphorus. The nutrients with high loadings on a particular pattern as derived from country-specific FFQ also showed high deviations in their mean EPIC intakes by quintiles of pattern scores when estimated from 24-HDR. Center and energy intake explained most of the variability in pattern scores.The use of 24-HDR enabled internal validation and facilitated the interpretation of the nutrient patterns derived from FFQs in term of food sources. These outcomes open research

Nutrient patterns and their food sources in an International Study Setting: report from the EPIC study.

Science.gov (United States)

Moskal, Aurelie; Pisa, Pedro T; Ferrari, Pietro; Byrnes, Graham; Freisling, Heinz; Boutron-Ruault, Marie-Christine; Cadeau, Claire; Nailler, Laura; Wendt, Andrea; Kühn, Tilman; Boeing, Heiner; Buijsse, Brian; Tjønneland, Anne; Halkjær, Jytte; Dahm, Christina C; Chiuve, Stephanie E; Quirós, Jose R; Buckland, Genevieve; Molina-Montes, Esther; Amiano, Pilar; Huerta Castaño, José M; Gurrea, Aurelio Barricarte; Khaw, Kay-Tee; Lentjes, Marleen A; Key, Timothy J; Romaguera, Dora; Vergnaud, Anne-Claire; Trichopoulou, Antonia; Bamia, Christina; Orfanos, Philippos; Palli, Domenico; Pala, Valeria; Tumino, Rosario; Sacerdote, Carlotta; de Magistris, Maria Santucci; Bueno-de-Mesquita, H Bas; Ocké, Marga C; Beulens, Joline W J; Ericson, Ulrika; Drake, Isabel; Nilsson, Lena M; Winkvist, Anna; Weiderpass, Elisabete; Hjartåker, Anette; Riboli, Elio; Slimani, Nadia

2014-01-01

Compared to food patterns, nutrient patterns have been rarely used particularly at international level. We studied, in the context of a multi-center study with heterogeneous data, the methodological challenges regarding pattern analyses. We identified nutrient patterns from food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Study and used 24-hour dietary recall (24-HDR) data to validate and describe the nutrient patterns and their related food sources. Associations between lifestyle factors and the nutrient patterns were also examined. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied on 23 nutrients derived from country-specific FFQ combining data from all EPIC centers (N = 477,312). Harmonized 24-HDRs available for a representative sample of the EPIC populations (N = 34,436) provided accurate mean group estimates of nutrients and foods by quintiles of pattern scores, presented graphically. An overall PCA combining all data captured a good proportion of the variance explained in each EPIC center. Four nutrient patterns were identified explaining 67% of the total variance: Principle component (PC) 1 was characterized by a high contribution of nutrients from plant food sources and a low contribution of nutrients from animal food sources; PC2 by a high contribution of micro-nutrients and proteins; PC3 was characterized by polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin D; PC4 was characterized by calcium, proteins, riboflavin, and phosphorus. The nutrients with high loadings on a particular pattern as derived from country-specific FFQ also showed high deviations in their mean EPIC intakes by quintiles of pattern scores when estimated from 24-HDR. Center and energy intake explained most of the variability in pattern scores. The use of 24-HDR enabled internal validation and facilitated the interpretation of the nutrient patterns derived from FFQs in term of food sources. These outcomes open research opportunities and

Accurate microRNA target prediction correlates with protein repression levels

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Simossis Victor A

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background MicroRNAs are small endogenously expressed non-coding RNA molecules that regulate target gene expression through translation repression or messenger RNA degradation. MicroRNA regulation is performed through pairing of the microRNA to sites in the messenger RNA of protein coding genes. Since experimental identification of miRNA target genes poses difficulties, computational microRNA target prediction is one of the key means in deciphering the role of microRNAs in development and disease. Results DIANA-microT 3.0 is an algorithm for microRNA target prediction which is based on several parameters calculated individually for each microRNA and combines conserved and non-conserved microRNA recognition elements into a final prediction score, which correlates with protein production fold change. Specifically, for each predicted interaction the program reports a signal to noise ratio and a precision score which can be used as an indication of the false positive rate of the prediction. Conclusion Recently, several computational target prediction programs were benchmarked based on a set of microRNA target genes identified by the pSILAC method. In this assessment DIANA-microT 3.0 was found to achieve the highest precision among the most widely used microRNA target prediction programs reaching approximately 66%. The DIANA-microT 3.0 prediction results are available online in a user friendly web server at http://www.microrna.gr/microT

Postexercise nutrient intake enhances leg protein balance in early postmenopausal women

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holm, Lars; Esmarck, Birgitte; Suetta, Charlotte

2005-01-01

BACKGROUND: We investigated the effect of nutrient administration after a session of resistance exercise on muscle protein kinetics in six healthy, early postmenopausal women, in a crossover design of random and double-blinded administration of protein and carbohydrate (PC) or placebo (NON). METH...

Role of microProteins in controlling diverse biological pathways

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dolde, Ulla Margrit

MicroProteins are small, single-domain proteins that dimerize with larger multi-domain proteins and prevent them from forming functional complexes. To date, 22 microProteins have been identified in plants that regulate their target by sequestering them into non-productive protein complexes. The two......Proteins that regulate their target by forming a higher order protein complex. They form an at least trimeric complex with CO and the transcriptional repressor TOPLESS (TPL). Ectopic expression of miP1a or miP1b in plants causes a late flowering phenotype, due to the failure in COdependent activation of FLOWERING LOCUS...... T (FT) expression. In agreement with the late flowering of overexpression plants, loss-of-function mutants of both miP1a and miP1b, generated using CRISPR/Cas9 genome engineering, showed also a slightly early flowering phenotype. In a forward genetic screen using transgenic plants overexpressing mi...

Nucleotides, micro- and macro-nutrients, limonoids, flavonoids, and hydroxycinnamates composition in the phloem sap of sweet orange

Science.gov (United States)

Hijaz, Faraj; Manthey, John A.; Van der Merwe, Deon; Killiny, Nabil

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Currently, the global citrus production is declining due to the spread of Huanglongbing (HLB). HLB, otherwise known as citrus greening, is caused by Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) and is transmitted by the Asian citrus psyllids (ACP), Diaphorina citri Kuwayama. ACP transmits CLas bacterium while feeding on the citrus phloem sap. Multiplication of CLas in the phloem of citrus indicates that the sap contains all the essential nutrients needed for CLas. In this study, we investigated the micro- and macro-nutrients, nucleotides, and others secondary metabolites of phloem sap from pineapple sweet orange. The micro- and macro-nutrients were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Nucleotides and other secondary metabolites analysis was accomplished by reversed phase HPLC coupled with UV, fluorescence detection, or negative mode electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Calcium (89 mM) was the highest element followed by potassium (38.8 mM) and phosphorous (24 mM). Magnesium and sulfur were also abundant and their concentrations were 15 and 9 mM, respectively. The rest of the elements were found in low amounts (flavonoids. In addition, several hydroxycinnamates were detected. The results of this study will increase our knowledge about the nature and the chemical composition of citrus phloem sap. PMID:27171979

Effect of heat stress on protein utilization and nutrient transporters in meat-type chickens

Science.gov (United States)

Habashy, Walid S.; Milfort, Marie C.; Fuller, Alberta L.; Attia, Youssef A.; Rekaya, Romdhane; Aggrey, Samuel E.

2017-12-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of heat stress (HS) on digestibility of protein and fat and the expression of nutrient transporters in broilers. Forty-eight male Cobb500 chicks were used in this study. At day 14, birds were randomly divided into two groups and kept under either constant normal temperature (25 °C) or high temperature (35 °C) in individual cages. Five birds per treatment at 1 and 12 days post-treatment were euthanized, and Pectoralis major ( P. major) and ileum were sampled for gene expression analysis. At day 33, ileal contents were collected and used for digestibility analysis. The total consumption and retention of protein and fat were significantly lower in the HS group compared to the control group. Meanwhile, the retention of crude protein per BWG was significantly higher in the HS group compared to the control group. In P. major and ileum tissues at day 1, transporters FATP1 and SGLT1 were down-regulated in the HS group. Meanwhile, FABP1 and PepT1 were down-regulated only in the ileum of the HS group. The converse was shown in P. major. The nutrient transporter FABP1 at day 12 post-HS was down-regulated in the P. major and ileum, but GLUT1 and PepT2 were down-regulated only in the ileum, and PepT1 was down-regulated only in the P. major compared with the control group. These changes in nutrient transporters suggest that high ambient temperature might change the ileum and P. major lipids, glucose, and oligopeptide transporters.

Identification, Expression Analysis, and Target Prediction of Flax Genotroph MicroRNAs Under Normal and Nutrient Stress Conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Melnikova, Nataliya V.; Dmitriev, Alexey A.; Belenikin, Maxim S.; Koroban, Nadezhda V.; Speranskaya, Anna S.; Krinitsina, Anastasia A.; Krasnov, George S.; Lakunina, Valentina A.; Snezhkina, Anastasiya V.; Sadritdinova, Asiya F.; Kishlyan, Natalya V.; Rozhmina, Tatiana A.; Klimina, Kseniya M.; Amosova, Alexandra V.; Zelenin, Alexander V.; Muravenko, Olga V.; Bolsheva, Nadezhda L.; Kudryavtseva, Anna V.

2016-01-01

Cultivated flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is an important plant valuable for industry. Some flax lines can undergo heritable phenotypic and genotypic changes (LIS-1 insertion being the most common) in response to nutrient stress and are called plastic lines. Offspring of plastic lines, which stably inherit the changes, are called genotrophs. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in a crucial regulatory mechanism of gene expression. They have previously been assumed to take part in nutrient stress response and can, therefore, participate in genotroph formation. In the present study, we performed high-throughput sequencing of small RNAs (sRNAs) extracted from flax plants grown under normal, phosphate deficient and nutrient excess conditions to identify miRNAs and evaluate their expression. Our analysis revealed expression of 96 conserved miRNAs from 21 families in flax. Moreover, 475 novel potential miRNAs were identified for the first time, and their targets were predicted. However, none of the identified miRNAs were transcribed from LIS-1. Expression of seven miRNAs (miR168, miR169, miR395, miR398, miR399, miR408, and lus-miR-N1) with up- or down-regulation under nutrient stress (on the basis of high-throughput sequencing data) was evaluated on extended sampling using qPCR. Reference gene search identified ETIF3H and ETIF3E genes as most suitable for this purpose. Down-regulation of novel potential lus-miR-N1 and up-regulation of conserved miR399 were revealed under the phosphate deficient conditions. In addition, the negative correlation of expression of lus-miR-N1 and its predicted target, ubiquitin-activating enzyme E1 gene, as well as, miR399 and its predicted target, ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2 gene, was observed. Thus, in our study, miRNAs expressed in flax plastic lines and genotrophs were identified and their expression and expression of their targets was evaluated using high-throughput sequencing and qPCR for the first time. These data provide new insights

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK mediates nutrient regulation of thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP in pancreatic beta-cells.

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Maayan Shaked

Full Text Available Thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP regulates critical biological processes including inflammation, stress and apoptosis. TXNIP is upregulated by glucose and is a critical mediator of hyperglycemia-induced beta-cell apoptosis in diabetes. In contrast, the saturated long-chain fatty acid palmitate, although toxic to the beta-cell, inhibits TXNIP expression. The mechanisms involved in the opposing effects of glucose and fatty acids on TXNIP expression are unknown. We found that both palmitate and oleate inhibited TXNIP in a rat beta-cell line and islets. Palmitate inhibition of TXNIP was independent of fatty acid beta-oxidation or esterification. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK has an important role in cellular energy sensing and control of metabolic homeostasis; therefore we investigated its involvement in nutrient regulation of TXNIP. As expected, glucose inhibited whereas palmitate stimulated AMPK. Pharmacologic activators of AMPK mimicked fatty acids by inhibiting TXNIP. AMPK knockdown increased TXNIP expression in presence of high glucose with and without palmitate, indicating that nutrient (glucose and fatty acids effects on TXNIP are mediated in part via modulation of AMPK activity. TXNIP is transcriptionally regulated by carbohydrate response element-binding protein (ChREBP. Palmitate inhibited glucose-stimulated ChREBP nuclear entry and recruitment to the Txnip promoter, thereby inhibiting Txnip transcription. We conclude that AMPK is an important regulator of Txnip transcription via modulation of ChREBP activity. The divergent effects of glucose and fatty acids on TXNIP expression result in part from their opposing effects on AMPK activity. In light of the important role of TXNIP in beta-cell apoptosis, its inhibition by fatty acids can be regarded as an adaptive/protective response to glucolipotoxicity. The finding that AMPK mediates nutrient regulation of TXNIP may have important implications for the pathophysiology and treatment

Reconstruction of the yeast protein-protein interaction network involved in nutrient sensing and global metabolic regulation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nandy, Subir Kumar; Jouhten, Paula; Nielsen, Jens

2010-01-01

proteins. Despite the value of BioGRID for studying protein-protein interactions, there is a need for manual curation of these interactions in order to remove false positives. RESULTS: Here we describe an annotated reconstruction of the protein-protein interactions around four key nutrient......) and for all the interactions between them (edges). The annotated information is readily available utilizing the functionalities of network modelling tools such as Cytoscape and CellDesigner. CONCLUSIONS: The reported fully annotated interaction model serves as a platform for integrated systems biology studies...

Nano-in-Micro Self-Reporting Hydrogel Constructs.

Science.gov (United States)

Tirella, Annalisa; La Marca, Margherita; Brace, Leigh-Anne; Mattei, Giorgio; Aylott, Jonathan W; Ahluwalia, Arti

2015-08-01

Highly reproducible Nano-in-Micro constructs are fabricated to provide a well-defined and self-reporting biomimetic environment for hepatocytes. Based on a protein/hydrogel formulation with controlled shape, size and composition, the constructs enable efficient nutrient exchange and provide an adhesive 3D framework to cells. Co-encapsulation of hepatocytes and ratiometric optical nanosensors with pH sensitivity in the physiological range allows continuous monitoring of the microenvironment. The lobule-sized microbeads are fabricated using an automated droplet generator, Sphyga (Spherical Hydrogel Generator) combining alginate, collagen, decellularized hepatic tissue, pH-nanosensors and hepatocytes. The pH inside the Nano-in-Micro constructs is monitored during culture, while assaying media for hepatic function and vitality markers. Although the local pH changes by several units during bead fabrication, when encapsulated cells are most likely to undergo stress, it is stable and buffered by cell culture media thereafter. Albumin secretion and urea production are significantly higher in the microbeads compared with controls, indicating that the encapsulated Nano-in-Micro environment is conducive to enhanced hepatic function.

Protein Redox Dynamics During Light-to-Dark Transitions in Cyanobacteria and Impacts Due to Nutrient Limitation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aaron T Wright

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Protein redox chemistry constitutes a major void in knowledge pertaining to photoautotrophic system regulation and signaling processes. We have employed a chemical biology approach to analyze redox sensitive proteins in live Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 cells in both light and dark periods, and to understand how cellular redox balance is disrupted during nutrient perturbation. The present work identified 300 putative redox-sensitive proteins that are involved in the generation of reductant, macromolecule synthesis, and carbon flux through central metabolic pathways, and may be involved in cell signaling and response mechanisms. Furthermore, our research suggests that dynamic redox changes in response to specific nutrient limitations, including carbon and nitrogen limitations, contribute to the regulatory changes driven by a shift from light to dark. Taken together, these results contribute to a high-level understanding of post-translational mechanisms regulating flux distributions and suggest potential metabolic engineering targets for redirecting carbon towards biofuel precursors.

NutrimiRAging: Micromanaging Nutrient Sensing Pathways through Nutrition to Promote Healthy Aging.

Science.gov (United States)

Micó, Víctor; Berninches, Laura; Tapia, Javier; Daimiel, Lidia

2017-04-26

Current sociodemographic predictions point to a demographic shift in developed and developing countries that will result in an unprecedented increase of the elderly population. This will be accompanied by an increase in age-related conditions that will strongly impair human health and quality of life. For this reason, aging is a major concern worldwide. Healthy aging depends on a combination of individual genetic factors and external environmental factors. Diet has been proved to be a powerful tool to modulate aging and caloric restriction has emerged as a valuable intervention in this regard. However, many questions about how a controlled caloric restriction intervention affects aging-related processes are still unanswered. Nutrient sensing pathways become deregulated with age and lose effectiveness with age. These pathways are a link between diet and aging. Thus, fully understanding this link is a mandatory step before bringing caloric restriction into practice. MicroRNAs have emerged as important regulators of cellular functions and can be modified by diet. Some microRNAs target genes encoding proteins and enzymes belonging to the nutrient sensing pathways and, therefore, may play key roles in the modulation of the aging process. In this review, we aimed to show the relationship between diet, nutrient sensing pathways and microRNAs in the context of aging.

NutrimiRAging: Micromanaging Nutrient Sensing Pathways through Nutrition to Promote Healthy Aging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Víctor Micó

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Current sociodemographic predictions point to a demographic shift in developed and developing countries that will result in an unprecedented increase of the elderly population. This will be accompanied by an increase in age-related conditions that will strongly impair human health and quality of life. For this reason, aging is a major concern worldwide. Healthy aging depends on a combination of individual genetic factors and external environmental factors. Diet has been proved to be a powerful tool to modulate aging and caloric restriction has emerged as a valuable intervention in this regard. However, many questions about how a controlled caloric restriction intervention affects aging-related processes are still unanswered. Nutrient sensing pathways become deregulated with age and lose effectiveness with age. These pathways are a link between diet and aging. Thus, fully understanding this link is a mandatory step before bringing caloric restriction into practice. MicroRNAs have emerged as important regulators of cellular functions and can be modified by diet. Some microRNAs target genes encoding proteins and enzymes belonging to the nutrient sensing pathways and, therefore, may play key roles in the modulation of the aging process. In this review, we aimed to show the relationship between diet, nutrient sensing pathways and microRNAs in the context of aging.

Bioavailability of Some Micro nutrient in Male Liver Albino Rat Exposed to one of Organo chlorine Compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharada, H.M.; El-Nabarawy, F.E.; Abdalla, M.S.; Ayad, S.K.Y.; Mohamed, R.Y.

2011-01-01

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is widely used in our daily life as a degreasing metal agent, pesticides, dry cleaning, typewriter, dis infectious and cleaning agents. The continuous exposure to it can induce liver injury with damage in hepatocytes that manifested by significant alterations in liver biochemical markers, immunological responses, histopathological pictures and DNA fragmentation. The present study aimed to evaluate the potential ability of daily supplementation with some micro nutrients as vit. C and/or Zn in protection of hepatocytes beside ameliorative effect of the damage events that induced in hepatocytes in response to TCE exposure. The results of the current study showed significant improvement in liver biochemical parameters with balance in immunological disturbance beside reduction in alterations of histopathological pictures and DNA fragmentation towards the normal side as a consequence of daily supplementation with vit. C and/or Zn which was obvious when both micro nutrients taken together. The current data could concluded that daily supplementation with both vit. C and Zn together may protect and alleviate the destructive events induced in hepatocytes in response of continuous exposure to TCE particularly when individuals dealing with this toxic material in their daily life.

Water-Protein Hydrogen Exchange in the Micro-Crystalline Protein Crh as Observed by Solid State NMR Spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boeckmann, Anja; Juy, Michel; Bettler, Emmanuel; Emsley, Lyndon; Galinier, Anne; Penin, Francois; Lesage, Anne

2005-01-01

We report site-resolved observation of hydrogen exchange in the micro-crystalline protein Crh. Our approach is based on the use of proton T 2 ' -selective 1 H- 13 C- 13 C correlation spectra for site-specific assignments of carbons nearby labile protein protons. We compare the proton T 2 ' selective scheme to frequency selective water observation in deuterated proteins, and discuss the impacts of deuteration on 13 C linewidths in Crh. We observe that in micro-crystalline proteins, solvent accessible hydroxyl and amino protons show comparable exchange rates with water protons as for proteins in solution, and that structural constraints, such as hydrogen bonding or solvent accessibility, more significantly reduce exchange rates

MicroProtein-mediated recruitment of CONSTANS into a TOPLESS trimeric complex represses flowering in Arabidopsis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Graeff, Moritz; Straub, Daniel; Eguen, Tenai E.

2016-01-01

MicroProteins are short, single domain proteins that act by sequestering larger, multi-domain proteins into non-functional complexes. MicroProteins have been identified in plants and animals, where they are mostly involved in the regulation of developmental processes. Here we show that two...

Analysis of toxic elements and macro-micro nutrients in food stuff by using neutron activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rina Mulyaningsih, Th.; Istanto; Saeful Yusuf; Siti Suprapti

2010-01-01

Determination of toxic elements and macro-micro nutrient in food stuff by neutron activation analysis (NAA) has been done. The kinds of samples are vegetables, legume, mace and flavor, flour, fish and flesh. Samples had been collected from market in Serpong. Analysis of the samples show macro nutrients with concentration >1000 mg/kg, as K, Ca, Mg, Na, and Cl; micronutrients with concentration 10 - 100 mg/kg: Fe, Mn, Zn, Se, Br, Rb, and La; and toxic elements with concentration below 5 mg/kg as Co, Sb, Hg, As and Cr. As concentration in fish and rice and Hg concentration in fish and red chili is exceed from government permission value. Zinc concentration in some kind of samples is more than permission value, but it should be considered because of its average daily intake is lower then recommended value 15 mg/day. The Zn deficiencies can disturb growth and metabolism. Al concentration in samples is high enough 10 – 500 mg/kg; it must be take into account serious attention because of its toxicity. Evaluation of these elements is compared to sufficiency value of daily requirement RDA (Recommended Daily Acceptable). In this study was discussed potential hazards for human while its deficiencies or excessive intake. (author)

Nutrient digestibility and evaluation of protein and carbohydrate fractionation of citrus by-products

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lashkari, Saman; Taghizadeh, Akbar

2013-01-01

The protein and carbohydrate fractionation and nutrient digestibility of citrus by‐products were determined. Ruminal, intestinal and total tract CP disappearance values were measured by a modified three‐step (MTSP) method and in vitro CP disappearance method (IVCP). Test feeds were orange pulp (OP...... to the results, it could be concluded that citrus by‐products have high nutritive value and also, the in vitro techniques can be easily used to determine of the nutritive value of citrus by‐products....

Dynamical modeling of microRNA action on the protein translation process.

Science.gov (United States)

Zinovyev, Andrei; Morozova, Nadya; Nonne, Nora; Barillot, Emmanuel; Harel-Bellan, Annick; Gorban, Alexander N

2010-02-24

Protein translation is a multistep process which can be represented as a cascade of biochemical reactions (initiation, ribosome assembly, elongation, etc.), the rate of which can be regulated by small non-coding microRNAs through multiple mechanisms. It remains unclear what mechanisms of microRNA action are the most dominant: moreover, many experimental reports deliver controversial messages on what is the concrete mechanism actually observed in the experiment. Nissan and Parker have recently demonstrated that it might be impossible to distinguish alternative biological hypotheses using the steady state data on the rate of protein synthesis. For their analysis they used two simple kinetic models of protein translation. In contrary to the study by Nissan and Parker, we show that dynamical data allow discriminating some of the mechanisms of microRNA action. We demonstrate this using the same models as developed by Nissan and Parker for the sake of comparison but the methods developed (asymptotology of biochemical networks) can be used for other models. We formulate a hypothesis that the effect of microRNA action is measurable and observable only if it affects the dominant system (generalization of the limiting step notion for complex networks) of the protein translation machinery. The dominant system can vary in different experimental conditions that can partially explain the existing controversy of some of the experimental data. Our analysis of the transient protein translation dynamics shows that it gives enough information to verify or reject a hypothesis about a particular molecular mechanism of microRNA action on protein translation. For multiscale systems only that action of microRNA is distinguishable which affects the parameters of dominant system (critical parameters), or changes the dominant system itself. Dominant systems generalize and further develop the old and very popular idea of limiting step. Algorithms for identifying dominant systems in multiscale

Dynamical modeling of microRNA action on the protein translation process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barillot Emmanuel

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Protein translation is a multistep process which can be represented as a cascade of biochemical reactions (initiation, ribosome assembly, elongation, etc., the rate of which can be regulated by small non-coding microRNAs through multiple mechanisms. It remains unclear what mechanisms of microRNA action are the most dominant: moreover, many experimental reports deliver controversial messages on what is the concrete mechanism actually observed in the experiment. Nissan and Parker have recently demonstrated that it might be impossible to distinguish alternative biological hypotheses using the steady state data on the rate of protein synthesis. For their analysis they used two simple kinetic models of protein translation. Results In contrary to the study by Nissan and Parker, we show that dynamical data allow discriminating some of the mechanisms of microRNA action. We demonstrate this using the same models as developed by Nissan and Parker for the sake of comparison but the methods developed (asymptotology of biochemical networks can be used for other models. We formulate a hypothesis that the effect of microRNA action is measurable and observable only if it affects the dominant system (generalization of the limiting step notion for complex networks of the protein translation machinery. The dominant system can vary in different experimental conditions that can partially explain the existing controversy of some of the experimental data. Conclusions Our analysis of the transient protein translation dynamics shows that it gives enough information to verify or reject a hypothesis about a particular molecular mechanism of microRNA action on protein translation. For multiscale systems only that action of microRNA is distinguishable which affects the parameters of dominant system (critical parameters, or changes the dominant system itself. Dominant systems generalize and further develop the old and very popular idea of limiting step

Bioinformatic analysis of microRNA biogenesis and function related proteins in eleven animal genomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xiuying; Luo, GuanZheng; Bai, Xiujuan; Wang, Xiu-Jie

2009-10-01

MicroRNAs are approximately 22 nt long small non-coding RNAs that play important regulatory roles in eukaryotes. The biogenesis and functional processes of microRNAs require the participation of many proteins, of which, the well studied ones are Dicer, Drosha, Argonaute and Exportin 5. To systematically study these four protein families, we screened 11 animal genomes to search for genes encoding above mentioned proteins, and identified some new members for each family. Domain analysis results revealed that most proteins within the same family share identical or similar domains. Alternative spliced transcript variants were found for some proteins. We also examined the expression patterns of these proteins in different human tissues and identified other proteins that could potentially interact with these proteins. These findings provided systematic information on the four key proteins involved in microRNA biogenesis and functional pathways in animals, and will shed light on further functional studies of these proteins.

Risks assessment of environmental exposure to certain organo chemicals in male rats: the possible modulatory effect of micro nutrients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ibrahim, R.Y.M.

2011-01-01

damaged tissues also slightly improved and recorded mild decrease in the damage of DNA fragments. The results of the present work showed slight improvement when supplementation was by one micro nutrient such as vitamin C or zinc, but highly improved toward normal control if the two micro nutrients co administrated. In conclusion, we recommend that there must be a threshold limit of dose and time for exposure to trichloroethylene for occupational workers, and recommend that workers and normal people whom may be exposed to TCE can supplement with vitamin C and zinc together to compensate the TCE hazardous effects.

Nutrient Intake and Digestibility of Cynomolgus Monkey (Macaca fascicularis Fed with High Soluble Carbohydrate Diet: A Preliminary Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

DEWI APRI ASTUTI

2009-12-01

Full Text Available High carbohydrate as obese diet is not yet available commercially for monkeys. Therefore, this preliminary study was to carry out nutrient intake and digestibility of cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis fed with high soluble carbohydrate diet compared to monkey chow. Five adult female macaques (average body weight 2.67 kg were made to consume freshly diet. Commercial monkey chows (contains 3500 cal/g energy and 35% starch were fed to three adult females (average body weight 3.62 kg. Nutrient intakes and digestibility parameters were measured using modified metabolic cages. Result showed that average of protein, fat, starch, and energy intakes in treatment diet were higher than control diet (T-test. Fat intake in the treatment diet was three times higher, while starch and energy intakes were almost two times higher than monkey chow. Digestibility percentage of all nutrients were the same in both diets except for the protein. The study concludes that the freshly prepared high sugar diet was palatable and digestible for the cynomolgus monkeys. Further studies are in progress to develop obese diet high in energy content based on fat and source of starch treatments.

Uptake of macro- and micro-nutrients into leaf, woody, and root tissue of Populus after irrigation with landfill leachate

Science.gov (United States)

Jill A. Zalesny; Ronald S., Jr. Zalesny; Adam H. Wiese; Bart T. Sexton; Richard B. Hall

2008-01-01

Information about macro- and micro-nutrient uptake and distribution into tissues of Populus irrigated with landfill leachate helps to maximize biomass production and understand impacts of leachate chemistry on tree health. We irrigated eight Populus clones (NC 13460, NCI4O18, NC14104, NC14106, DM115, DN5, NM2, NM6) with fertilized (N, P, K) well...

The bioavailability of iron, zinc, protein and vitamin A is highly variable in French individual diets: Impact on nutrient inadequacy assessment and relation with the animal-to-plant ratio of diets.

Science.gov (United States)

Perignon, Marlène; Barré, Tangui; Gazan, Rozenn; Amiot, Marie-Josèphe; Darmon, Nicole

2018-01-01

Nutritional adequacy depends on nutrient intakes and bioavailability which strongly varies with the plant- or animal-origin of foods. The aim was to estimate iron, zinc, protein and vitamin A bioavailability from individual diets, and investigate its relation with the animal-to-plant ratio (A/P) of diets. Bioavailability was estimated in 1899 French diets using diet-based algorithms or food-group specific conversion factors. Nutrient inadequacy was estimated based on i) bioavailability calculated in each individual diet and ii) average bioavailability assumed for Western-diets. Mean iron absorption, zinc absorption, protein quality and β-carotene conversion factor were 13%, 30%, 92%, and 17:1, respectively. Bioavailability displayed a high variability between individual diets, poorly explained by their A/P. Using individual bioavailability led to different inadequacy prevalence than with average factors assumed for Western-diets. In this population, the A/P does not seem sufficient to predict nutrient bioavailability and the corresponding recommended intakes. Nutritional adequacy should be assessed using bioavailability accounting for individual diets composition. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

MicroED data collection and processing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hattne, Johan; Reyes, Francis E.; Nannenga, Brent L.; Shi, Dan; Cruz, M. Jason de la [Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147 (United States); Leslie, Andrew G. W. [Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Gonen, Tamir, E-mail: gonent@janelia.hhmi.org [Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147 (United States)

2015-07-01

The collection and processing of MicroED data are presented. MicroED, a method at the intersection of X-ray crystallography and electron cryo-microscopy, has rapidly progressed by exploiting advances in both fields and has already been successfully employed to determine the atomic structures of several proteins from sub-micron-sized, three-dimensional crystals. A major limiting factor in X-ray crystallography is the requirement for large and well ordered crystals. By permitting electron diffraction patterns to be collected from much smaller crystals, or even single well ordered domains of large crystals composed of several small mosaic blocks, MicroED has the potential to overcome the limiting size requirement and enable structural studies on difficult-to-crystallize samples. This communication details the steps for sample preparation, data collection and reduction necessary to obtain refined, high-resolution, three-dimensional models by MicroED, and presents some of its unique challenges.

Effects of feeding wheat or corn-wheat dried distillers grains with solubles in low- or high-crude protein diets on ruminal function, omasal nutrient flows, urea-N recycling, and performance in cows.

Science.gov (United States)

Chibisa, G E; Mutsvangwa, T

2013-10-01

A study was conducted to determine the effects of including either wheat-based (W-DDGS) or corn-wheat blend (B-DDGS) dried distillers grains with solubles as the major protein source in low- or high-crude protein (CP) diets fed to dairy cows on ruminal function, microbial protein synthesis, omasal nutrient flows, urea-N recycling, and milk production. Eight lactating Holstein cows (768.5 ± 57.7 kg of body weight; 109.5 ± 40.0 d in milk) were used in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design with 28-d periods (18d of dietary adaptation and 10d of measurements) and a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of dietary treatments. Four cows in one Latin square were ruminally cannulated for the measurement of ruminal fermentation characteristics, microbial protein synthesis, urea-N recycling kinetics, and omasal nutrient flow. The treatment factors were type of distillers co-product (W-DDGS vs. B-DDGS) and dietary CP content [15.2 vs. 17.3%; dry matter (DM) basis]. The B-DDGS was produced from a mixture of 15% wheat and 85% corn grain. All diets were formulated to contain 10% W-DDGS or B-DDGS on a DM basis. No diet effect was observed on DM intake. Yields of milk, fat, protein, and lactose, and plasma urea-N and milk urea-N concentrations were lower in cows fed the low-CP compared with those fed the high-CP diet. Although feeding B-DDGS tended to reduce ruminal ammonia-N (NH3-N) concentration compared with feeding W-DDGS (9.3 vs. 10.5mg/dL), no differences were observed in plasma urea-N and milk urea-N concentrations. Additionally, dietary inclusion of B-DDGS compared with W-DDGS did not affect rumen-degradable protein supply, omasal flows of total N, microbial nonammonia N (NAN), rumen-undegradable protein, and total NAN, or urea-N recycling kinetics and milk production. However, cows fed the low-CP diet had lower N intake, rumen-degradable protein supply, ruminal NH3-N concentration, and omasal flows of N, microbial NAN, and total NAN compared with those fed the high-CP diet

Nutrient regulation in a predator, the wolf spider Pardosa prativaga

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Kim; Mayntz, David; Toft, Søren

2011-01-01

Nutrient balancing is well known in herbivores and omnivores, but has only recently been demonstrated in predators. To test how a predator might regulate nutrients when the prey varies in nutrient composition, we restricted juvenile Pardosa prativaga wolf spiders to diets of one of six fruit fly......, Drosophila melanogaster, prey types varying in lipid:protein composition during their second instar. We collected all fly remnants to estimate food and nutrient intake over each meal. The spiders adjusted their capture rate and nutrient extraction in response to prey mass and nutrient composition...... irrespective of energy intake. Intake was initially regulated to a constant lipid plus protein mass, but later spiders fed on prey with high proportions of protein increased consumption relative to spiders fed on other prey types. This pattern indicates that the spiders were prepared to overconsume vast...

Lack of A-factor production induces the expression of nutrient scavenging and stress-related proteins in Streptomyces griseus.

Science.gov (United States)

Birkó, Zsuzsanna; Swiatek, Magdalena; Szájli, Emília; Medzihradszky, Katalin F; Vijgenboom, Erik; Penyige, András; Keseru, Judit; van Wezel, Gilles P; Biró, Sándor

2009-10-01

The small gamma-butyrolactone A-factor is an important autoregulatory signaling molecule for the soil-inhabiting streptomycetes. Starvation is a major trigger for development, and nutrients are provided by degradation of the vegetative mycelium via a process of programmed cell death, reusing proteins, nucleic acids, and cell wall material. The A-factor regulon includes many extracellular hydrolases. Here we show via proteomics analysis that many nutrient-scavenging and stress-related proteins were overexpressed in an A-factor non-producing mutant of Streptomyces griseus B-2682. Transcript analysis showed that this is primarily due to differential transcription of the target genes during early development. The targets include proteins relating to nutrient stress and environmental stress and an orthologue of the Bacillus sporulation control protein Spo0M. The enhanced expression of these proteins underlines the stress that is generated by the absence of A-factor. Wild-type developmental gene expression was restored to the A-factor non-producing mutant by the signaling protein Factor C in line with our earlier observation that Factor C triggers A-factor production.

Nutrient Fortification of Human Donor Milk Affects Intestinal Function and Protein Metabolism in Preterm Pigs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sun, Jing; Li, Yanqi; Nguyen, Duc Ninh

2018-01-01

(BC) may be an alternative nutrient fortifier, considering its high content of protein and milk bioactive factors. Objective: We investigated whether BC was superior to an FF product based on processed bovine milk and vegetable oil to fortify donor human milk (DHM) for preterm pigs, used as a model......) and DHM with or without FF or BC fortification (+4.6 g protein ⋅ kg-1 ⋅ d-1). Results: DPM-fed pigs showed higher growth (10-fold), protein synthesis (+15-30%), villus heights, lactase and peptidase activities (+30%), and reduced intestinal cytokines (-50%) relative to DHM pigs (all P ....05). Fortification increased protein synthesis (+20-30%), but with higher weight gain and lower urea and cortisol concentrations for DHM+BC compared with DHM+FF pigs (2- to 3-fold differences, all P ≤ 0.06). DHM+FF pigs showed more diarrhea and reduced lactase and peptidase activities, hexose uptake, and villus...

Vegetation composition and soil nutrients status from polyculture to ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The findings revealed that the change in micro-environmental conditions as influenced by attitude and seasonality has marked effect on status and release of nutrients in the soil of representative forest stands at markedly difference. The ambient and soil temperature was sharply greater at high altitude (Upper Shillong) and ...

SIRT3 deacetylates ATP synthase F1 complex proteins in response to nutrient- and exercise-induced stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Vassilopoulos, Athanassios; Pennington, J Daniel; Andresson, Thorkell; Rees, David M; Bosley, Allen D; Fearnley, Ian M; Ham, Amy; Flynn, Charles Robb; Hill, Salisha; Rose, Kristie Lindsey; Kim, Hyun-Seok; Deng, Chu-Xia; Walker, John E; Gius, David

2014-08-01

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthase uses chemiosmotic energy across the inner mitochondrial membrane to convert adenosine diphosphate and orthophosphate into ATP, whereas genetic deletion of Sirt3 decreases mitochondrial ATP levels. Here, we investigate the mechanistic connection between SIRT3 and energy homeostasis. By using both in vitro and in vivo experiments, we demonstrate that ATP synthase F1 proteins alpha, beta, gamma, and Oligomycin sensitivity-conferring protein (OSCP) contain SIRT3-specific reversible acetyl-lysines that are evolutionarily conserved and bind to SIRT3. OSCP was further investigated and lysine 139 is a nutrient-sensitive SIRT3-dependent deacetylation target. Site directed mutants demonstrate that OSCP(K139) directs, at least in part, mitochondrial ATP production and mice lacking Sirt3 exhibit decreased ATP muscle levels, increased ATP synthase protein acetylation, and an exercise-induced stress-deficient phenotype. This work connects the aging and nutrient response, via SIRT3 direction of the mitochondrial acetylome, to the regulation of mitochondrial energy homeostasis under nutrient-stress conditions by deacetylating ATP synthase proteins. Our data suggest that acetylome signaling contributes to mitochondrial energy homeostasis by SIRT3-mediated deacetylation of ATP synthase proteins.

Effects of energy and protein levels on growth and nutrient utilization ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Effects of energy and protein levels on growth and nutrient utilization of weaned rabbits. ML Egbo, TA Adegbola, EO Oyawoye, MM Abubakar. Abstract. No Abstract. Animal Production Research Advances Vol. 3 (4) 2007: pp. 306-310. http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/apra.v3i4.36411 · AJOL African Journals Online. HOW TO USE ...

Leaf Protein and Mineral Concentrations across the "Miracle Tree" Genus Moringa.

Science.gov (United States)

Olson, Mark E; Sankaran, Renuka P; Fahey, Jed W; Grusak, Michael A; Odee, David; Nouman, Wasif

2016-01-01

The moringa tree Moringa oleifera is a fast-growing, drought-resistant tree cultivated across the lowland dry tropics worldwide for its nutritious leaves. Despite its nutritious reputation, there has been no systematic survey of the variation in leaf nutritional quality across M. oleifera grown worldwide, or of the other species of the genus. To guide informed use of moringa, we surveyed protein, macro-, and micro- nutrients across 67 common garden samples of 12 Moringa taxa, including 23 samples of M. oleifera. Moringa oleifera, M. concanensis, M. stenopetala, an M. concanensis X oleifera hybrid, and M. longituba were highest in protein, with M. ruspoliana having the highest calcium levels. A protein-dry leaf mass tradeoff may preclude certain breeding possibilities, e.g. maximally high protein with large leaflets. These findings identify clear priorities and limitations for improved moringa varieties with traits such as high protein, calcium, or ease of preparation.

Lipo-protein emulsion structure in the diet affects protein digestion kinetics, intestinal mucosa parameters and microbiota composition

OpenAIRE

Oberli, Marion; Douard, Véronique; Beaumont, Martin; Jaoui, Daphné; Devime, Fabienne; Laurent, Sandy; Chaumontet, Catherine; Mat, Damien; Le Feunteun, Steven; Michon, Camille; Davila, Anne-Marie; Fromentin, Gilles; Tomé, Daniel; Souchon, Isabelle; Leclerc, Marion

2017-01-01

SCOPE: Food structure is a key factor controlling digestion and nutrient absorption. We tested the hypothesis that protein emulsion structure in the diet may affect digestive and absorptive processes. METHODS & RESULTS: Rats (n = 40) were fed for 3 weeks two diets chemically identical but based on lipid-protein liquid-fine (LFE) or gelled-coarse (GCE) emulsions that differ at the macro- and micro-structure levels. After an overnight fasting, they ingested a 15 N-labeled LFE or GCE te...

Protein nutrient value evaluation of mutant strain J5 fruitbody Agaricus bazei murrill by 60Co γ-irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weng Boqi; Huang Tingjun

2004-01-01

Protein nutrient value evaluation of mutant strain J 5 fruitbody Agaricus bazei Murrill by 60 Co γ-irradiation was studied. The results showed its total content of amino acids Agaricus bazei murrill was 48.20%; chemical score 58.10; amino acids score 88.60; necessary amino acids index 89.94; biologic value 86.29; nutrient index 29.15. All the index above were higher than that in original strain J 1 , but the ratio score of amino acids of J 5 fruitbody (39.48) was lower than strain J 1 . The results indicated that nutrient value of protein in J 5 was higher than in J 1 . (authors)

Development of Microfluidic Systems Enabling High-Throughput Single-Cell Protein Characterization

OpenAIRE

Fan, Beiyuan; Li, Xiufeng; Chen, Deyong; Peng, Hongshang; Wang, Junbo; Chen, Jian

2016-01-01

This article reviews recent developments in microfluidic systems enabling high-throughput characterization of single-cell proteins. Four key perspectives of microfluidic platforms are included in this review: (1) microfluidic fluorescent flow cytometry; (2) droplet based microfluidic flow cytometry; (3) large-array micro wells (microengraving); and (4) large-array micro chambers (barcode microchips). We examine the advantages and limitations of each technique and discuss future research oppor...

Phosphorylated Akt Protein at Ser473 Enables HeLa Cells to Tolerate Nutrient-Deprived Conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Fathy, Moustafa; Awale, Suresh; Nikaido, Toshio

2017-12-29

Background: Despite angiogenesis, many tumours remain hypovascular and starved of nutrients while continuing to grow rapidly. The specific biochemical mechanisms associated with starvation resistance, austerity, may be new biological characters of cancer that are critical for cancer progression. Objective: This study aim was to investigate the effect of nutrient starvation on HeLa cells and the possible mechanism by which the cells are able to tolerate nutrient-deprived conditions. Methods: Nutrient starvation was achieved by culturing HeLa cells in nutrient-deprived medium (NDM) and cell survival was estimated by using cell counting kit-8. The effect of starvation on cell cycle distribution and the quantitative analysis of apoptotic cells were investigated by flow cytometry using propidium iodide staining. Western blotting was used to detect the expression levels of Akt and phosphorylated Akt at Ser473 (Ser473p-Akt) proteins. Results: HeLa cells displayed extremely long survival when cultured in NDM. The percentage of apoptotic HeLa cells was significantly increased by starvation in a time-dependent manner. A significant increase in the expression of Ser473p-Akt protein after starvation was also observed. Furthermore, it was found that Akt inhibitor III molecule inhibited the cells proliferation in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Conclusion: Results of the present study provide evidence that Akt activation may be implicated in the tolerance of HeLa cells for nutrient starvation and may help to suggest new therapeutic strategies designed to prevent austerity of cervical cancer cells through inhibition of Akt activation. Creative Commons Attribution License

MicroRNA and protein profiling of brain metastasis competent cell-derived exosomes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura Camacho

Full Text Available Exosomes are small membrane vesicles released by most cell types including tumor cells. The intercellular exchange of proteins and genetic material via exosomes is a potentially effective approach for cell-to-cell communication and it may perform multiple functions aiding to tumor survival and metastasis. We investigated microRNA and protein profiles of brain metastatic (BM versus non-brain metastatic (non-BM cell-derived exosomes. We studied the cargo of exosomes isolated from brain-tropic 70W, MDA-MB-231BR, and circulating tumor cell brain metastasis-selected markers (CTC1BMSM variants, and compared them with parental non-BM MeWo, MDA-MB-231P and CTC1P cells, respectively. By performing microRNA PCR array we identified one up-regulated (miR-210 and two down-regulated miRNAs (miR-19a and miR-29c in BM versus non-BM exosomes. Second, we analyzed the proteomic content of cells and exosomes isolated from these six cell lines, and detected high expression of proteins implicated in cell communication, cell cycle, and in key cancer invasion and metastasis pathways. Third, we show that BM cell-derived exosomes can be internalized by non-BM cells and that they effectively transport their cargo into cells, resulting in increased cell adhesive and invasive potencies. These results provide a strong rationale for additional investigations of exosomal proteins and miRNAs towards more profound understandings of exosome roles in brain metastasis biogenesis, and for the discovery and application of non-invasive biomarkers for new therapies combating brain metastasis.

Design of protein-responsive micro-sized hydrogels for self-regulating microfluidic systems

Science.gov (United States)

Hirayama, Mayu; Tsuruta, Kazuhiro; Kawamura, Akifumi; Ohara, Masayuki; Shoji, Kan; Kawano, Ryuji; Miyata, Takashi

2018-03-01

Diagnosis sensors using micro-total analysis systems (µ-TAS) have been developed for detecting target biomolecules such as proteins and saccharides because they are signal biomolecules for monitoring body conditions and diseases. In this study, biomolecularly stimuli-responsive micro-sized hydrogels that exhibited quick shrinkage in response to lectin concanavalinA (ConA) were prepared in a microchannel by photopolymerization using a fluorescence microscope. In preparing the micro-size hydrogels, glycosyloxyethyl methacrylate (GEMA) as a ligand monomer was copolymerized with a crosslinker in the presence of template ConA in molecular imprinting. The ConA-imprinted micro-hydrogel showed greater shrinkage in response to target ConA than nonimprinted micro-hydrogel. When a buffer solution was switched to an aqueous ConA solution in the Y-shaped microchannel, the flow rates changed quickly because of the responsive shrinkage of the micro-hydrogel prepared in the microchannel. These results suggest that the ConA-imprinted micro-hydrogel acted as a self-regulated microvalve in microfluidic systems.

Leaf Protein and Mineral Concentrations across the “Miracle Tree” Genus Moringa

Science.gov (United States)

Sankaran, Renuka P.; Fahey, Jed W.; Grusak, Michael A.; Odee, David; Nouman, Wasif

2016-01-01

The moringa tree Moringa oleifera is a fast-growing, drought-resistant tree cultivated across the lowland dry tropics worldwide for its nutritious leaves. Despite its nutritious reputation, there has been no systematic survey of the variation in leaf nutritional quality across M. oleifera grown worldwide, or of the other species of the genus. To guide informed use of moringa, we surveyed protein, macro-, and micro- nutrients across 67 common garden samples of 12 Moringa taxa, including 23 samples of M. oleifera. Moringa oleifera, M. concanensis, M. stenopetala, an M. concanensis X oleifera hybrid, and M. longituba were highest in protein, with M. ruspoliana having the highest calcium levels. A protein-dry leaf mass tradeoff may preclude certain breeding possibilities, e.g. maximally high protein with large leaflets. These findings identify clear priorities and limitations for improved moringa varieties with traits such as high protein, calcium, or ease of preparation. PMID:27459315

Minimal nutrition intervention with high-protein/low-carbohydrate and low-fat, nutrient-dense food supplement improves body composition and exercise benefits in overweight adults: A randomized controlled trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cramer Joel T

2008-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Exercise and high-protein/reduced-carbohydrate and -fat diets have each been shown separately, or in combination with an energy-restricted diet to improve body composition and health in sedentary, overweight (BMI > 25 adults. The current study, instead, examined the physiological response to 10 weeks of combined aerobic and resistance exercise (EX versus exercise + minimal nutrition intervention designed to alter the macronutrient profile, in the absence of energy restriction, using a commercially available high-protein/low-carbohydrate and low-fat, nutrient-dense food supplement (EXFS; versus control (CON. Methods Thirty-eight previously sedentary, overweight subjects (female = 19; male = 19 were randomly assigned to either CON (n = 10, EX (n = 14 or EXFS (n = 14. EX and EXFS participated in supervised resistance and endurance training (2× and 3×/wk, respectively; EXFS consumed 1 shake/d (weeks 1 and 2 and 2 shakes/d (weeks 3–10. Results EXFS significantly decreased total energy, carbohydrate and fat intake (-14.4%, -27.2% and -26.7%, respectively; p p p p p p 2max improved in both exercise groups (EX = +5.0% and EXFS = +7.9%; p 2max (+6.2%; p = 0.001. Time-to-exhaustion during treadmill testing increased in EX (+9.8% but was significantly less (p p p Conclusion Absent energy restriction or other dietary controls, provision of a high-protein/low-carbohydrate and -fat, nutrient-dense food supplement significantly, 1 modified ad libitum macronutrient and energy intake (behavior effect, 2 improved physiological adaptations to exercise (metabolic advantage, and 3 reduced the variability of individual responses for fat mass, muscle mass and time-to-exhaustion – all three variables improving in 100% of EXFS subjects.

Leaf Protein and Mineral Concentrations across the "Miracle Tree" Genus Moringa.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark E Olson

Full Text Available The moringa tree Moringa oleifera is a fast-growing, drought-resistant tree cultivated across the lowland dry tropics worldwide for its nutritious leaves. Despite its nutritious reputation, there has been no systematic survey of the variation in leaf nutritional quality across M. oleifera grown worldwide, or of the other species of the genus. To guide informed use of moringa, we surveyed protein, macro-, and micro- nutrients across 67 common garden samples of 12 Moringa taxa, including 23 samples of M. oleifera. Moringa oleifera, M. concanensis, M. stenopetala, an M. concanensis X oleifera hybrid, and M. longituba were highest in protein, with M. ruspoliana having the highest calcium levels. A protein-dry leaf mass tradeoff may preclude certain breeding possibilities, e.g. maximally high protein with large leaflets. These findings identify clear priorities and limitations for improved moringa varieties with traits such as high protein, calcium, or ease of preparation.

Investigation of the effects of aluminum stress on some macro and micro-nutrient contents of the seedlings of lycopersicon esculentum mill. by using scanning electron microscope

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colak, G.; Catak, E.; Baykul, M.C.

2014-01-01

This study was planned to see the affect of aluminum stress on plant nutrition and metabolism. The effects of aluminum stress on uptake level of some macro- and micro-nutrients from the nutrition solution into the seedlings of Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. and on mobilization of some nutrient elements in the seedlings were examined at the level of epidermal cells. The elemental structure of root, hypocotyl and cotyledon epidermal cells were determined by Energy Dispersive Xray Microanalysis (EDX) performed in a local area 50 nm in diameter at the level of a single epidermal cell cytoplasm by using low vacuum (24 pascal ) Scanning Electron Microscope. EDX analysis revealed that aluminum content of the cells was increasing with the increased concentrations of aluminum in the nutrient solution and that aluminum largelyaccumulated in the roots. Aluminum concentration was much higher in the root epidermal cells of the seedlings incubated in aluminum containing media for 17 days without adding any nutrient solution; it was also true for the local EDX analysis of radicle epidermal cells from the same series. Aluminum stress was found to tend to modify the plant nutritional element content of the cells and this was particularly of critical importance in terms of some macro- and micro-nutrients. The assessments performed at the level of epidermal cells of young seedlings of Lycopersicon esculentum suggest that aluminum stress leads to an absolute change in the plant nutritional element composition of the cells and in the mobilization of some nutritional elements in the seedlings. (author)

The nutrient value of Imbrasia belina Lepidoptera: Saturnidae (madora).

Science.gov (United States)

Onigbinde, A O; Adamolekun, B

1998-05-01

To determine the pattern of consumption of Imbrasia belina (madora) and other edible insects and also compare the nutrient values of madora larvae and two of its variants (Anaphe venata and Cirina forda) to those of some conventional sources of protein. University of Zimbabwe. 100 workers who admitted to a history of entomophagy. Popularity score of madora compared with those of other edible insects and approximate compositions of nutrients in the larvae compared with standard proteins. Most respondents (65%) were introduced to entomophagy by their parents. Termites were the most frequently consumed, followed by madora. More respondents ate insects because of their perceived nutritional value than because of their relative availability. There was no association of entomophagy with significant side effects. The protein, fat and mineral contents of the larvae were superior to those of beef and chicken. There were no major differences in the nutrient composition of the three Lepidoptera variants. The high nutrient value and low cost of these larvae make them an important protein supplement, especially for people in the low income group.

Challenges in high accuracy surface replication for micro optics and micro fluidics manufacture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tosello, Guido; Hansen, Hans Nørgaard; Calaon, Matteo

2014-01-01

Patterning the surface of polymer components with microstructured geometries is employed in optical and microfluidic applications. Mass fabrication of polymer micro structured products is enabled by replication technologies such as injection moulding. Micro structured tools are also produced...... by replication technologies such as nickel electroplating. All replication steps are enabled by a high precision master and high reproduction fidelity to ensure that the functionalities associated with the design are transferred to the final component. Engineered surface micro structures can be either...

Metal removal from tailings ponds water using indigenous micro-algae

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mahdavi, H.; Ulrich, A.; Liu, Y. [Alberta Univ., Edmonton, AB (Canada). Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering

2010-07-01

Each barrel of oil produced by oil sands produce 1.25 m{sup 3} of tailings. The tailings are collected in ponds located at mining sites. The tailing pond water (TPW) must be reclaimed and released into the environment. This PowerPoint presentation discussed a method of removing metals from tailings pond water that used indigenous micro-algae. The in situ experimental method used Parachlorella kessliri to treat 2 ponds. The TPW was enriched with low and high concentrations of nutrients. Dry cell biomass analyses were then conducted, and the pH of the resulting samples was compared. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analysis methods were used to determine the initial metal concentrations in the raw TPWs. The study showed that the micro-algae remove significantly more metals when high levels of nutrients are used. tabs., figs.

Effect of Gamma Irradiation and Foliar Application of Some Micro nutrients on Growth and Yield Quality of Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fath El-Bab, T. Sh.; Abo Elkhier, OH.M.M.

2013-01-01

The experiments were carried out on common bean (Phaseoulus vulgaris L.) cv Bronco under sandy-loam soil conditions in the farm of the Research Station of the Atomic Energy Authority at Inshas, Kalubia Governorate on October 15 th in the two successive growing seasons of 2009-2010 and 2010-2011. The aim of the experiments was to investigate the effect of gamma irradiated seeds at the doses of 0, 40 and 80 Gy and foliar spray with Zn, Mn and Fe micro nutrients at the concentrations of 0, 25 and 50 ppm on vegetative growth, yield and chemical responses of common bean plants at age of 21 days. Three levels of application namely 0.0 (control), 25 and 50 ppm were sprayed twice during the growing seasons after two and four weeks of planting. Data analysis showed that all sprayed concentrations improved plant growth i.e plant height, number of branches and helped in earliness of flowering. Pod yield as well as pod quality parameters were also improved with the increase of concentration of sprayed materials. The improvement in plant growth and production were positively correlated with the doses and concentrations. The highest response recorded with the concentration 50 ppm with irradiated dose of 40 Gy after which the response started to decline but still significantly higher than control treatment. Pod yield was positively correlated with the applied concentration of the two substances with the highest effect recorded with 50 ppm of micro nutrients. The treatments resulted in higher total chlorophyll in leave content compared to control. Also treatments significantly improved chemical compositions of pod quality particularly total nitrogen and total sugar contents which responded more positively to all applied treatments. Mineral contents of Zn, Mn and Fe in un cracked seeds also showed similar trend to the applied concentrations. While the best results were in treated plants at 40 Gy and 50 ppm micro nutrient.

Nutrient sensing and signaling in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Science.gov (United States)

Conrad, Michaela; Schothorst, Joep; Kankipati, Harish Nag; Van Zeebroeck, Griet; Rubio-Texeira, Marta; Thevelein, Johan M

2014-01-01

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been a favorite organism for pioneering studies on nutrient-sensing and signaling mechanisms. Many specific nutrient responses have been elucidated in great detail. This has led to important new concepts and insight into nutrient-controlled cellular regulation. Major highlights include the central role of the Snf1 protein kinase in the glucose repression pathway, galactose induction, the discovery of a G-protein-coupled receptor system, and role of Ras in glucose-induced cAMP signaling, the role of the protein synthesis initiation machinery in general control of nitrogen metabolism, the cyclin-controlled protein kinase Pho85 in phosphate regulation, nitrogen catabolite repression and the nitrogen-sensing target of rapamycin pathway, and the discovery of transporter-like proteins acting as nutrient sensors. In addition, a number of cellular targets, like carbohydrate stores, stress tolerance, and ribosomal gene expression, are controlled by the presence of multiple nutrients. The protein kinase A signaling pathway plays a major role in this general nutrient response. It has led to the discovery of nutrient transceptors (transporter receptors) as nutrient sensors. Major shortcomings in our knowledge are the relationship between rapid and steady-state nutrient signaling, the role of metabolic intermediates in intracellular nutrient sensing, and the identity of the nutrient sensors controlling cellular growth. PMID:24483210

Effect of Foliar Application of Micro Nutrients on Physiological Growth Indices and Total Dry Matter Yield of Forage Corn

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A. Soleymani

2012-04-01

Full Text Available In order to evaluate the effect of foliar application of micro nutrients on physiological growth indices and total dry matter yield of forage corn. Field experiment was conducted in 2006 at Bersian village Isfahan. A randomized complete block design with four replications was used. Plant treated with 8 foliar application treatments (Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, Fe + Mn, Cu + Zn, Fe + Mn + Cu + Zn and control. The responses to foliar application in total dry weight, LAI and CGR appeared to differ between the treatments, but there is no significant difference in NAR between the treatments. Maximum leaf area index gained in foliar application of Fe but there is significant difference between this treatment and other treatments except foliar application of Zn and Fe + Mn. Foliar application of Fe and Fe + Mn result to maximum total dry weight, but there is no significant difference between these treatments and foliar application of Zn, Mn, Mn + Cu and Fe + Zn + Cu +Mn. Maximum and minimum NAR gained in foliar application of Mn and control treatments respectively. Maximum CGR gained in foliar application of Zn, there is significant difference between this treatment and others. Control treatment in comparison with others shows minimum value in all measured factors. The results indicate that foliar application of micro nutrients particularly Fe and Fe+Mn may be suitable to product maximum total dry matter yield under similar condition.

High accuracy and precision micro injection moulding of thermoplastic elastomers micro ring production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Calaon, Matteo; Tosello, Guido; Elsborg, René

2016-01-01

The mass-replication nature of the process calls for fast monitoring of process parameters and product geometrical characteristics. In this direction, the present study addresses the possibility to develop a micro manufacturing platform for micro assembly injection moulding with real-time process....../product monitoring and metrology. The study represent a new concept yet to be developed with great potential for high precision mass-manufacturing of highly functional 3D multi-material (i.e. including metal/soft polymer) micro components. The activities related to HINMICO project objectives proves the importance...

Transport proteins of parasitic protists and their role in nutrient salvage.

Science.gov (United States)

Dean, Paul; Major, Peter; Nakjang, Sirintra; Hirt, Robert P; Embley, T Martin

2014-01-01

The loss of key biosynthetic pathways is a common feature of important parasitic protists, making them heavily dependent on scavenging nutrients from their hosts. This is often mediated by specialized transporter proteins that ensure the nutritional requirements of the parasite are met. Over the past decade, the completion of several parasite genome projects has facilitated the identification of parasite transporter proteins. This has been complemented by functional characterization of individual transporters along with investigations into their importance for parasite survival. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on transporters from parasitic protists and highlight commonalities and differences in the transporter repertoires of different parasitic species, with particular focus on characterized transporters that act at the host-pathogen interface.

Sponge-microbe associations survive high nutrients and temperatures.

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Rachel Simister

Full Text Available Coral reefs are under considerable pressure from global stressors such as elevated sea surface temperature and ocean acidification, as well as local factors including eutrophication and poor water quality. Marine sponges are diverse, abundant and ecologically important components of coral reefs in both coastal and offshore environments. Due to their exceptionally high filtration rates, sponges also form a crucial coupling point between benthic and pelagic habitats. Sponges harbor extensive microbial communities, with many microbial phylotypes found exclusively in sponges and thought to contribute to the health and survival of their hosts. Manipulative experiments were undertaken to ascertain the impact of elevated nutrients and seawater temperature on health and microbial community dynamics in the Great Barrier Reef sponge Rhopaloeides odorabile. R. odorabile exposed to elevated nutrient levels including 10 µmol/L total nitrogen at 31°C appeared visually similar to those maintained under ambient seawater conditions after 7 days. The symbiotic microbial community, analyzed by 16S rRNA gene pyrotag sequencing, was highly conserved for the duration of the experiment at both phylum and operational taxonomic unit (OTU (97% sequence similarity levels with 19 bacterial phyla and 1743 OTUs identified across all samples. Additionally, elevated nutrients and temperatures did not alter the archaeal associations in R. odorabile, with sequencing of 16S rRNA gene libraries revealing similar Thaumarchaeota diversity and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE revealing consistent amoA gene patterns, across all experimental treatments. A conserved eukaryotic community was also identified across all nutrient and temperature treatments by DGGE. The highly stable microbial associations indicate that R. odorabile symbionts are capable of withstanding short-term exposure to elevated nutrient concentrations and sub-lethal temperatures.

Limiting nutrient emission from a cut rose closed system by high-flux irrigation and low nutrient concentrations?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Baas, R.; Berg, van der D.

2004-01-01

A two-year project was aimed at decreasing nutrient emission from closed nutrient systems by using high irrigation rates in order to allow lower EC levels in the presence of accumulated Na and Cl. Experimental variables were growing media, irrigation frequencies, EC and NaCl concentrations for cut

A comprehensive analysis of microProteins reveals their potentially widespread mechanism of transcriptional regulation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Magnani, Enrico; de Klein, Niek; Nam, Hye-In; Kim, Jung-Gun; Pham, Kimberly; Fiume, Elisa; Mudgett, Mary Beth; Rhee, Seung Yon

2014-01-01

Truncated transcription factor-like proteins called microProteins (miPs) can modulate transcription factor activities, thereby increasing transcriptional regulatory complexity. To understand their prevalence, evolution, and function, we predicted over 400 genes that encode putative miPs from

Multi-scale carbon micro/nanofibers-based adsorbents for protein immobilization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Singh, Shiv; Singh, Abhinav [Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur 208016 (India); Bais, Vaibhav Sushil Singh; Prakash, Balaji [Department of Biological Science and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur 208016 (India); Verma, Nishith, E-mail: nishith@iitk.ac.in [Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur 208016 (India); Center for Environmental Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur 208016 (India)

2014-05-01

In the present study, different proteins, namely, bovine serum albumin (BSA), glucose oxidase (GOx) and the laboratory purified YqeH were immobilized in the phenolic resin precursor-based multi-scale web of activated carbon microfibers (ACFs) and carbon nanofibers (CNFs). These biomolecules are characteristically different from each other, having different structure, number of parent amino acid molecules and isoelectric point. CNF was grown on ACF substrate by chemical vapor deposition, using Ni nanoparticles (Nps) as the catalyst. The ultra-sonication of the CNFs was carried out in acidic medium to remove Ni Nps from the tip of the CNFs to provide additional active sites for adsorption. The prepared material was directly used as an adsorbent for proteins, without requiring any additional treatment. Several analytical techniques were used to characterize the prepared materials, including scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, BET surface area, pore-size distribution, and UV–vis spectroscopy. The adsorption capacities of prepared ACFs/CNFs in this study were determined to be approximately 191, 39 and 70 mg/g for BSA, GOx and YqeH, respectively, revealing that the carbon micro-nanofibers forming synthesized multi-scale web are efficient materials for the immobilization of protein molecules. - Highlights: • Ni metal Np-dispersed carbon micro-nanofibers (ACFs/CNFs) are prepared. • ACFs/CNFs are mesoporous. • Significant adsorption of BSA, GOx and YqeH is observed on ACFs/CNFs. • Multi-scale web of ACFs/CNFs is effective for protein immobilization.

The fourth dimension in immunological space: how the struggle for nutrients selects high-affinity lymphocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Wensveen, Felix M; van Gisbergen, Klaas P J M; Eldering, Eric

2012-09-01

Lymphocyte activation via the antigen receptor is associated with radical shifts in metabolism and changes in requirements for nutrients and cytokines. Concomitantly, drastic changes occur in the expression of pro-and anti-apoptotic proteins that alter the sensitivity of lymphocytes to limiting concentrations of key survival factors. Antigen affinity is a primary determinant for the capacity of activated lymphocytes to access these vital resources. The shift in metabolic needs and the variable access to key survival factors is used by the immune system to eliminate activated low-affinity cells and to generate an optimal high-affinity response. In this review, we focus on the control of apoptosis regulators in activated lymphocytes by nutrients, cytokines, and costimulation. We propose that the struggle among individual clones that leads to the formation of high-affinity effector cell populations is in effect an 'invisible' fourth signal required for effective immune responses. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Responses of Wheat Yield, Macro- and Micro-Nutrients, and Heavy Metals in Soil and Wheat following the Application of Manure Compost on the North China Plain

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Fan; Wang, Zhaohui; Kou, Changlin; Ma, Zhenghua; Zhao, Dong

2016-01-01

The recycling of livestock manure in cropping systems is considered to enhance soil fertility and crop productivity. However, there have been no systematic long-term studies of the effects of manure application on soil and crop macro- and micro-nutrients, heavy metals, and crop yields in China, despite their great importance for sustainable crop production and food safety. Thus, we conducted field experiments in a typical cereal crop production area of the North China Plain to investigate the effects of compost manure application rates on wheat yield, as well as on the macro-/micro-nutrients and heavy metals contents of soil and wheat. We found that compost application increased the soil total N and the available K, Fe, Zn, and Mn concentrations, whereas the available P in soil was not affected, and the available Cu decreased. In general, compost application had no significant effects on the grain yield, biomass, and harvest index of winter wheat. However, during 2012 and 2013, the N concentration decreased by 9% and 18% in straw, and by 16% and 12% in grain, respectively. With compost application, the straw P concentration only increased in 2012 but the grain P generally increased, while the straw K concentration tended to decrease and the grain K concentration increased in 2013. Compost application generally increased the Fe and Zn concentrations in straw and grain, whereas the Cu and Mn concentrations decreased significantly compared with the control. The heavy metal concentrations increased at some compost application rates, but they were still within the safe range. The balances of the macro-and micro-nutrients indicated that the removal of nutrients by wheat was compensated for by the addition of compost, whereas the level of N decreased without the application of compost. The daily intake levels of micronutrients via the consumption of wheat grain were still lower than the recommended levels when sheep manure compost was applied, except for that of Mn. PMID

Manganese oxide micro-supercapacitors with ultra-high areal capacitance

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xu; Myers, Benjamin D.; Yan, Jian; Shekhawat, Gajendra; Dravid, Vinayak; Lee, Pooi See

2013-05-01

A symmetric micro-supercapacitor is constructed by electrochemically depositing manganese oxide onto micro-patterned current collectors. High surface-to-volume ratio of manganese oxide and short diffusion distance between electrodes give an ultra-high areal capacitance of 56.3 mF cm-2 at a current density of 27.2 μA cm-2.A symmetric micro-supercapacitor is constructed by electrochemically depositing manganese oxide onto micro-patterned current collectors. High surface-to-volume ratio of manganese oxide and short diffusion distance between electrodes give an ultra-high areal capacitance of 56.3 mF cm-2 at a current density of 27.2 μA cm-2. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Experimental procedures; optical images of micro-supercapacitors; areal capacitances of samples M-0.3C, M-0.6C and M-0.9C; illustration of interdigital finger electrodes; Nyquist plot of Co(OH)2 deposited on micro-electrodes. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr00210a

Effects of dietary protein level on nutrients digestibility and reproductive performance of female mink (Neovison vison during gestation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qingkui Jiang

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to determine whether nutrient digestibility and reproductive performance of pregnant mink (Neovison vison were affected by different dietary protein levels. One hundred and twenty female mink were randomly assigned to four groups, receiving diets of fresh material with different protein levels. The dietary protein levels, expressed as percentage of dry matter (DM, were 32, 36, 40 and 44% respectively. These values corresponded to average 320, 360, 400 and 440 g protein/kg DM, respectively. Results were as follows. All of crude protein digestibility, nitrogen (N intake, N retention increased along with dietary protein level increasing. Low protein level (32% significantly reduced the above indicators (P < 0.05. DM digestibility and ether extract digestibility were not affected by dietary protein level. Results of mated females, barren females, kids per litter, live born kids per mated female, birth survival rate, and birth weight showed that mink achieved optimal reproductive performance when dietary protein level was 36%. In conclusion, dietary protein was anticipated to significantly influence some nutrients' utilization. Adopting the appropriate dietary protein level allow better reproduction performance. The most preferable reproductive performance was achieved when diet contained 275.5 g digestible protein per kg DM for female mink in gestation.

Do agricultural terraces and forest fires recurrence in Mediterranean afforested micro-catchments alter soil quality and soil nutrient content?

Science.gov (United States)

E Lucas-Borja, Manuel; Calsamiglia, Aleix; Fortesa, Josep; García-Comendador, Julián; Gago, Jorge; Estrany, Joan

2017-04-01

Bioclimatic characteristics and intense human pressure promote Mediterranean ecosystems to be fire-prone. Afforestation processes resulting from the progressive land abandonment during the last decades led to greater biomass availability increasing the risk of large forest fires. Likewise, the abandonment and lack of maintenance in the terraced lands constitute a risk of land degradation in terms of soil quantity and quality. Despite the effects of fire and the abandonment of terraced lands on soil loss and physico-chemical properties are identified, it is not clearly understood how wildfires and abandonment of terraces affect soil quality and nutrients content. Microbiological soil parameters and soil enzymes activities are biomarkers of the soil microbial communitýs functional ability, which potentially enables them as indicators of change, disturbance or stress within the soil community. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of terracing (abandoned and non-abandoned) on the soil enzyme activities, microbiological soil parameters and soil nutrients dynamics in three Mediterranean afforested micro-catchments (i.e., fire recurrence in the last 20 years; i.e., unburned areas, burned once and burned twice. The combination of the presence of terraces and the recurrence of forest fire, thirty-six plots of 25 m2 were sampled along the these three micro-catchments collecting four replicas at the corners of each plot. The results elucidated how non-terraced and unburned plots presented the highest values of soil respiration rate and extracellular soil enzymes. Differences between experimental plots with different forest fire recurrence or comparing terraced and unburned plots with burned plots were weaker in relation to biochemical and microbiological parameters. Soil nutrient content showed an opposite trend with higher values in terraced plots, although differences were weaker. We conclude that terraced landscapes present poorer soil quality

High proportions of older people with normal nutritional status have poor protein intake and low diet quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Jyväkorpi, S K; Pitkälä, K H; Puranen, T M; Björkman, M P; Kautiainen, H; Strandberg, T E; Soini, H H; Suominen, M H

2016-01-01

The Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) is a well-validated instrument examining the nutritional status of older people. The aim of this study was to examine how older people's energy and nutrient intakes are associated with the MNA and to determine how sensitive and specific MNA is in identifying those having low energy and protein intakes. This cross-sectional study combined data from five nutritional studies (N=900): both home-dwelling and institutionalized older people without and with disabilities. Their nutritional status was assessed with MNA, and nutrient intakes were retrieved from 1 to 3day food diaries. Nutrient intakes were divided according to MNA status (normal nutritional status, at-risk of malnutrition, malnourished). Sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios of MNA of various cut-off points were tested with recommended protein and energy intakes. ROC curves was constructed. Energy, protein and most nutrient intakes showed logical linear trends according to MNA classes. However, more than three-fourths of the participants with MNA>23.5 had lower than recommended protein intakes. Sensitivity of MNA ranged from 0.32 to 0.82 for recommended energy (F:1570kcal/d/M:2070kcal/d) and protein intakes (1.0g/kg BW or 1.2g/kgBW) cut-off points, and specificity from 0.75 to 0.25, respectively. AUC values were low (0.52-0.53). MNA status was consistently associated with nutrient intakes and diet quality. However, a high proportion of older people even with normal nutritional status had poor energy and protein intakes. Thus, MNA does not identify all those with poor nutrient intakes who may be at risk of developing malnutrition. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of different sources of protein on digestive characteristics, microbial efficiency, and nutrient flow in dairy goats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nivea Regina de Oliveira Felisberto

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Diets formulated with protein sources presenting different resistance to ruminal degradation were compared by evaluating ruminal parameters, production and microbial efficiency and nutrients flow to the omasum in goats. Eight rumen cannulated non-lactating, non-pregnant goats were distributed in a 4 × 4 Latin square design with two replicates. Treatments consisted of four diets where different sources of plant protein accounted for the major protein source named soybean meal, source of higher ruminal degradability, and three other sources of higher resistance of degradation: roasted soybean, corn gluten meal, and cottonseed cake. Amounts of rumen protein were similar among rations; however, flows of dry matter, protein and non-fiber carbohydrate to omasum were higher for diets with protein source with reduced rumen degradation rate. Higher values of rumen ammonia were obtained by using ration with soybean meal as major source of protein. Higher values of pH were obtained for rations with roasted soybean e cottonseed cake. Regarding kinetic of transit, similar values were found among rations. Diets with protein sources presenting reduced ruminal degradation increase nutrients flow to the omasum in goats and alter digestive parameters such as pH and ammonia without compromising bacteria growth and efficiency, which grants their use for dairy goats with similar efficiency to rations using more degradable sources of protein.

Quantificação de macro e micro nutrientes em algumas etnovariedades de cubiu (Solanum sessiliflorum Dunal Macro and micro nutrients quantification of some cubiu ethnovarieties (Solanum sessiliflorum Dunal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lúcia K. O. Yuyama

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Considerando a ampla variabilidade genética de cubiu (Solanum sessiliflorum Dunal, quantificaram-se os macro e micro-nutrientes, objetivando a ampliação da tabela de composição química de alimentos típicos da região amazônica. Os frutos provenientes da Estação Experimental de Hortaliças Alejo von der Pahlen (EEH do Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA, localizados no km 14 da Rodovia AM 010 em Manaus, AM, foram processados no Laboratório de Alimentos e Nutrição do INPA. Avaliaram-se oito etnovariedades de cubiu identificados como: 2 I, 3 I, 6, 7, 12, 14, 17, 29 I e III em estádio de maturação comercial. Os teores de elementos minerais foram quantificados pela técnica de Ativação por Nêutrons Instrumental e a fibra alimentar pelo método enzímico-gravimétrico. Os resultados demonstram ser o cubiu um fruto com baixo conteúdo energético (média de 33 kcal, com conteúdo de fibra alimentar total na ordem de 1,6%. Em relação aos macros elementos minerais, a etnovariedade 6, apresentou a maior concentração em potássio (513,5±3,1mg, cálcio (18,9±0,6mg e a etnovariedade 2 I em Fe (564,4±58,1µg e Cr (99,3±8,3µg. A menor concentração foi constatada na etnovariedade 12 para os elementos K (229,0±4,5mg, Na (53,7±5,5µg e Zn (89,3±4,7µg. Apesar das variações em relação as diferentes etno variedades e conseqüentemente concentrações em elementos minerais, o cubiu, pode estar contribuindo para atingir as recomendações desses nutrientes.Considering the wide genetic variability of cubiu (Solanum sessiliflorum Dunal, its chemical composition was quantified in order to contribute to the chemical composition table of typical Amazonian foods. The cubiu fruit was collected at Alejo von der Pahlen (EEH experimental station from National Research Institute of Amazonia (INPA. Eight ethno varieties of cubiu identified as 2 I, 3 I, 6, 7, 12, 14, 17, 29 I and III were analyzed. All samples used were ripe

Plant nutritional status modulates glutamine synthetase levels in ripe tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum cv. Micro-Tom).

Science.gov (United States)

Scarpeci, Telma E; Marro, Martin L; Bortolotti, Santiago; Boggio, Silvana B; Valle, Estela M

2007-02-01

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruit ripening implies that chloroplastic proteins are degraded and new proteins are synthesized. Supplementary nutrition is frequently required when tomato plants begin to fruit and continues until the end of the plant's life cycle. Ammonium assimilation is crucial in these fruit maturation and ripening processes. Glutamine synthetase (GS; EC 6.3.1.2), the main ammonium-fixing enzyme in plants, could not be detected in red fruits of several tomato varieties when growing under standard nutrition. In this paper, we analyze the influence of the nutritional status on the ammonium assimilation capacity of ripe tomato (cv. Micro-Tom) fruit. For this purpose, GS expression and protein profiles were followed in mature green and red fruits harvested from plants grown under standard or supplemented nutrition. Under standard nutrient regime (weekly supplied with 0.5 x Hoagland solution) GS activity was found in chloroplasts (GS2) of mature green fruits, but it was not detected either in the chromoplasts or in the cytosol of red fruits. When plants were shifted to a supplemented nutritional regime (daily supplied with 0.5 x Hoagland solution), GS was found in red fruits. Also, cytosolic transcripts (gs1) preferentially accumulated in red fruits under high nutrition. These results indicate that mature green Micro-Tom fruits assimilate ammonia through GS2 under standard nutrition, while ripe red fruits accumulate GS1 under high nutrition, probably in order to assimilate the extra N-compounds made available through supplemented nutrition.

Effect of dietary nutrients on ileal endogenous losses of threonine, cysteine, methionine, lysine, leucine and protein in broiler chicks.

Science.gov (United States)

Cerrate, S; Vignale, S K; Ekmay, R; England, J; Coon, C

2018-04-01

An isotope dose technique was utilized (i) to determine endogenous amino acid (AA) and protein losses and (ii) to propose adjusted values for AA requirements. The endogenous flow rate was calculated from the pool of enrichment in plasma AA, assuming similitude to enrichment of endogenous AA. In experiment 1, chicks were orally administered D4-lysine at 2% of estimated lysine intake from 16 to 24 days to find the isotopic steady state of the atom percent excess (APE) of lysine for plasma and jejunal and ileal digesta. The APE of D4-lysine in plasma, jejunal digesta and ileal digesta reached the isotopic steady state at 5.5, 3.4 and 2.0 days, respectively, by using the broken-line model. It was assumed that the isotopic steady state at 5 days identified for D4-lysine is also representative for the 15N-labeled AA. In experiment 2, chicks were fed diets from 1 to 21 days with increasing levels of fat (6%, 8%, 12%, 13% extract ether), protein (26%, 28.5%, 31% CP) or fiber (14%, 16%, 18% NDF) by adding poultry fat, soybean meal, blended animal protein or barley. Chicks were orally administered 15N-threonine, 15N-cysteine, 15N-methionine, 15N-lysine and 15N-leucine at 2% of estimated daily intake for 5 days from 17 to 21 days of age. Dietary nutrients influenced endogenous losses (EL), where dietary fat stimulated EL of lysine (P=0.06), leucine and protein (P=0.07); dietary protein enhanced EL of leucine and protein; and finally the dietary fiber increased EL of leucine. Dietary nutrients also affected apparent ileal digestibility (AID). Dietary fat increased AID of cysteine but decreased AID of lysine. Dietary protein reduced AID of protein, threonine, lysine and leucine, and similarly dietary fiber decreased AID of protein, threonine, methionine, lysine and leucine. In contrast, dietary fat or protein did not affect real ileal digestibility (RID) of protein and AA except threonine and leucine. The dietary fiber reduced the RID of protein, threonine and leucine. This

Cool tadpoles from Arctic environments waste fewer nutrients - high gross growth efficiencies lead to low consumer-mediated nutrient recycling in the North.

Science.gov (United States)

Liess, Antonia; Guo, Junwen; Lind, Martin I; Rowe, Owen

2015-11-01

Endothermic organisms can adapt to short growing seasons, low temperatures and nutrient limitation by developing high growth rates and high gross growth efficiencies (GGEs). Animals with high GGEs are better at assimilating limiting nutrients and thus should recycle (or lose) fewer nutrients. Longer guts in relation to body mass may facilitate higher GGE under resource limitation. Within the context of ecological stoichiometry theory, this study combines ecology with evolution by relating latitudinal life-history adaptations in GGE, mediated by gut length, to its ecosystem consequences, such as consumer-mediated nutrient recycling. In common garden experiments, we raised Rana temporaria tadpoles from two regions (Arctic/Boreal) under two temperature regimes (18/23 °C) crossed with two food quality treatments (high/low-nitrogen content). We measured tadpole GGEs, total nutrient loss (excretion + egestion) rates and gut length during ontogeny. In order to maintain their elemental balance, tadpoles fed low-nitrogen (N) food had lower N excretion rates and higher total phosphorous (P) loss rates than tadpoles fed high-quality food. In accordance with expectations, Arctic tadpoles had higher GGEs and lower N loss rates than their low-latitude conspecifics, especially when fed low-N food, but only in ambient temperature treatments. Arctic tadpoles also had relatively longer guts than Boreal tadpoles during early development. That temperature and food quality interacted with tadpole region of origin in affecting tadpole GGEs, nutrient loss rates and relative gut length, suggests evolved adaptation to temperature and resource differences. With future climate change, mean annual temperatures will increase. Additionally, species and genotypes will migrate north. This will change the functioning of Boreal and Arctic ecosystems by affecting consumer-mediated nutrient recycling and thus affect nutrient dynamics in general. Our study shows that evolved latitudinal adaption can

Nutrient-mediated architectural plasticity of a predatory trap.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sean J Blamires

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Nutrients such as protein may be actively sought by foraging animals. Many predators exhibit foraging plasticity, but how their foraging strategies are affected when faced with nutrient deprivation is largely unknown. In spiders, the assimilation of protein into silk may be in conflict with somatic processes so we predicted web building to be affected under protein depletion. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To assess the influence of protein intake on foraging plasticity we fed the orb-web spiders Argiope aemula and Cyclosa mulmeinensis high, low or no protein solutions over 10 days and allowed them to build webs. We compared post-feeding web architectural components and major ampullate (MA silk amino acid compositions. We found that the number of radii in webs increased in both species when fed high protein solutions. Mesh size increased in A. aemula when fed a high protein solution. MA silk proline and alanine compositions varied in each species with contrasting variations in alanine between the two species. Glycine compositions only varied in C. mulmeinensis silk. No spiders significantly lost or gained mass on any feeding treatment, so they did not sacrifice somatic maintenance for amino acid investment in silk. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results show that the amount of protein taken in significantly affects the foraging decisions of trap-building predators, such as orb web spiders. Nevertheless, the subtle differences found between species in the association between protein intake, the amino acids invested in silk and web architectural plasticity show that the influence of protein deprivation on specific foraging strategies differs among different spiders.

Nutrient-mediated architectural plasticity of a predatory trap.

Science.gov (United States)

Blamires, Sean J; Tso, I-Min

2013-01-01

Nutrients such as protein may be actively sought by foraging animals. Many predators exhibit foraging plasticity, but how their foraging strategies are affected when faced with nutrient deprivation is largely unknown. In spiders, the assimilation of protein into silk may be in conflict with somatic processes so we predicted web building to be affected under protein depletion. To assess the influence of protein intake on foraging plasticity we fed the orb-web spiders Argiope aemula and Cyclosa mulmeinensis high, low or no protein solutions over 10 days and allowed them to build webs. We compared post-feeding web architectural components and major ampullate (MA) silk amino acid compositions. We found that the number of radii in webs increased in both species when fed high protein solutions. Mesh size increased in A. aemula when fed a high protein solution. MA silk proline and alanine compositions varied in each species with contrasting variations in alanine between the two species. Glycine compositions only varied in C. mulmeinensis silk. No spiders significantly lost or gained mass on any feeding treatment, so they did not sacrifice somatic maintenance for amino acid investment in silk. Our results show that the amount of protein taken in significantly affects the foraging decisions of trap-building predators, such as orb web spiders. Nevertheless, the subtle differences found between species in the association between protein intake, the amino acids invested in silk and web architectural plasticity show that the influence of protein deprivation on specific foraging strategies differs among different spiders.

Micro controller application as x-ray machine's high voltage controller

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wiranto Budi Santoso; Beny Syawaludin

2010-01-01

The micro controller application as x-ray machine's high voltage controller has been carried out. The purpose of this micro controller application is to give an accurate high voltage supply to the x-ray tube so that the x ray machine could produce the result as expected. The micro controller based X-ray machine's high voltage controller receives an input voltage from the keypad. This input value is displayed in the LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) screen. Then micro controller uses this input data to drive the stepper motor. The stepper motor adjusts the high voltage auto transformer's output according to the input value. The micro controller is programmed using BASCOM-B051 compiler. The test results show that the stepper motor could rotate according to an input value. (author)

Changing perceptions of hunger on a high nutrient density diet

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Glaser Dale

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background People overeat because their hunger directs them to consume more calories than they require. The purpose of this study was to analyze the changes in experience and perception of hunger before and after participants shifted from their previous usual diet to a high nutrient density diet. Methods This was a descriptive study conducted with 768 participants primarily living in the United States who had changed their dietary habits from a low micronutrient to a high micronutrient diet. Participants completed a survey rating various dimensions of hunger (physical symptoms, emotional symptoms, and location when on their previous usual diet versus the high micronutrient density diet. Statistical analysis was conducted using non-parametric tests. Results Highly significant differences were found between the two diets in relation to all physical and emotional symptoms as well as the location of hunger. Hunger was not an unpleasant experience while on the high nutrient density diet, was well tolerated and occurred with less frequency even when meals were skipped. Nearly 80% of respondents reported that their experience of hunger had changed since starting the high nutrient density diet, with 51% reporting a dramatic or complete change in their experience of hunger. Conclusions A high micronutrient density diet mitigates the unpleasant aspects of the experience of hunger even though it is lower in calories. Hunger is one of the major impediments to successful weight loss. Our findings suggest that it is not simply the caloric content, but more importantly, the micronutrient density of a diet that influences the experience of hunger. It appears that a high nutrient density diet, after an initial phase of adjustment during which a person experiences "toxic hunger" due to withdrawal from pro-inflammatory foods, can result in a sustainable eating pattern that leads to weight loss and improved health. A high nutrient density diet provides

Ruminal, Intestinal, and Total Digestibilities of Nutrients in Cows Fed Diets High in Fat and Undegradable Protein

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Palmquist, D.L.; Weisbjerg, Martin Riis; Hvelplund, Torben

1993-01-01

To study relationships of high undegradable intake protein and dietary fat on intestinal AA supply, the ruminal, intestinal, and total digestibilities of diets with or without added fat (5% of DM) and animal protein (blood meal: hydrolyzed feather meal, 1:1; 8% of DM) were examined with four cows...... with cows cannulated 100-cm distal to the pylorus, but only when cows were fed protein-supplemented diets; the estimates from those diets caused calculated microbial protein efficiency to exceed theoretical values. We postulated that blood meal and feather meal segregated near the pylorus, yielding high...... estimates of duodenal AA N flow. Removal of data for protein-supplemented diets obtained from cows cannulated at the pylorus yielded estimates of microbial protein synthetic efficiency consistent with literature values. Microbial synthesis of AA N was related linearly to ruminal digestion of carbohydrate...

Evaluation of the micro nutrients daily ingestion and mercury on pre-elementary school children from some communities of the state of Amazonas, Brazil; Avaliacao da ingestao diaria de micronutrientes e mercurio em pre-escolares de algumas comunidades do Estado do Amazonas, Brasil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Santos, Andrea C.P. [Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Favaro, Deborah I.T.; Farias, Luciana; Maihara, Vera A.; Vasconcellos, Marina B.A. [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)]. E-mail: defavaro@ipen.br; ime, P.L.; Alencar, Fernando H.; Yuyama, Lucia K. [Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazonia (INPA), Manaus, AM (Brazil)]. E-mail: yuyama@inpa.gov.br

2007-07-01

This study evaluates the daily dietetic ingestion of Hg and some nutrients of pre-scholar children from eight communities of Amazonas state, Brazil. Some children from each community were selected and their diets (24 hours total consumption) were collected by the duplicate quantity method and a pool of diets composed for each of these communities. The diet samples were analysed for the Hg total content by a CV AAS linear accelerator and neutron activation analysis for determination of Ca, Fe, K, Se and Zn micro nutrients. Both analytical methodologies precision and accuracy were validated using the certified reference materials analysis. The provisional tolerable weekly ingestion (PTWI) for Hg and the daily micro nutrient ingestion were calculated for each group, considering an 10 kg average weight for each child. The obtained results for all diets were shown the inadequacy prevail for the evaluated micro nutrients, and some communities exceeded the limit of 5 {mu}g Hg/kg of body weight (PTWI). Those results suggested that the nutritional education program must be implemented at those communities, aiming the better utilization of the local food natural resources. (author)

Protein encapsulated magnetic carriers for micro/nanoscale drug delivery systems.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xie, Y.; Kaminski, M. D.; Mertz, C. J.; Finck, M. R.; Guy, S. G.; Chen, H.; Rosengart, A. J.; Chemical Engineering; Univ. of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine

2005-01-01

Novel methods for drug delivery may be based on nanotechnology using non-invasive magnetic guidance of drug loaded magnetic carriers to the targeted site and thereafter released by external ultrasound energy. The key building block of this system is to successfully synthesize biodegradable, magnetic drug carriers. Magnetic carriers using poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) or poly(lactic acid)-poly(ethylene glycol) (PLA-PEG) as matrix materials were loaded with bovine serum albumin (BSA) by a double-emulsion technique. BSA-loaded magnetic microspheres were characterized for size, morphology, surface charge, and magnetization. The BSA encapsulation efficiency was determined by recovering albumin from the microspheres using dimethyl sulfoxide and 0.05N NaOH/0.5% SDS then quantifying with the Micro-BCA protein assay. BSA release profiles were also determined by the Micro-BCA protein assay. The microspheres had drug encapsulation efficiencies up to 90% depending on synthesis parameters. Particles were spherical with a smooth or porous surface having a size range less than 5 {mu}m. The surface charge (expressed as zeta potential) was near neutral, optimal for prolonged intravascular survival. The magnetization of these BSA loaded magnetic carriers was 2 to 6 emu/g, depending on the specific magnetic materials used during synthesis.

Identification of potential urine proteins and microRNA biomarkers for the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jieru; Zhu, Xiaojie; Xiong, Xuekai; Ge, Pan; Liu, Han; Ren, Ningning; Khan, Farhan Anwar; Zhou, Xia; Zhang, Li; Yuan, Xu; Chen, Xi; Chen, Yingyu; Hu, Changmin; Robertson, Ian D; Chen, Huanchun; Guo, Aizhen

2018-04-11

This study identified urinary biomarkers for tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis. The urine proteomic profiles of 45 pulmonary tuberculosis patients prior to anti-TB treatment and 45 healthy controls were analyzed and compared using two-dimensional electrophoresis with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry. Nineteen differentially expressed proteins were identified preliminarily, and western blotting and qRT-PCR were performed to confirm these changes at the translational and transcriptional levels, respectively, using samples from 122 additional pulmonary tuberculosis patients and 73 additional healthy controls. Two proteins, mannose-binding lectin 2 and a 35-kDa fragment of inter-α-trypsin inhibitor H4, exhibited the highest differential expression. We constructed a protein-microRNA interaction network that primarily involved complement and inflammatory responses. Eleven microRNAs from microRNA-target protein interactions were screened and validated using qRT-PCR with some of the above samples, including 97 pulmonary tuberculosis patients and 48 healthy controls. Only miR-625-3p exhibited significant differential expression (p tuberculosis diagnosis than individual biomarkers or any two-biomarker combination and generated a diagnostic sensitivity of 85.87% and a specificity of 87.50%. These novel urine biomarkers may significantly improve tuberculosis diagnosis.

Effects of prey macronutrient content on body composition and nutrient intake in a web-building spider.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jesse Hawley

Full Text Available The nutritional composition of diets can vary widely in nature and have large effects on the growth, reproduction and survival of animals. Many animals, especially herbivores, will tightly regulate the nutritional composition of their body, which has been referred to as nutritional homeostasis. We tested how experimental manipulation of the lipid and protein content of live prey affected the nutrient reserves and subsequent diet regulation of web-building spiders, Argiope keyserlingi. Live locusts were injected with experimental solutions containing specific amounts of lipid and protein and then fed to spiders. The nutrient composition of the spiders' bodies was directly related to the nutrient composition of the prey on which they fed. We then conducted an experiment where spiders were fed either high lipid or high protein prey and subsequently provided with two large unmanipulated locusts. Prior diet did not affect the amount or ratio of lipid and protein ingested by spiders when feeding on unmanipulated prey. Argiope keyserlingi were flexible in the storage of lipid and protein in their bodies and did not bias their extraction of nutrients from prey to compensate for previously biased diets. Some carnivores, especially those that experience frequent food limitation, may be less likely to strictly regulate their body composition than herbivores because food limitation may encourage opportunistic ingestion and assimilation of nutrients.

Nutrient Excess in AMPK Downregulation and Insulin Resistance

OpenAIRE

Coughlan, Kimberly A.; Valentine, Rudy J.; Ruderman, Neil B.; Saha, Asish K.

2013-01-01

It is well established that chronic exposure to excess nutrients leads to insulin resistance (IR) in skeletal muscle. Since skeletal muscle is responsible for 70-80% of insulin-stimulated glucose uptake, skeletal muscle IR is a key pathological component of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Recent evidence suggests that inhibition of the nutrient-sensing enzyme AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is an early event in the development of IR in response to high glucose, branched chain amino acids (BCAA), o...

Essential nutrient requirements of the elderly

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Skully R

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Robert Skully Department of Family Medicine, Grant Medical Center, OhioHealth, Columbus, OH, USA Abstract: Government-sponsored medical organizations in developed countries have established guidelines for daily nutritional requirements. For most nutrients there is general agreement surrounding these requirements, which are based on exhaustive scientific literature review. Differences in these recommendations exist because of genetic and environmental factors that result in differences in disease susceptibility, but also due to incomplete understanding of the roles of nutrients in disease prevention. This review briefly summarizes nutrient recommendations for older adults such as where those recommendations differ from those of younger adults; and includes areas of developing understanding such as the possible role of thiamine deficiency in patients with congestive heart failure, the need for some older adults to ingest absorbable forms of vitamin B12, the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, the potential role of vitamin K in bone health, the need for higher levels of protein intake in order to stimulate muscle protein synthesis as one ages, the role of calcium in osteoporosis, and the possible need for zinc supplementation in hospitalized patients. Keywords: vitamins, nutritional requirements, energy expenditure, energy consumption

Protein-containing nutrient supplementation following strength training enhances the effect on muscle mass, strength, and bone formation in postmenopausal women

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holm, Lars; Olesen, Jens L; Matsumoto, Keitaro

2008-01-01

.0 +/- 1.4%); nutrient group: 0.953 +/- 0.051 to 0.978 +/- 0.043 g/mm(3) (3.8 +/- 3.4%)] when adjusted for age, body mass index, and BMD at inclusion. Bone formation displayed an interaction (P increased osteocalcin at 24 wk in the nutrient group. In conclusion, we report...... that nutrient supplementation results in superior improvements in muscle mass, muscle strength, femoral neck BMD, and bone formation during 24 wk of strength training. The observed differences following such a short intervention emphasize the significance of postexercise nutrient supply on musculoskeletal......We evaluated the response of various muscle and bone adaptation parameters with 24 wk of strength training in healthy, early postmenopausal women when a nutrient supplement (protein, carbohydrate, calcium, and vitamin D) or a placebo supplement (a minimum of energy) was ingested immediately...

Molecular classification of fatty liver by high-throughput profiling of protein post-translational modifications.

Science.gov (United States)

Urasaki, Yasuyo; Fiscus, Ronald R; Le, Thuc T

2016-04-01

We describe an alternative approach to classifying fatty liver by profiling protein post-translational modifications (PTMs) with high-throughput capillary isoelectric focusing (cIEF) immunoassays. Four strains of mice were studied, with fatty livers induced by different causes, such as ageing, genetic mutation, acute drug usage, and high-fat diet. Nutrient-sensitive PTMs of a panel of 12 liver metabolic and signalling proteins were simultaneously evaluated with cIEF immunoassays, using nanograms of total cellular protein per assay. Changes to liver protein acetylation, phosphorylation, and O-N-acetylglucosamine glycosylation were quantified and compared between normal and diseased states. Fatty liver tissues could be distinguished from one another by distinctive protein PTM profiles. Fatty liver is currently classified by morphological assessment of lipid droplets, without identifying the underlying molecular causes. In contrast, high-throughput profiling of protein PTMs has the potential to provide molecular classification of fatty liver. Copyright © 2016 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Growth and nutrient uptake of maize plants as affected by elemental ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Jane

2011-10-05

Oct 5, 2011 ... and Cu, thus characterized as deficient in these micro nutrients. Nitrogen, phosphorus (P) and ... play an important role in the protection of plants against nutrient stress and pests and synthesis of vitamins ..... Brassica oleracea is controlled by the expression and the activity of sulphate transporter. Plant Biol.

Enhanced flavor-nutrient conditioning in obese rats on a high-fat, high-carbohydrate choice diet.

Science.gov (United States)

Wald, Hallie S; Myers, Kevin P

2015-11-01

Through flavor-nutrient conditioning rats learn to prefer and increase their intake of flavors paired with rewarding, postingestive nutritional consequences. Since obesity is linked to altered experience of food reward and to perturbations of nutrient sensing, we investigated flavor-nutrient learning in rats made obese using a high fat/high carbohydrate (HFHC) choice model of diet-induced obesity (ad libitum lard and maltodextrin solution plus standard rodent chow). Forty rats were maintained on HFHC to induce substantial weight gain, and 20 were maintained on chow only (CON). Among HFHC rats, individual differences in propensity to weight gain were studied by comparing those with the highest proportional weight gain (obesity prone, OP) to those with the lowest (obesity resistant, OR). Sensitivity to postingestive food reward was tested in a flavor-nutrient conditioning protocol. To measure initial, within-meal stimulation of flavor acceptance by post-oral nutrient sensing, first, in sessions 1-3, baseline licking was measured while rats consumed grape- or cherry-flavored saccharin accompanied by intragastric (IG) water infusion. Then, in the next three test sessions they received the opposite flavor paired with 5 ml of IG 12% glucose. Finally, after additional sessions alternating between the two flavor-infusion contingencies, preference was measured in a two-bottle choice between the flavors without IG infusions. HFHC-OP rats showed stronger initial enhancement of intake in the first glucose infusion sessions than CON or HFHC-OR rats. OP rats also most strongly preferred the glucose-paired flavor in the two-bottle choice. These differences between OP versus OR and CON rats suggest that obesity is linked to responsiveness to postoral nutrient reward, consistent with the view that flavor-nutrient learning perpetuates overeating in obesity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Protein-energy supplementation for lambs: feed intake, ingestive behavior, rumen parameters and nutrient digestibility

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pâmila Carolini Gonçalves da Silva

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The study evaluated the effects of dietary protein-energy supplementation on feed intake, ingestive behavior, rumen parameters and nutrient digestibility in lambs. Four castrated lambs with 31.9 kg mean body weight and fistulated rumen were tested. distributed into latin square design (4x4, four treatments were tested over four periods of time: no supplementation (control or with supplementation at 8, 16 and 24 g kg-1 body weight. The supplement (soybean meal, soybean hulls, ground corn and minerals was provided with roughage (Tifton Bermudagrass, Cynodon spp., hay, which was offered ad libitum once a day, at 8h00. In treatments receiving 0 (control, 8, 16 and 24 g kg-1 supplementation, dry matter intake was 685.26, 742.86, 842.51 and 1013.33 g day-1, crude protein intake was 80.18, 95.98, 118.64, 150.14 g day-1 and metabolizable energy intake 1.55, 1.91, 2.31 and 2.98 g day-1, respectively. Treatments receiving the highest supplementation levels spent less time with rumination and feeding and rested for longer (P < 0.05. Protein-energy supplementation level did not affect rumen parameters. Average rumen pH was 6.3 and rumen ammonia nitrogen 165 mg dL-1; both were affected by sampling time. Supplementation levels until 24 g kg-1 BW improves feed intake and nutrient digestibility linearly and changes ingestive behavior, lowering rumination time without affecting rumen parameters.

High-frequency micro-machined power inductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, N.; O'Donnell, T.; Roy, S.; Brunet, M.; McCloskey, P.; O'Mathuna, S.C.

2005-01-01

Power inductors have been fabricated on silicon substrates using low-temperature IC compatible processes. The electrical properties of these micro-inductors have been measured and discussed. A maximum quality factor of 6 at 4 MHz has been achieved with an inductance value of about 160 nH. The DC saturation currents of the non-gapped and gapped inductors are ∼500 and 700 mA, respectively. The relatively high Q factor and the load current characteristics allow these micro-machined inductors to be used in integrated power converters

Nutrients, phytochemicals, fungal flora and aflatoxin in fresh and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Dr Ob

In this study, the effect of salting on the pH, phytochemicals, fungal flora and nutrient composition of. Vernonia .... Vitamin C, β-carotene, carbohydrates, protein and moisture: ..... on rats fed a high cholesterol diet. ... male New Zealand rabbits.

Protein and lipid accretion in body components of growing pigs : effects of body weight and nutrient intake

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bikker, P.

1994-01-01

In pig production, optimization of the conversion of animal feeding-stuffs into body components, especially lean meat, requires knowledge of the response relationships between nutrient intake and animal performance. In this study, the separate effects of protein and energy intake on rate

Protein-containing nutrient supplementation following strength training enhances the effect on muscle mass, strength, and bone formation in postmenopausal women

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holm, Lars; Olesen, J.L.; Matsumoto, K.

2008-01-01

.4%); nutrient group: 0.953 ± 0.051 to 0.978 ± 0.043 g/mm3 (3.8 ± 3.4%)] when adjusted for age, body mass index, and BMD at inclusion. Bone formation displayed an interaction (P increased osteocalcin at 24 wk in the nutrient group. In conclusion, we report that nutrient supplementation...... results in superior improvements in muscle mass, muscle strength, femoral neck BMD, and bone formation during 24 wk of strength training. The observed differences following such a short intervention emphasize the significance of postexercise nutrient supply on musculoskeletal maintenance.......We evaluated the response of various muscle and bone adaptation parameters with 24 wk of strength training in healthy, early postmenopausal women when a nutrient supplement (protein, carbohydrate, calcium, and vitamin D) or a placebo supplement (a minimum of energy) was ingested immediately...

High Accuracy Three-dimensional Simulation of Micro Injection Moulded Parts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tosello, Guido; Costa, F. S.; Hansen, Hans Nørgaard

2011-01-01

Micro injection moulding (μIM) is the key replication technology for high precision manufacturing of polymer micro products. Data analysis and simulations on micro-moulding experiments have been conducted during the present validation study. Detailed information about the μIM process was gathered...

A novel power source for high-precision, highly efficient micro w-EDM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Shun-Tong; Chen, Chi-Hung

2015-01-01

The study presents the development of a novel power source for high-precision, highly efficient machining of micropart microstructures using micro wire electrical discharge machining (w-EDM). A novel power source based on a pluri resistance–capacitance (pRC) circuit that can generate a high-frequency, high-peak current with a short pulse train is proposed and designed to enhance the performance of micro w-EDM processes. Switching between transistors is precisely controlled in the designed power source to create a high-frequency short-pulse train current. Various microslot cutting tests in both aluminum and copper alloys are conducted. Experimental results demonstrate that the pRC power source creates instant spark erosion resulting in markedly less material for removal, diminishing discharge crater size, and consequently an improved surface finish. A new evaluation approach for spark erosion ability (SEA) to assess the merits of micro EDM power sources is also proposed. In addition to increasing the speed of micro w-EDM by increasing wire feed rates by 1.6 times the original feed rate, the power source is more appropriate for machining micropart microstructures since there is less thermal breaking. Satisfactory cutting of an elaborate miniature hook-shaped structure and a high-aspect ratio microstructure with a squared-pillar array also reveal that the developed pRC power source is effective, and should be very useful in the manufacture of intricate microparts. (paper)

Stormflow influence on nutrient dynamics in micro-catchments under contrasting land use in the Cerrado and Amazon Biomes, Brazil

Science.gov (United States)

Edelmann, Katharina; Nóbrega, Rodolfo L. B.; Gerold, Gerhard

2017-04-01

The Amazon and Cerrado biomes in Brazil have been under intense land-use change during the past few decades. The conversion of native vegetation to pastures and croplands has caused impacts on hydrological processes in these biomes, resulting in increased streamflow and nutrient fluxes. Our aim was to compare the nutrient dynamics during stormflow events in two pairs of adjacent micro-catchments with similar physical characteristics under contrasting land use, i.e. native vegetation (rainforest or cerrado) and pasture. One pair of catchments was located in the Amazon and the other in the Cerrado, both on the Amazon Agricultural Frontier in the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Pará. We collected hydrological and hydrochemical data on 50 stormflow events on a sub-hourly resolution during the wet seasons of 2013 and 2014. We compared the dynamics of total inorganic carbon (TIC), total organic carbon (TOC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), nitrate (NO3), calcium (Ca), potassium (K), and magnesium (Mg) in different hydrograph parts, i.e. rising limb, peak and recession limb, between the catchments within the same biome. For the Cerrado biome, our findings show that the nutrient concentrations in the stormflows were higher in the pasture catchment than in the cerrado catchment. In the Amazon biome, we found an inverse relationship with higher concentrations in the forest catchment than in the pasture catchment, except for TIC and K. Most nutrients in the cerrado catchment had the highest concentrations in the rising limb. Mg, however, reached highest concentrations during peak discharge, and lowest in the recession limb. In the adjacent pasture catchment, in contrast, the highest nutrient concentrations were observed during the peak discharge (TIC, TOC, Ca) or the recession limb (DOC, NO3, K, Mg) with lowest in the rising limb, except for NO3, which showed the lowest concentrations during peak discharge. In the Amazon forest catchment, the peak discharge showed the

Nutrient digestibility response to sugarcane bagasse addition and corn particle size in normal and high Na diets for broilers.

Science.gov (United States)

Kheravii, S K; Swick, R A; Choct, M; Wu, S-B

2018-04-01

Improving diet digestibility is important to the broiler industry. Therefore, this study focused on optimizing the physical structure of feed ingredients and addition of dietary fiber as strategies to improve nutrient digestibility in low and high sodium diets. A total of 672 day-old Ross 308 male broilers was allocated to 48 pens using a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments with 2 particle sizes of corn (coarse 3,576 μm or fine 1,113 μm geometric mean diameter), 2 levels of sugarcane bagasse (SB) (0 or 2%), and 2 levels of Na (0.16 or 0.4%). Protein digestibility coefficient was measured using pooled distal ileal digesta of 3 birds per pen on d 24. Meanwhile, starch and gross energy digestibility coefficients were measured using pooled duodenal, distal jejunal, and distal ileal digesta of 3 birds per pen on d 24. Coarsely ground corn (CC) resulted in improved ileal protein digestibility (P digestibility in the duodenum (P digestibility in distal ileum (P digestibility (P digestibility only in birds fed the diet with finely ground corn (FC) and 0.16% Na. These findings demonstrate that SB and CC are able to improve nutrient digestibility. It can be recommended for the poultry industry to use SB and coarsely ground corn in feed to improve the utilization of nutrients.

High-throughput micro-scale cultivations and chromatography modeling: Powerful tools for integrated process development.

Science.gov (United States)

Baumann, Pascal; Hahn, Tobias; Hubbuch, Jürgen

2015-10-01

Upstream processes are rather complex to design and the productivity of cells under suitable cultivation conditions is hard to predict. The method of choice for examining the design space is to execute high-throughput cultivation screenings in micro-scale format. Various predictive in silico models have been developed for many downstream processes, leading to a reduction of time and material costs. This paper presents a combined optimization approach based on high-throughput micro-scale cultivation experiments and chromatography modeling. The overall optimized system must not necessarily be the one with highest product titers, but the one resulting in an overall superior process performance in up- and downstream. The methodology is presented in a case study for the Cherry-tagged enzyme Glutathione-S-Transferase from Escherichia coli SE1. The Cherry-Tag™ (Delphi Genetics, Belgium) which can be fused to any target protein allows for direct product analytics by simple VIS absorption measurements. High-throughput cultivations were carried out in a 48-well format in a BioLector micro-scale cultivation system (m2p-Labs, Germany). The downstream process optimization for a set of randomly picked upstream conditions producing high yields was performed in silico using a chromatography modeling software developed in-house (ChromX). The suggested in silico-optimized operational modes for product capturing were validated subsequently. The overall best system was chosen based on a combination of excellent up- and downstream performance. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Studies on the chemical compositions and anti nutrients of some ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2008-11-05

Nov 5, 2008 ... fruit parts with low level of anti nutrient, high elemental composition, protein, lipid, carbohydrates and ascorbic acid could ... stored in airtight plastic containers inside the refrigerator. B. glabra .... vitamin and mineral availability.

Signatures of RNA binding proteins globally coupled to effective microRNA target sites

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jacobsen, Anders; Wen, Jiayu; Marks, Debora S

2010-01-01

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), bound to Argonaute proteins (RISC), destabilize mRNAs through base-pairing with the mRNA. However, the gene expression changes after perturbations of these small RNAs are only partially explained by predicted miRNA/siRNA targeting. Targeting...

Hierarchical micro-mobility management in high-speed multihop access networks

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

TANG Bi-hua; MA Xiao-lei; LIU Yuan-an; GAO Jin-chun

2006-01-01

This article integrates the hierarchical micro-mobility management and the high-speed multihop access networks (HMAN), to accomplish the smooth handover between different access routers. The proposed soft handover scheme in the high-speed HMAN can solve the micro-mobility management problem in the access network. This article also proposes the hybrid access router (AR) advertisement scheme and AR selection algorithm, which uses the time delay and stable route to the AR as the gateway selection parameters. By simulation, the proposed micro-mobility management scheme can achieve high packet delivery fraction and improve the lifetime of network.

Waveguide-loaded silica fibers for coupling to high-index micro-resonators

Science.gov (United States)

Latawiec, P.; Burek, M. J.; Venkataraman, V.; Lončar, M.

2016-01-01

Tapered silica fibers are often used to rapidly probe the optical properties of micro-resonators. However, their low refractive index precludes phase-matching when coupling to high-index micro-resonators, reducing efficiency. Here, we demonstrate efficient optical coupling from tapered fibers to high-index micro-resonators by loading the fibers with an ancillary adiabatic waveguide-coupler fabricated via angled-etching. We demonstrate greatly enhanced coupling to a silicon multimode micro-resonator when compared to coupling via the bare fiber only. Signatures of resonator optical bistability are observed at high powers. This scheme can be applied to resonators of any size and material, increasing the functional scope of fiber coupling.

Biomimetic block copolymer particles with gated nanopores and ultrahigh protein sorption capacity

KAUST Repository

Yu, Haizhou

2014-06-17

The design of micro-or nanoparticles that can encapsulate sensitive molecules such as drugs, hormones, proteins or peptides is of increasing importance for applications in biotechnology and medicine. Examples are micelles, liposomes and vesicles. The tiny and, in most cases, hollow spheres are used as vehicles for transport and controlled administration of pharmaceutical drugs or nutrients. Here we report a simple strategy to fabricate microspheres by block copolymer self-assembly. The microsphere particles have monodispersed nanopores that can act as pH-responsive gates. They contain a highly porous internal structure, which is analogous to the Schwarz P structure. The internal porosity of the particles contributes to their high sorption capacity and sustained release behaviour. We successfully separated similarly sized proteins using these particles. The ease of particle fabrication by macrophase separation and self-assembly, and the robustness of the particles makes them ideal for sorption, separation, transport and sustained delivery of pharmaceutical substances. © 2014 Macmillan Publishers Limited.

Biomimetic block copolymer particles with gated nanopores and ultrahigh protein sorption capacity

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Haizhou; Qiu, Xiaoyan; Nunes, Suzana P.; Peinemann, Klaus-Viktor

2014-06-01

The design of micro- or nanoparticles that can encapsulate sensitive molecules such as drugs, hormones, proteins or peptides is of increasing importance for applications in biotechnology and medicine. Examples are micelles, liposomes and vesicles. The tiny and, in most cases, hollow spheres are used as vehicles for transport and controlled administration of pharmaceutical drugs or nutrients. Here we report a simple strategy to fabricate microspheres by block copolymer self-assembly. The microsphere particles have monodispersed nanopores that can act as pH-responsive gates. They contain a highly porous internal structure, which is analogous to the Schwarz P structure. The internal porosity of the particles contributes to their high sorption capacity and sustained release behaviour. We successfully separated similarly sized proteins using these particles. The ease of particle fabrication by macrophase separation and self-assembly, and the robustness of the particles makes them ideal for sorption, separation, transport and sustained delivery of pharmaceutical substances.

Structure of catalase determined by MicroED

Science.gov (United States)

Nannenga, Brent L; Shi, Dan; Hattne, Johan; Reyes, Francis E; Gonen, Tamir

2014-01-01

MicroED is a recently developed method that uses electron diffraction for structure determination from very small three-dimensional crystals of biological material. Previously we used a series of still diffraction patterns to determine the structure of lysozyme at 2.9 Å resolution with MicroED (Shi et al., 2013). Here we present the structure of bovine liver catalase determined from a single crystal at 3.2 Å resolution by MicroED. The data were collected by continuous rotation of the sample under constant exposure and were processed and refined using standard programs for X-ray crystallography. The ability of MicroED to determine the structure of bovine liver catalase, a protein that has long resisted atomic analysis by traditional electron crystallography, demonstrates the potential of this method for structure determination. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.03600.001 PMID:25303172

MicroRNA-27a-mediated repression of cysteine-rich secretory protein 2 translation in asthenoteratozoospermic patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jun-Hao Zhou

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Cysteine-rich secretory protein 2 (CRISP2 is an important protein in spermatozoa that plays roles in modulating sperm flagellar motility, the acrosome reaction, and gamete fusion. Spermatozoa lacking CRISP2 exhibit low sperm motility and abnormal morphology. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the reduction of CRISP2 in asthenoteratozoospermia (ATZ remain unknown. In this study, low expression of CRISP2 protein rather than its mRNA was observed in the ejaculated spermatozoa from ATZ patients as compared with normozoospermic males. Subsequently, bioinformatic prediction, luciferase reporter assays, and microRNA-27a (miR-27a transfection experiments revealed that miR-27a specifically targets CRISP2 by binding to its 3′ untranslated region (3′-UTR, suppressing CRISP2 expression posttranscriptionally. Further evidence was provided by the clinical observation of high miR-27a expression in ejaculated spermatozoa from ATZ patients and a negative correlation between miR-27a expression and CRISP2 protein expression. Finally, a retrospective follow-up study supported that both high miR-27a expression and low CRISP2 protein expression were associated with low progressive sperm motility, abnormal morphology, and infertility. This study demonstrates a novel mechanism responsible for reduced CRISP2 expression in ATZ, which may offer a potential therapeutic target for treating male infertility, or for male contraception.

Protein Detection Using the Multiplexed Proximity Extension Assay (PEA) from Plasma and Vaginal Fluid Applied to the Indicating FTA Elute Micro Card™

Science.gov (United States)

Berggrund, Malin; Ekman, Daniel; Gustavsson, Inger; Sundfeldt, Karin; Olovsson, Matts; Enroth, Stefan; Gyllensten, Ulf

2016-01-01

The indicating FTA elute micro card™ has been developed to collect and stabilize the nucleic acid in biological samples and is widely used in human and veterinary medicine and other disciplines. This card is not recommended for protein analyses, since surface treatment may denature proteins. We studied the ability to analyse proteins in human plasma and vaginal fluid as applied to the indicating FTA elute micro card™ using the sensitive proximity extension assay (PEA). Among 92 proteins in the Proseek Multiplex Oncology Iv2 panel, 87 were above the limit of detection (LOD) in liquid plasma and 56 among 92 above LOD in plasma applied to FTA cards. Washing and protein elution protocols were compared to identify an optimal method. Liquid-based cytology samples showed a lower number of proteins above LOD than FTA cards with vaginal fluid samples applied. Our results demonstrate that samples applied to the indicating FTA elute micro card™ are amendable to protein analyses, given that a sensitive protein detection assay is used. The results imply that biological samples applied to FTA cards can be used for DNA, RNA and protein detection. PMID:28936257

Protein Detection Using the Multiplexed Proximity Extension Assay (PEA from Plasma and Vaginal Fluid Applied to the Indicating FTA Elute Micro Card™

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Malin Berggrund

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The indicating FTA elute micro card™ has been developed to collect and stabilize the nucleic acid in biological samples and is widely used in human and veterinary medicine and other disciplines. This card is not recommended for protein analyses, since surface treatment may denature proteins. We studied the ability to analyse proteins in human plasma and vaginal fluid as applied to the indicating FTA elute micro card™ using the sensitive proximity extension assay (PEA. Among 92 proteins in the Proseek Multiplex Oncology Iv2 panel, 87 were above the limit of detection (LOD in liquid plasma and 56 among 92 above LOD in plasma applied to FTA cards. Washing and protein elution protocols were compared to identify an optimal method. Liquid-based cytology samples showed a lower number of proteins above LOD than FTA cards with vaginal fluid samples applied. Our results demonstrate that samples applied to the indicating FTA elute micro card™ are amendable to protein analyses, given that a sensitive protein detection assay is used. The results imply that biological samples applied to FTA cards can be used for DNA, RNA and protein detection.

Protein Detection Using the Multiplexed Proximity Extension Assay (PEA) from Plasma and Vaginal Fluid Applied to the Indicating FTA Elute Micro Card™.

Science.gov (United States)

Berggrund, Malin; Ekman, Daniel; Gustavsson, Inger; Sundfeldt, Karin; Olovsson, Matts; Enroth, Stefan; Gyllensten, Ulf

2016-01-01

The indicating FTA elute micro card™ has been developed to collect and stabilize the nucleic acid in biological samples and is widely used in human and veterinary medicine and other disciplines. This card is not recommended for protein analyses, since surface treatment may denature proteins. We studied the ability to analyse proteins in human plasma and vaginal fluid as applied to the indicating FTA elute micro card™ using the sensitive proximity extension assay (PEA). Among 92 proteins in the Proseek Multiplex Oncology Iv2 panel, 87 were above the limit of detection (LOD) in liquid plasma and 56 among 92 above LOD in plasma applied to FTA cards. Washing and protein elution protocols were compared to identify an optimal method. Liquid-based cytology samples showed a lower number of proteins above LOD than FTA cards with vaginal fluid samples applied. Our results demonstrate that samples applied to the indicating FTA elute micro card™ are amendable to protein analyses, given that a sensitive protein detection assay is used. The results imply that biological samples applied to FTA cards can be used for DNA, RNA and protein detection.

miRBase: annotating high confidence microRNAs using deep sequencing data.

Science.gov (United States)

Kozomara, Ana; Griffiths-Jones, Sam

2014-01-01

We describe an update of the miRBase database (http://www.mirbase.org/), the primary microRNA sequence repository. The latest miRBase release (v20, June 2013) contains 24 521 microRNA loci from 206 species, processed to produce 30 424 mature microRNA products. The rate of deposition of novel microRNAs and the number of researchers involved in their discovery continue to increase, driven largely by small RNA deep sequencing experiments. In the face of these increases, and a range of microRNA annotation methods and criteria, maintaining the quality of the microRNA sequence data set is a significant challenge. Here, we describe recent developments of the miRBase database to address this issue. In particular, we describe the collation and use of deep sequencing data sets to assign levels of confidence to miRBase entries. We now provide a high confidence subset of miRBase entries, based on the pattern of mapped reads. The high confidence microRNA data set is available alongside the complete microRNA collection at http://www.mirbase.org/. We also describe embedding microRNA-specific Wikipedia pages on the miRBase website to encourage the microRNA community to contribute and share textual and functional information.

The imprint of crop choice on global nutrient needs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jobbágy, Esteban G; Sala, Osvaldo E

2014-01-01

Solutions to meet growing food requirements in a world of limited suitable land and degrading environment focus mainly on increasing crop yields, particularly in poorly performing regions, and reducing animal product consumption. Increasing yields could alleviate land requirements, but imposing higher soil nutrient withdrawals and in most cases larger fertilizer inputs. Lowering animal product consumption favors a more efficient use of land as well as soil and fertilizer nutrients; yet actual saving may largely depend on which crops and how much fertilizer are used to feed livestock versus people. We show, with a global analysis, how the choice of cultivated plant species used to feed people and livestock influences global food production as well as soil nutrient withdrawals and fertilizer additions. The 3 to 15-fold differences in soil nutrient withdrawals per unit of energy or protein produced that we report across major crops explain how composition shifts over the last 20 years have reduced N, maintained P and increased K harvest withdrawals from soils while contributing to increasing dietary energy, protein and, particularly, vegetable fat outputs. Being highly variable across crops, global fertilization rates do not relate to actual soil nutrient withdrawals, but to monetary values of harvested products. Future changes in crop composition could contribute to achieve more sustainable food systems, optimizing land and fertilizer use. (letter)

Tissue-specific regulation of mouse MicroRNA genes in endoderm-derived tissues

OpenAIRE

Gao, Yan; Schug, Jonathan; McKenna, Lindsay B.; Le Lay, John; Kaestner, Klaus H.; Greenbaum, Linda E.

2010-01-01

MicroRNAs fine-tune the activity of hundreds of protein-coding genes. The identification of tissue-specific microRNAs and their promoters has been constrained by the limited sensitivity of prior microRNA quantification methods. Here, we determine the entire microRNAome of three endoderm-derived tissues, liver, jejunum and pancreas, using ultra-high throughput sequencing. Although many microRNA genes are expressed at comparable levels, 162 microRNAs exhibited striking tissue-specificity. After...

Protein Detection Using the Multiplexed Proximity Extension Assay (PEA) from Plasma and Vaginal Fluid Applied to the Indicating FTA Elute Micro CardTM

OpenAIRE

Berggrund, Malin; Ekman, Daniel; Gustavsson, Inger; Sundfeldt, Karin; Olovsson, Matts; Enroth, Stefan; Gyllensten, Ulf

2016-01-01

The indicating FTA elute micro cardTM has been developed to collect and stabilize the nucleic acid in biological samples and is widely used in human and veterinary medicine and other disciplines. This card is not recommended for protein analyses, since surface treatment may denature proteins. We studied the ability to analyse proteins in human plasma and vaginal fluid as applied to the indicating FTA elute micro cardTM using the sensitive proximity extension assay (PEA). Among 92 proteins in ...

Nutrient Uptake by High-Yielding Cotton Crop in Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Luís Vilela Vieira

2018-02-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT: Determining nutrient uptake and accumulation rates by cotton crops is important to define management strategies, especially for transgenic varieties, which are cultivated using high-technology approaches that require substantial investment to maximize yield. Currently in Brazil, the states of Bahia and Mato Grosso are responsible for 84.4 % of the total cotton growing area. In the present study, two trials were conducted in 2013, one that involved planting FM 940 GLT, FM 980 GLT, and FM 913 GLT varieties in the state of Bahia and the other which involved FM 940 GLT and FM 980 GLT varieties in the state of Mato Grosso. The aim of the two trials was to represent the two regions that currently encompass the largest areas of cotton cultivation. Tissue samples, consisting of leaves, stems, and reproductive components, were collected eleven times during the crop cycle for determination of nutrient content and shoot dry matter. After weighing, plant tissue samples were dried and ground to determine nutrient contents. Because there were no overall differences in nutrient contents and biomass accumulation of the varieties during the crop cycle, we undertook joint analysis of the data from all varieties at each site. Favorable climatic conditions in Bahia promoted plant biomass production that was twice as much as plants grown in Mato Grosso, with cotton yields of 6.2 and 3.8 t ha−1 of lint and seed, respectively. The maximum nutrient accumulation occurred between 137-150 days after emergence (DAE for N; 143-148 for P; 172-185 for K; 100 for Ca; 144-149 for Mg; and 153-158 for S. Maximum uptake ranged from 218-362 kg ha−1 N; 26-53 kg ha−1 P; 233-506 kg ha−1 K; 91-202 kg ha−1 Ca; 28-44 kg ha−1 Mg; and 19-61 kg ha−1 S. On average, the sites revealed nutrient export of 14, 2, 23, 3, 2, and 2 kg t−1 of lint and seed for N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and S, respectively, with little variation among sites. Extraction of nutrients per area by cotton

Mass spectrometric protein characterization in proteome analysis using GELoader tip micro-columns packed with various chromatographic material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larsen, M.R.

2001-01-01

In the early 90'ies mass spectrometry (MS) was introduced as a tool for identifying proteins in protein sequence databases. Since then it has become an integrated tool in protein characterization and is today routinely used to identify proteins separated by gel electrophoresis. A two-tiered mass spectrometric protein identification strategy has recently been proposed. In the first strategy peptide mass maps obtained from the protein of interest are compared with theoretically derived peptide mass maps from proteins in protein sequence databases. If the protein cannot be identified by this strategy, tandem mass spectrometric sequencing is used to generate enough sequence data to identify the protein in protein sequence databases or expressed sequence tag (EST) databases. However, the above strategies primarily identify a protein relatively to the DNA sequence, in which no information about e.g. post-translational modifications (PTMs) is stored. PTMs are known to modify the function, location, solubility and activity of proteins in the cell, and they are therefore very important for understanding living cells. More than 200 different PTMs are known, of which glycosylation, phosphorylation and proteolytic processing are the most common ones. Mass spectrometric analysis of PTMs on gel-separated proteins requires a higher amount of protein than for identification only. In addition, higher sequence coverage from the peptide mass maps or pre-purification of the modified peptides prior to MS analysis, is necessary for detection of putative modified peptides. In this study a multi-tiered strategy, in which GELoader tip micro-columns packed with increasingly more hydrophobic chromatographic material are used in combination with mass spectrometry, is described. The ultimate aim was to gain increased sequence coverage from peptide mixtures derived from gel-separated proteins, in order to locate modified peptides. Graphite powder is described as an alternative to traditional

Fabrication of high aspect ratio micro electrode by using EDM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elsiti, Nagwa Mejid; Noordin, M.Y.; Alkali, Adam Umar

2016-01-01

The electrical discharge machining (EDM) process inherits characteristics that make it a promising micro-machining technique. Micro electrical discharge machining (micro- EDM) is a derived form of EDM, which is commonly used to manufacture micro and miniature parts and components by using the conventional electrical discharge machining fundamentals. Moving block electro discharge grinding (Moving BEDG) is one of the processes that can be used to fabricate micro-electrode. In this study, a conventional die sinker EDM machine was used to fabricate the micro-electrode. Modifications are made to the moving BEDG, which include changing the direction of movements and control gap in one electrode. Consequently current was controlled due to the use of roughing, semi-finishing and finishing parameters. Finally, a high aspect ratio micro-electrode with a diameter of 110.49μm and length of 6000μm was fabricated. (paper)

High temperature x-ray micro-tomography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

MacDowell, Alastair A., E-mail: aamacdowell@lbl.gov; Barnard, Harold; Parkinson, Dilworth Y.; Gludovatz, Bernd [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab., Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Haboub, Abdel [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab., Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); current –Lincoln Univ., Jefferson City, Missouri, 65101 (United States); Larson, Natalie; Zok, Frank [University California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara CA 93106 (United States); Panerai, Francesco; Mansour, Nagi N. [NASA Ames Research Centre, Moffett Field, CA, 94035 (United States); Bale, Hrishikesh [University California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); current - Carl Zeiss X-ray Microscopy, 4385 Hopyard Rd #100, Pleasanton, CA 94588 (United States); Acevedo, Claire [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab., Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); University California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143 (United States); Liu, Dong [University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TH (United Kingdom); Ritchie, Robert O. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab., Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); University California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States)

2016-07-27

There is increasing demand for 3D micro-scale time-resolved imaging of samples in realistic - and in many cases extreme environments. The data is used to understand material response, validate and refine computational models which, in turn, can be used to reduce development time for new materials and processes. Here we present the results of high temperature experiments carried out at the x-ray micro-tomography beamline 8.3.2 at the Advanced Light Source. The themes involve material failure and processing at temperatures up to 1750°C. The experimental configurations required to achieve the requisite conditions for imaging are described, with examples of ceramic matrix composites, spacecraft ablative heat shields and nuclear reactor core Gilsocarbon graphite.

Interfacial dilational properties of tea polyphenols and milk proteins with gut epithelia and the role of mucus in nutrient adsorption.

Science.gov (United States)

Guri, Anilda; Li, Yang; Corredig, Milena

2015-12-01

By interacting with nutrients, the mucus layer covering the intestinal epithelium may mediate absorption. This study aimed to determine possible interactions between epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), skim milk proteins or their complexes with human intestinal mucin films. The films were extracted from postconfluent monolayers of HT29-MTX, a human intestinal cell line, and a model system was created using drop shape tensiometry. The EGCG uptake tested in vitro on postconfluent Caco-2 cells or co-cultures of Caco-2/HT29-MTX (mucus producing) showed recovery of bioavailable EGCG only for Caco-2 cell monolayers, suggesting an effect of mucus on absorption. Interfacial dilational rheology was employed to characterize the properties of the interface mixed with mucus dispersion. Adsorption of polyphenols greatly enhanced the viscoelastic modulus of the mucus film, showing the presence of interactions between the nutrient molecules and mucus films. On the other hand, in situ digestion of milk proteins using trypsin showed higher surface activities as a result of protein unfolding and competitive adsorption of the hydrolyzed products. There was an increase of viscoelastic modulus over the drop ageing time for the mixed interfaces, indicating the formation of a stiffer interfacial network. These results bring new insights into the role of the mucus layer in nutrient absorption and the interactions of mucus and dairy products.

Insect-based protein: future promising protein source for fish cultured

Science.gov (United States)

Nugroho, R. A.; Nur, F. M.

2018-04-01

As one of the vital component feed used in fisheries, fishmeal (FM) is generally added to the fish diet to enhance fish growth, digestive performance and absorption of nutrients. This addition contributes significantly to the variable production cost in the aquaculture industry. Expanded production of carnivorous species requiring high protein, high-energy feeds will further tax global fish meal. Thus, research based on the low-cost budget for feed operating cost should be strategized to assist aquaculturists in enhancing fish productivity. Moreover, suitable alternative feed ingredients will have to be utilized to provide the essential nutrients and energy needed to fuel the growth of aquaculture production. To this effect, the use of insect-based protein sources to replace FM that often scarce, expensive, limited availability, and leads to high fish production costs is alternative ways and has been gaining momentum. Currently, Insects have been proposed as one of the potential future protein sources of protein because of the production of insects is highly sustainable. Farming insects is characterized by higher food conversion efficiencies, lower environmental impact, and higher potential to be grown on waste streams.

Modeling High Pressure Micro Hollow Cathode Discharges

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Boeuf, Jean-Pierre; Pitchford, Leanne

2004-01-01

This report results from a contract tasking CPAT as follows: The Grantee will perform theoretical modeling of point, surface, and volume high-pressure plasmas created using Micro Hollow Cathode Discharge sources...

The Rts1 regulatory subunit of protein phosphatase 2A is required for control of G1 cyclin transcription and nutrient modulation of cell size.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karen Artiles

2009-11-01

Full Text Available The key molecular event that marks entry into the cell cycle is transcription of G1 cyclins, which bind and activate cyclin-dependent kinases. In yeast cells, initiation of G1 cyclin transcription is linked to achievement of a critical cell size, which contributes to cell-size homeostasis. The critical cell size is modulated by nutrients, such that cells growing in poor nutrients are smaller than cells growing in rich nutrients. Nutrient modulation of cell size does not work through known critical regulators of G1 cyclin transcription and is therefore thought to work through a distinct pathway. Here, we report that Rts1, a highly conserved regulatory subunit of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A, is required for normal control of G1 cyclin transcription. Loss of Rts1 caused delayed initiation of bud growth and delayed and reduced accumulation of G1 cyclins. Expression of the G1 cyclin CLN2 from an inducible promoter rescued the delayed bud growth in rts1Delta cells, indicating that Rts1 acts at the level of transcription. Moreover, loss of Rts1 caused altered regulation of Swi6, a key component of the SBF transcription factor that controls G1 cyclin transcription. Epistasis analysis revealed that Rts1 does not work solely through several known critical upstream regulators of G1 cyclin transcription. Cells lacking Rts1 failed to undergo nutrient modulation of cell size. Together, these observations demonstrate that Rts1 is a key player in pathways that link nutrient availability, cell size, and G1 cyclin transcription. Since Rts1 is highly conserved, it may function in similar pathways in vertebrates.

Nutrient Status of Adults with Cystic Fibrosis

Science.gov (United States)

GORDON, CATHERINE M.; ANDERSON, ELLEN J.; HERLYN, KAREN; HUBBARD, JANE L.; PIZZO, ANGELA; GELBARD, RONDI; LAPEY, ALLEN; MERKEL, PETER A.

2011-01-01

Nutrition is thought to influence disease status in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). This cross-sectional study sought to evaluate nutrient intake and anthropometric data from 64 adult outpatients with cystic fibrosis. Nutrient intake from food and supplements was compared with the Dietary Reference Intakes for 16 nutrients and outcomes influenced by nutritional status. Attention was given to vitamin D and calcium given potential skeletal implications due to cystic fibrosis. Measurements included weight, height, body composition, pulmonary function, and serum metabolic parameters. Participants were interviewed about dietary intake, supplement use, pulmonary function, sunlight exposure, and pain. The participants’ mean body mass index (±standard deviation) was 21.8±4.9 and pulmonary function tests were normal. Seventy-eight percent used pancreatic enzyme replacement for malabsorption. Vitamin D deficiency [25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD)<37.5 nmol/L] was common: 25 (39%) were deficient despite adequate vitamin D intake. Lipid profiles were normal in the majority, even though total and saturated fat consumption represented 33.0% and 16.8% of energy intake, respectively. Reported protein intake represented 16.9% of total energy intake (range 10%–25%). For several nutrients, including vitamin D and calcium, intake from food and supplements in many participants exceeded recommended Tolerable Upper Intake Levels. Among adults with cystic fibrosis, vitamin D deficiency was common despite reported adequate intake, and lipid profiles were normal despite a relatively high fat intake. Mean protein consumption was adequate, but the range of intake was concerning, as both inadequate or excessive intake may have deleterious skeletal effects. These findings call into question the applicability of established nutrient thresholds for patients with cystic fibrosis. PMID:18060897

Effect of delayed processing on nutrient composition, pH and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Fish are a nutrient rich food but highly perishable due to its high water activity, protein content, neutral pH and presence of autolytic enzymes. This explains why fresh fish quality deteriorates rapidly if not properly stored after catch such as use of low temperature. The implication is that delayed processing of fresh fish ...

High-speed micro-electro-discharge machining.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chandrasekar, Srinivasan Dr. (.School of Industrial Engineering, West Lafayette, IN); Moylan, Shawn P. (School of Industrial Engineering, West Lafayette, IN); Benavides, Gilbert Lawrence

2005-09-01

When two electrodes are in close proximity in a dielectric liquid, application of a voltage pulse can produce a spark discharge between them, resulting in a small amount of material removal from both electrodes. Pulsed application of the voltage at discharge energies in the range of micro-Joules results in the continuous material removal process known as micro-electro-discharge machining (micro-EDM). Spark erosion by micro-EDM provides significant opportunities for producing small features and micro-components such as nozzle holes, slots, shafts and gears in virtually any conductive material. If the speed and precision of micro-EDM processes can be significantly enhanced, then they have the potential to be used for a wide variety of micro-machining applications including fabrication of microelectromechanical system (MEMS) components. Toward this end, a better understanding of the impacts the various machining parameters have on material removal has been established through a single discharge study of micro-EDM and a parametric study of small hole making by micro-EDM. The main avenues for improving the speed and efficiency of the micro-EDM process are in the areas of more controlled pulse generation in the power supply and more controlled positioning of the tool electrode during the machining process. Further investigation of the micro-EDM process in three dimensions leads to important design rules, specifically the smallest feature size attainable by the process.

Effect of thymol and carvacrol on nutrient digestibility in rams fed high or low concentrate diets.

Science.gov (United States)

Zamiri, M J; Azizabadi, E; Momeni, Z; Rezvani, M R; Atashi, H; Akhlaghi, A

2015-01-01

Published data on the effects of essential oils (EO) on in vivo nutrient digestibility in sheep are contradictory. In 2 experiments, the effect of thymol and carvacrol on nutrient digestibility was studied in sheep fed with high (70%) or low (52%) concentrate diets, using incomplete Latin Square designs. The essential oils were mixed with the concentrate portion of the diet at the rate of 0.0, 0.3, or 0.6 g per kg dry matter (DM) diet. Supplementation of thymol had no significant effect on digestibility of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP) and acid detergent fiber (ADF). The main effect of thymol on neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and ether extract (EE) digestibility and on nitrogen balance (NB) was significant (Pdigestibility. The main effect of carvacrol on ruminal ammonia levels and NB was significant, but within each level of dietary concentrate no significant differences were observed in ammonia levels and NB. Inclusion of 0.3 g/kg diet DM of carvacrol or thyme was more effective than 0.6 g/kg diet DM in terms of NB but neither dose affected nutrient digestibility. Future research should determine the long-term effects of essential oils on digestibility and performance in sheep, before recommendation can be made for their use under practical husbandry conditions.

Potentials of raw and cooked walnuts (Tetracapidium conophorum) as sources of valuable nutrients for good health.

Science.gov (United States)

Moyib, O K; Falegbe, O; Moyib, F R

2015-12-01

The present study estimated nutrient composition of walnuts before and after cooking with respect to its potential as valuable source of nutrients for daily intake. Walnut fruits were purchased from five different markets in Ijebu-Ode local government area and its environs. The fruits samples were divided into two portions, labelled R (for raw) and C (cooked). The C samples were cooked at 100 degrees C for 1 hr and allowed to cool to room temperature. The seeds of both C and R samples were ground and analyzed for proximate, macro and micro minerals using methods of Association of Official Chemists. The results obtained showed that both raw and cooked walnuts are rich in fat, iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and copper (Cu) in amounts that are within daily recommended intake per 100 g of walnut seeds. They also contained appreciable levels of protein, phosphorus (P), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) but with low content of moisture (MC), carbohydrate, fiber, sodium (Na) and potassium (K). Boiling significantly affected the levels of protein, carbohydrate, ash, moisture content, fat, nitrogen, calcium, sodium, copper, zinc, phosphorus, potassium, manganese and iron The study reveals that walnut is nutritious due to its appreciable level of protein and presence of various essential and macro minerals. Its low content of sodium and potassium is beneficiary in hypertensive condition as snack. The study suggests future bio-fortification of walnut with zinc, which may bring about a co-increase in Ca and protein content.

Genetic Engineering of Maize (Zea mays L.) with Improved Grain Nutrients.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Xiaotong; Duan, Xiaoguang; Wu, Yongzhen; Cheng, Jieshan; Zhang, Juan; Zhang, Hongxia; Li, Bei

2018-02-21

Cell-wall invertase plays important roles in the grain filling of crop plants. However, its functions in the improvement of grain nutrients have not been investigated. In this work, the stable expression of cell-wall-invertase-encoding genes from different plant species and the contents of total starch, protein, amino acid, nitrogen, lipid, and phosphorus were examined in transgenic maize plants. High expressions of the cell-wall-invertase gene conferred enhanced invertase activity and sugar content in transgenic plants, leading to increased grain yield and improved grain nutrients. Transgenic plants with high expressions of the transgene produced more total starch, protein, nitrogen, and essential amino acids in the seeds. Overall, the results indicate that the cell-wall-invertase gene can be used as a potential candidate for the genetic breeding of grain crops with both improved grain yield and quality.

High-Speed Video System for Micro-Expression Detection and Recognition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diana Borza

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Micro-expressions play an essential part in understanding non-verbal communication and deceit detection. They are involuntary, brief facial movements that are shown when a person is trying to conceal something. Automatic analysis of micro-expression is challenging due to their low amplitude and to their short duration (they occur as fast as 1/15 to 1/25 of a second. We propose a fully micro-expression analysis system consisting of a high-speed image acquisition setup and a software framework which can detect the frames when the micro-expressions occurred as well as determine the type of the emerged expression. The detection and classification methods use fast and simple motion descriptors based on absolute image differences. The recognition module it only involves the computation of several 2D Gaussian probabilities. The software framework was tested on two publicly available high speed micro-expression databases and the whole system was used to acquire new data. The experiments we performed show that our solution outperforms state of the art works which use more complex and computationally intensive descriptors.

Reducing crude protein and rumen degradable protein with a constant concentration of rumen undegradable protein in the diet of dairy cows: Production performance, nutrient digestibility, nitrogen efficiency, and blood metabolites.

Science.gov (United States)

Bahrami-Yekdangi, M; Ghorbani, G R; Khorvash, M; Khan, M A; Ghaffari, M H

2016-02-01

The goals of ruminant protein nutrition are to provide adequate amounts of RDP for optimal ruminal efficiency and to obtain the desired animal productivity with a minimum amount of dietary CP. The aim of the present study was to examine effects of decreasing dietary protein by decreasing RDP with the optimum concentration of RUP on production performance, nutrient digestibility, N retention, rumen fermentation parameters, and blood metabolites in high-producing Holstein cows in early lactation. Nine multiparous lactating cows (second parities, averaging 50 ± 12 d in milk and milk yield of 48 ± 5 kg/d) were used in a triplicate 3 × 3 Latin square design with 3 rations: 1) a total mixed ration (TMR) containing 16.4% CP (10.9% RDP based on DM), 2) a TMR containing 15.6% CP (10% RDP), and 3) a TMR containing 14.8% CP (9.3% RDP). The level of RUP was constant at 5.5% DM across the treatments. All diets were calculated to supply a postruminal lysine to methionine ratio of about 3:1. Dry matter intake, milk yield and composition, 4% fat-corrected milk, and energy-corrected milk were not significantly affected by decreasing dietary CP and RDP levels. Cows fed 16.4% CP diets had greater ( RUP and fecal N excretion (g/d) did not change. Apparent digestibility of nutrients, ruminal pH, and NH-N concentration were not affected with decreasing dietary CP and RDP levels. Apparent N efficiency increased, and RDP N intake and predicted urine N output decreased with decreased concentration of dietary CP and RDP in the diets ( RUP.

Ring artifact correction for high-resolution micro CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kyriakou, Yiannis; Prell, Daniel; Kalender, Willi A

2009-01-01

In high-resolution micro CT using flat detectors (FD), imperfect or defect detector elements may cause concentric-ring artifacts due to their continuous over- or underestimation of attenuation values, which often disturb image quality. We here present a dedicated image-based ring artifact correction method for high-resolution micro CT, based on median filtering of the reconstructed image and working on a transformed version of the reconstructed images in polar coordinates. This post-processing method reduced ring artifacts in the reconstructed images and improved image quality for phantom and in in vivo scans. Noise and artifacts were reduced both in transversal and in multi-planar reformations along the longitudinal axis. (note)

Nutrient contents of the fresh pulps and dried pulp cakes of vitellaria paradoxa of Gulu District, Uganda

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Oryema, Christine; Oryem-Origa, Hannington; Roos, Nanna

2016-01-01

Vitellaria paradoxa Gaertn locally known as ‘Yaa’ in Acholi is a valuable edible indigenous wild fruit in Gulu District, northern Uganda. It is a multipurpose fruit tree and highly favoured by the inhabitants of this district. Its fruit pulps are eaten when fresh and/or made into cakes and dried....... This study determined the nutrient compositions of the fresh pulps and dried pulp cakes of V. paradoxa. Laboratory analyses were undertaken to determine the micro and macro nutrients in the samples on fresh (FM) and dry matter (DM) basis following standard procedures and protocols. The potassium, sodium...

Rapid micro-scale proteolysis of proteins for MALDI-MS peptide mapping using immobilized trypsin

Science.gov (United States)

Gobom, Johan; Nordhoff, Eckhard; Ekman, Rolf; Roepstorff, Peter

1997-12-01

In this study we present a rapid method for tryptic digestion of proteins using micro-columns with enzyme immobilized on perfusion chromatography media. The performance of the method is exemplified with acyl-CoA-binding protein and reduced carbamidomethylated bovine serum albumin. The method proved to be significantly faster and yielded a better sequence coverage and an improved signal-to-noise ratio for the MALDI-MS peptide maps, compared to in-solution- and on-target digestion. Only a single sample transfer step is required, and therefore sample loss due to adsorption to surfaces is reduced, which is a critical issue when handling low picomole to femtomole amounts of proteins. An example is shown with on-column proteolytic digestion and subsequent elution of the digest into a reversed-phase micro-column. This is useful if the sample contains large amounts of salt or is too diluted for MALDI-MS analysis. Furthermore, by step-wise elution from the reversedphase column, a complex digest can be fractionated, which reduces signal suppression and facilitates data interpretation in the subsequent MS-analysis. The method also proved useful for consecutive digestions with enzymes of different cleavage specificity. This is exemplified with on-column tryptic digestion, followed by reversed-phase step-wise elution, and subsequent on-target V8 protease digestion.

Protein and mineral nutrient contents in kernels from 72 sweet almond cultivars and accessions grown in France, Greece and Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Drogoudi, Pavlina D; Pantelidis, Georgios; Bacchetta, Loretta; De Giorgio, Donato; Duval, Henri; Metzidakis, Ioannis; Spera, Daniella

2013-03-01

Almond protein and potassium (K), phosphorus (P), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) contents were determined in 72 cultivars and accessions grown in France, Greece and Italy, as part of the networking of European SAFENUT AGRI GEN RES project, which aimed to explore and valorize the almond genetic resources in Europe. Great variation was found in the nutrient content and the amount of nutrient supplied when consuming the recommended daily amount of one serving of almond, among the different genotypes assayed. The variation among the different genotypes was greatest for Ca, followed by the protein content; the latter also exhibited the lowest variation considering the harvest year. Results from a principal component analysis showed that P and Mg were the most discriminant elements for categorizing samples. Cluster analysis showed groups of samples with interesting characteristics for breeding. There was no clear distinction among the different origins of samples. Correlation analyses between weather conditions and the nutrients assayed showed that the mean temperature recorded in the period between March and September was positively correlated with Ca and P only in France, a place where the greatest climatic difference between years was observed.

Sonochemically born proteinaceous micro- and nanocapsules.

Science.gov (United States)

Vassileva, Elena D; Koseva, Neli S

2010-01-01

The use of proteins as a substrate in the fabrication of micro- and nanoparticulate systems has attracted the interest of scientists, manufactures, and consumers. Albumin-derived particles were commercialized as contrast agents or anticancer therapeutics. Food proteins are widely used in formulated dietary products. The potential benefits of proteinaceous micro- and nanoparticles in a wide range of biomedical applications are indisputable. Protein-based particles are highly biocompatible and biodegradable structures that can impart bioadhesive properties or mediate particle uptake by specific interactions with the target cells. Currently, protein microparticles are engineered as vehicles for covalent attachment and/or encapsulation of bioactive compounds, contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging, thermometric and oximetric imaging, sonography and optical coherence tomography, etc. Ultrasound irradiation is a versatile technique which is widely used in many and different fields as biology, biochemistry, dentistry, geography, geology, medicine, etc. It is generally recognized as an environmental friendly, cost-effective method which is easy to be scaled up. Currently, it is mainly applied for homogenization, drilling, cleaning, etc. in industry, as well for noninvasive scanning of the human body, treatment of muscle strains, dissolution of blood clots, and cancer therapy. Proteinaceous micro- and nanocapsules could be easily produced in a one-step process by applying ultrasound to an aqueous protein solution. The origin of this process is in the chemical changes, for example, sulfhydryl groups oxidation, that takes place as a result of acoustically generated cavitation. Partial denaturation of the protein most probably occurs which makes the hydrophobic interactions dominant and also responsible for the formation of stable capsules. This chapter aims to present the current state-of-the-art in the field of sonochemically produced protein micro- and nanocapsules

Nutrient recovery from the dry grind process using sequential micro and ultrafiltration of thin stillage.

Science.gov (United States)

Arora, Amit; Dien, Bruce S; Belyea, Ronald L; Singh, Vijay; Tumbleson, M E; Rausch, Kent D

2010-06-01

The effectiveness of microfiltration (MF) and ultrafiltration (UF) for nutrient recovery from a thin stillage stream was determined. When a stainless steel MF membrane (0.1microm pore size) was used, the content of solids increased from 7.0% to 22.8% with a mean permeate flux rate of 45L/m(2)/h (LMH), fat increased and ash content decreased. UF experiments were conducted in batch mode under constant temperature and flow rate conditions. Permeate flux profiles were evaluated for regenerated cellulose membranes (YM1, YM10 and YM100) with molecular weight cut offs of 1, 10 and 100kDa. UF increased total solids, protein and fat and decreased ash in retentate stream. When permeate streams from MF were subjected to UF, retentate total solids concentrations similar to those of commercial syrup (23-28.8%) were obtained. YM100 had the highest percent permeate flux decline (70% of initial flux) followed by YM10 and YM1 membranes. Sequential filtration improved permeate flux rates of the YM100 membrane (32.6-73.4LMH) but the percent decline was also highest in a sequential MF+YM100 system. Protein recovery was the highest in YM1 retentate. Removal of solids, protein and fat from thin stillage may generate a permeate stream that may improve water removal efficiency and increase water recycling. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nutrient-induced stimulation of protein synthesis in mouse skeletal muscle is limited by the mTORC1 repressor REDD1.

Science.gov (United States)

Gordon, Bradley S; Williamson, David L; Lang, Charles H; Jefferson, Leonard S; Kimball, Scot R

2015-04-01

In skeletal muscle, the nutrient-induced stimulation of protein synthesis requires signaling through the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1). Expression of the repressor of mTORC1 signaling, regulated in development and DNA damage 1 (REDD1), is elevated in muscle during various atrophic conditions and diminished under hypertrophic conditions. The question arises as to what extent REDD1 limits the nutrient-induced stimulation of protein synthesis. The objective was to examine the role of REDD1 in limiting the response of muscle protein synthesis and mTORC1 signaling to a nutrient stimulus. Wild type REDD1 gene (REDD1(+/+)) and disruption in the REDD1 gene (REDD1(-/-)) mice were feed deprived for 16 h and randomized to remain feed deprived or refed for 15 or 60 min. The tibialis anterior was then removed for analysis of protein synthesis and mTORC1 signaling. In feed-deprived mice, protein synthesis and mTORC1 signaling were significantly lower in REDD1(+/+) than in REDD1(-/-) mice. Thirty minutes after the start of refeeding, protein synthesis in REDD1(+/+) mice was stimulated by 28%, reaching a value similar to that observed in feed-deprived REDD1(-/-) mice, and was accompanied by increased phosphorylation of mTOR (Ser2448), p70S6K1 (Thr389), and 4E-BP1 (Ser65) by 81%, 167%, and 207%, respectively. In refed REDD1(-/-) mice, phosphorylation of mTOR (Ser2448), p70S6K1 (Thr389), and 4E-BP1 (Ser65) were significantly augmented above the values observed in refed REDD1(+/+) mice by 258%, 405%, and 401%, respectively, although protein synthesis was not coordinately increased. Seventy-five minutes after refeeding, REDD1 expression in REDD1(+/+) mice was reduced (∼15% of feed-deprived REDD1(+/+) values), and protein synthesis and mTORC1 signaling were not different between refed REDD1(+/+) mice and REDD1(-/-) mice. The results show that REDD1 expression limits protein synthesis in mouse skeletal muscle by inhibiting mTORC1 signaling during periods of feed

High resolution laser micro sintering / melting using q-switched and high brilliant laser radiation

Science.gov (United States)

Exner, H.; Streek, A.

2015-03-01

Since the discovery of selective laser sintering/melting, numerous modifications have been made to upgrade or customize this technology for industrial purposes. Laser micro sintering (LMS) is one of those modifications: Powders with particles in the range of a few micrometers are used to obtain products with highly resolved structures. Pulses of a q-switched laser had been considered necessary in order to generate sinter layers from the micrometer scaled metal powders. LMS has been applied with powders from metals as well as from ceramic and cermet feedstock's to generate micro parts. Recent technological progress and the application of high brilliant continuous laser radiation have now allowed an efficient laser sintering/melting of micrometer scaled metal powders. Thereby it is remarkable that thin sinter layers are generated using high continuous laser power. The principles of the process, the state of the art in LMS concerning its advantages and limitations and furthermore the latest results of the recent development of this technology will be presented. Laser Micro Sintering / Laser Micro Melting (LMM) offer a vision for a new dimension of additive fabrication of miniature and precise parts also with application potential in all engineering fields.

Effects of nitrogen source and application time on macro and micro nutrients absorption and on development of one in vitro cultivated epiphyte bromeliad

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grossi, Fernando; Muraoka, Takashi; Trivelin, Paulo C. O.; Natal Gon lves, Antonio

1999-01-01

Aechemea nudiculis seedlings were obtained from seeds collected from mother plants at the Atlantic Tropical Rain Forest in the Iguape county at S Paulo State in Brazil. The seeds were surface sterilised and stored in cold chamber (6 0 C) for six months previously to the trial establishment. The trials were kept in growth chamber under mean temperature of 25 o C and photo period of 16/8 (light/dark) and 3000 lux. The NH4NO3 salt was marked with 15 N at the NH4 + and at the NO3 - separately. They were monthly added to determine application period effect and only one dose was supplied at the medium preparation to find the ionic form absorbed after six months off culture. Two NH4NO3 rates (2:1 e 1:2) were used to determine the effects on plant growth and nutrient absorption. The 1:1 rate was also used to determine the effects on the nutrients absorption. The basic culture medium used was MS 62 with strength for the macro nutrients and full strength for the micro nutrients plus 25 g/L of sucrose; and no vitamins or growth regulators or aminoacids were added to the culture medium. The results showed that the NH4 + was more absorbed than NO3 - and the higher nitrogen absorption occurred in the third month of application. The higher NH4 + concentration favoured N and S absorption and decreased K, Ca, Cu, Fe and Mn absorption; the 1:1 rate favoured the absorption of P, Fe, Mn and Zn. However, the seedling showed betters height and root growth at 1:2 rate. Support: FAPESP and CNPq

The Effects of Different Energy and Protein Ratio to Sheep’s Nutrient Intake and Digestibility

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sri Mawati

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Normal 0 false false false IN X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} The objective of this research was to study the effects of different energy and protein ratio towards sheep’s nutrient intake and digestibility. Twenty four male sheep’s, 6 – 7 months old with initial average live weight 13+1.56 kg, coefficient variant11.78% were used in this research. The complete feed ration which consisted of King Grass (Pennisetum purpureum, soybean powder, rice bran, dried cassava and molasses was used in this research. Protein content on each component was 10, 12 and 14% and total digestible nutrients (TDN 60 and 65%, respectively. Dry matter (DM and organic matter (OM intake, DM and OM digestibility were studied in this research. Analysis of variance (ANOVA was employed to analyze the data. Test of Small Difference (P<0.05 was then carried out if significant different occurred. The research results showed that Dry matter and OM ration intake showed significant different among treatments (P<0.05. The highest DM intake was obtained at crude protein (CP 14% and TDN 65% i.e. 695.54 g while the lowest value was CP 14% and TDN 65% i.e. 462.11 g. Thus different DM and OM intake were caused by different ration ingredients composition. Dry matter and OM ration digestibility were not show

Decadal and seasonal trends of nutrient concentration and export from highly managed coastal catchments.

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Yongshan; Wan, Lei; Li, Yuncong; Doering, Peter

2017-05-15

Understanding anthropogenic and hydro-climatic influences on nutrient concentrations and export from highly managed catchments often necessitates trend detection using long-term monitoring data. This study analyzed the temporal trend (1979-2014) of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations and export from four adjacent coastal basins in south Florida where land and water resources are highly managed through an intricate canal network. The method of integrated seasonal-trend decomposition using LOESS (LOcally weighted regrESSion) was employed for trend detection. The results indicated that long-term trends in TN and TP concentrations (increasing/decreasing) varied with basins and nutrient species, reflecting the influence of basin specific land and water management practices. These long-term trends were intervened by short-term highs driven by high rainfall and discharges and lows associated with regional droughts. Seasonal variations in TP were more apparent than for TN. Nutrient export exhibited a chemostatic behavior for TN from all the basins, largely due to the biogenic nature of organic N associated with the ubiquity of organic materials in the managed canal network. Varying degrees of chemodynamic export was present for TP, reflecting complex biogeochemical responses to the legacy of long-term fertilization, low soil P holding capacity, and intensive stormwater management. The anthropogenic and hydro-climatic influences on nutrient concentration and export behavior had great implications in nutrient loading abatement strategies for aquatic ecosystem restoration of the downstream receiving waterbody. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Changes in growth characters and nutrient acquisition of guava (psidium guajava l.) in response to coal ash

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swain, S.C.; Padhi, S.K.

2012-01-01

Coal ash management would remain a great concern all over the world. Several studies proposed that there is an ample scope for safe utilization of coal ash as a soil ameliorant that may improve physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil and is a source of readily available plant micro and macro nutrient. With this concept a pot culture experiment was carried out in the eastern ghat high land zone of Odisha, India under open condition in the nursery. Different levels of coal ash and soil mixture were used in different combinations to check their effect on the physio-morphological and biochemical parameters of guava. The study on the effect of varying levels of coal ash on guava revealed that the combination of 50:50 and 25:75 coal ash and soil mixture increased the seed germination, seedling characteristics, biomass, vegetative growth and chlorophyll content of the seedlings. The increase in growth traits was attributed to increase in nutrient acquisition of plants grown under above combinations. On contrary 100% coal ash in the growing medium reduced seed germination, seedling vigour, growth and biomass per plant. The leaf nutrient status of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S and the micro nutrients Zn, Mn, B, Mo, Fe and Cu were found to be higher in the treatments having higher proportion of coal ash in the growing medium than other treatments and the lowest was recorded in control ( no coal ash). The findings suggest that application of coal ash in certain proportion is beneficial in terms of growth parameters and nutrient acquisition in guava. (author)

The Laser MicroJet (LMJ): a multi-solution technology for high quality micro-machining

Science.gov (United States)

Mai, Tuan Anh; Richerzhagen, Bernold; Snowdon, Paul C.; Wood, David; Maropoulos, Paul G.

2007-02-01

The field of laser micromachining is highly diverse. There are many different types of lasers available in the market. Due to their differences in irradiating wavelength, output power and pulse characteristic they can be selected for different applications depending on material and feature size [1]. The main issues by using these lasers are heat damages, contamination and low ablation rates. This report examines on the application of the Laser MicroJet(R) (LMJ), a unique combination of a laser beam with a hair-thin water jet as a universal tool for micro-machining of MEMS substrates, as well as ferrous and non-ferrous materials. The materials include gallium arsenide (GaAs) & silicon wafers, steel, tantalum and alumina ceramic. A Nd:YAG laser operating at 1064 nm (infra red) and frequency doubled 532 nm (green) were employed for the micro-machining of these materials.

Nutrient Intake among Pregnant Teenage Girls Attending Ante-Natal ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A standardised interviewer administered Food Frequency Questionnaire was used to asses the dietary intake. Nutrient calculator was used to determine the nutrient intake of the study participant. Results: The intakes of all selected nutrients were significantly lower than the RDA. Protein intake was significantly associated ...

Patterns of nutrient utilization. Implications for nitrogen metabolism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oldham, J.D.

1983-01-01

Nutrients react within both the rumen and the ruminant body, and the patterns of availability of different nutrients greatly influence their net utilization. In the rumen, microbial capture of N substrates, especially ammonia, depends on the degree of synchronization between rates of production of N substrates and of ATP to drive microbial protein synthesis. The form of dietary carbohydrate and of dietary N and the frequency of feeding can all affect the efficiency of microbial growth and digestion. The pattern of supply of nutrients to the body will also influence nutrient utilization. Disparities between diurnal patterns of supply of volatile fatty acids from the rumen and amino acids from the intestines will result in changes in balance of metabolic pathways. The balance between supply of glucogenic and lipogenic nutrients will influence efficiency of fattening. A major factor determining the pattern of utilization/metabolism of amino acids is the metabolic demand for protein synthesis, which varies with physiological state. (author)

Milk—A Nutrient System of Mammalian Evolution Promoting mTORC1-Dependent Translation

Science.gov (United States)

Melnik, Bodo C.

2015-01-01

Based on own translational research of the biochemical and hormonal effects of cow’s milk consumption in humans, this review presents milk as a signaling system of mammalian evolution that activates the nutrient-sensitive kinase mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1), the pivotal regulator of translation. Milk, a mammary gland-derived secretory product, is required for species-specific gene-nutrient interactions that promote appropriate growth and development of the newborn mammal. This signaling system is highly conserved and tightly controlled by the lactation genome. Milk is sufficient to activate mTORC1, the crucial regulator of protein, lipid, and nucleotide synthesis orchestrating anabolism, cell growth and proliferation. To fulfill its mTORC1-activating function, milk delivers four key metabolic messengers: (1) essential branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs); (2) glutamine; (3) palmitic acid; and (4) bioactive exosomal microRNAs, which in a synergistical fashion promote mTORC1-dependent translation. In all mammals except Neolithic humans, postnatal activation of mTORC1 by milk intake is restricted to the postnatal lactation period. It is of critical concern that persistent hyperactivation of mTORC1 is associated with aging and the development of age-related disorders such as obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases. Persistent mTORC1 activation promotes endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and drives an aimless quasi-program, which promotes aging and age-related diseases. PMID:26225961

Milk—A Nutrient System of Mammalian Evolution Promoting mTORC1-Dependent Translation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bodo C. Melnik

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Based on own translational research of the biochemical and hormonal effects of cow’s milk consumption in humans, this review presents milk as a signaling system of mammalian evolution that activates the nutrient-sensitive kinase mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1, the pivotal regulator of translation. Milk, a mammary gland-derived secretory product, is required for species-specific gene-nutrient interactions that promote appropriate growth and development of the newborn mammal. This signaling system is highly conserved and tightly controlled by the lactation genome. Milk is sufficient to activate mTORC1, the crucial regulator of protein, lipid, and nucleotide synthesis orchestrating anabolism, cell growth and proliferation. To fulfill its mTORC1-activating function, milk delivers four key metabolic messengers: (1 essential branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs; (2 glutamine; (3 palmitic acid; and (4 bioactive exosomal microRNAs, which in a synergistical fashion promote mTORC1-dependent translation. In all mammals except Neolithic humans, postnatal activation of mTORC1 by milk intake is restricted to the postnatal lactation period. It is of critical concern that persistent hyperactivation of mTORC1 is associated with aging and the development of age-related disorders such as obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases. Persistent mTORC1 activation promotes endoplasmic reticulum (ER stress and drives an aimless quasi-program, which promotes aging and age-related diseases.

High-speed micro electrode tool fabrication by a twin-wire EDM system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sheu, Dong-Yea

2008-01-01

This paper describes a new machining process which combines twin-electro-wire together with two electro discharge circuits to rapidly fabricate micro electrode tools. The results show that transistor electro discharge and RC electro discharge circuits coexist to fabricate micro tools with rough and finish machining both on the same machine. Compared to conventional wire electro discharge grinding (WEDG) technology, a twin-wire EDM system that combines rough and finish machining into one process allows the efficient fabrication of micro tools. This high-speed micro tool fabrication process can be applied not only to micro electrode machining but also to micro punching tool and micro probing tips machining

Similarity of nutrient uptake and root dimensions of Engelmann spruce and subalpine fir at two contrasting sites in Colorado

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yanai, R; McFarlane, K; Lucash, M; Kulpa, S; Wood, D

2009-10-09

Nutrient uptake capacity is an important parameter in modeling nutrient uptake by plants. Researchers commonly assume that uptake capacity measured for a species can be used across sites. We tested this assumption by measuring the nutrient uptake capacity of intact roots of Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmanni Parry) and subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.) at Loch Vale Watershed and Fraser Experimental Forest in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado. Roots still attached to the tree were exposed to one of three concentrations of nutrient solutions for time periods ranging from 1 to 96 hours, and solutions were analyzed for ammonium, nitrate, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Surprisingly, the two species were indistinguishable in nutrient uptake within site for all nutrients (P > 0.25), but uptake rates differed by site. In general, nutrient uptake was higher at Fraser (P = 0.01, 0.15, 0.03, 0.18 for NH{sub 4}{sup +}, NO{sub 3}{sup -}, Ca{sup 2+}, and K{sup +}, respectively), which is west of the Continental Divide and has lower atmospheric deposition of N than Loch Vale. Mean uptake rates by site for ambient solution concentrations were 0.12 {micro}mol NH{sub 4}{sup +} g{sub fwt}{sup -1} h{sup -1}, 0.02 {micro}mol NO{sub 3}{sup -} g{sub fwt}{sup -1}, 0.21 {micro}mol Ca{sup 2+} g{sub fwt}{sup -1} h{sup -1}, and 0.01 {micro}mol Mg{sup 2+} g{sub fwt}{sup -1} h{sup -1} at Loch Vale, and 0.21 {micro}mol NH{sub 4}{sup +} f{sub fwt}{sup -1}h{sup -1}, 0.04 {micro}mol NO{sub 3}{sup -} g{sub fwt}{sup -1} h{sup -1}, 0.51 {micro}mol Ca{sup 2+}g{sub fwt}{sup -1}h{sup -1}, and 0.07 {micro}mol Mg{sup 2+} f{sub fwt}{sup -1}h{sup -1} at Fraser. The importance of site conditions in determining uptake capacity should not be overlooked when parameterizing nutrient uptake models. We also characterized the root morphology of these two species and compared them to other tree species we have measured at various sites in the northeastern USA. Engelman spruce and subalpine fir

Strain relief InGaN/GaN MQW micro-pillars for high brightness LEDs

KAUST Repository

Shen, Chao

2013-01-01

Micro-structured group-III-nitrides are considered as promising strain relief structures for high efficiency solid state lighting. In this work, the strain field in InGaN/GaN multi-quantum wells (MQWs) micro-pillars is investigated using micro-Raman spectroscopy and the design of micro-pillars were studied experimentally. We distinguished the strained and strain-relieved signatures of the GaN layer from the E2 phonon peak split from the Raman scattering signatures at 572 cm-1 and 568 cm-1, respectively. The extent of strain relief is examined considering the height and size of micro-pillars fabricated using focused ion beam (FIB) micro-machining technique. A significant strain relief can be achieved when one micro-machined through the entire epi-layers, 3 μm in our study. The dependence of strain relief on micro-pillar diameter (D) suggested that micro-pillar with D < 3 μm showed high degree of strain relief. Our results shed new insights into designing strain-relieved InGaN/GaN microstructures for high brightness light emitting diode arrays. © 2013 IEEE.

Prolonged calorie restriction downregulates skeletal muscle mTORC1 signaling independent of dietary protein intake and associated microRNA expression

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Lee M Margolis

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Short-term (5-10 days calorie restriction (CR downregulates muscle protein synthesis, with consumption of a high protein-based diet attenuating this decline. Benefit of increase protein intake is believed to be due to maintenance of amino acid-mediated anabolic signaling through the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1, however, there is limited evidence to support this contention. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effects of prolonged CR and high protein diets on skeletal muscle mTORC1 signaling and expression of associated microRNA (miR. 12-wk old male Sprague Dawley rats consumed ad libitum (AL or calorie restricted (CR; 40% adequate (10%, AIN-93M or high (32% protein milk-based diets for 16 weeks. Body composition was determined using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry and muscle protein content was calculated from muscle homogenate protein concentrations expressed relative to fat-free mass to estimate protein content. Western blot and RT-qPCR were used to determine mTORC1 signaling and mRNA and miR expression in fasted mixed gastrocnemius. Independent of dietary protein intake, muscle protein content was 38% lower (P < 0.05 in CR compared to AL. Phosphorylation and total Akt, mTOR, rpS6 and p70S6K were lower (P < 0.05 in CR versus AL, and total rpS6 was associated with muscle protein content (r = 0.64, r2 = 0.36. Skeletal muscle miR expression was not altered by either energy or protein intake. This study provides evidence that chronic CR attenuates muscle protein content by downregulating mTORC1 signaling. This response is independent of skeletal muscle miR and dietary protein.

Micro-scaled high-throughput digestion of plant tissue samples for multi-elemental analysis

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Husted Søren

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Quantitative multi-elemental analysis by inductively coupled plasma (ICP spectrometry depends on a complete digestion of solid samples. However, fast and thorough sample digestion is a challenging analytical task which constitutes a bottleneck in modern multi-elemental analysis. Additional obstacles may be that sample quantities are limited and elemental concentrations low. In such cases, digestion in small volumes with minimum dilution and contamination is required in order to obtain high accuracy data. Results We have developed a micro-scaled microwave digestion procedure and optimized it for accurate elemental profiling of plant materials (1-20 mg dry weight. A commercially available 64-position rotor with 5 ml disposable glass vials, originally designed for microwave-based parallel organic synthesis, was used as a platform for the digestion. The novel micro-scaled method was successfully validated by the use of various certified reference materials (CRM with matrices rich in starch, lipid or protein. When the micro-scaled digestion procedure was applied on single rice grains or small batches of Arabidopsis seeds (1 mg, corresponding to approximately 50 seeds, the obtained elemental profiles closely matched those obtained by conventional analysis using digestion in large volume vessels. Accumulated elemental contents derived from separate analyses of rice grain fractions (aleurone, embryo and endosperm closely matched the total content obtained by analysis of the whole rice grain. Conclusion A high-throughput micro-scaled method has been developed which enables digestion of small quantities of plant samples for subsequent elemental profiling by ICP-spectrometry. The method constitutes a valuable tool for screening of mutants and transformants. In addition, the method facilitates studies of the distribution of essential trace elements between and within plant organs which is relevant for, e.g., breeding programmes aiming at

High speed electro optic polymer micro-ringresonator

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Leinse, Arne; Diemeer, Mart; Driessen, A.

2004-01-01

An electro-optic polymer micro-ring resonator for high speed modulation was designed, realized and characterized. The design of layer-stack and electrodes was done such that modulation frequencies up till 1 GHz should be possible. The device consists of a ridge waveguide, defined in a negative

Differentially expressed microRNA in multiple sclerosis: A window into pathogenesis?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Martin, Nellie Anne; Illés, Zsolt

2014-01-01

MicroRNA are small non-coding RNA that mediate mRNA translation repression or mRNA degradation, and thereby refine protein expression levels. More than 30–60% of all genes are regulated by microRNA. Exploring disease-related microRNA signatures is an emerging tool in biomarker discovery, and sile......MicroRNA are small non-coding RNA that mediate mRNA translation repression or mRNA degradation, and thereby refine protein expression levels. More than 30–60% of all genes are regulated by microRNA. Exploring disease-related microRNA signatures is an emerging tool in biomarker discovery......RNA related to multiple sclerosis has increased significantly in recent years. Differentially expressed microRNA have been identified in the whole blood, serum, plasma, cerebrospinal fluid, peripheral blood mononuclear cells, blood-derived cell subsets and brain lesions of patients with multiple sclerosis....... Most studies applied a non-candidate approach of screening by microarray and validation by quantitative polymerase chain reaction or next generation sequencing; others used a candidate-driven approach. Despite a relatively high number of multiple sclerosis-associated microRNA, just a few could...

Assessing variable rate nitrogen fertilizer strategies within an extensively instrument field site using the MicroBasin model

Science.gov (United States)

Ward, N. K.; Maureira, F.; Yourek, M. A.; Brooks, E. S.; Stockle, C. O.

2014-12-01

The current use of synthetic nitrogen fertilizers in agriculture has many negative environmental and economic costs, necessitating improved nitrogen management. In the highly heterogeneous landscape of the Palouse region in eastern Washington and northern Idaho, crop nitrogen needs vary widely within a field. Site-specific nitrogen management is a promising strategy to reduce excess nitrogen lost to the environment while maintaining current yields by matching crop needs with inputs. This study used in-situ hydrologic, nutrient, and crop yield data from a heavily instrumented field site in the high precipitation zone of the wheat-producing Palouse region to assess the performance of the MicroBasin model. MicroBasin is a high-resolution watershed-scale ecohydrologic model with nutrient cycling and cropping algorithms based on the CropSyst model. Detailed soil mapping conducted at the site was used to parameterize the model and the model outputs were evaluated with observed measurements. The calibrated MicroBasin model was then used to evaluate the impact of various nitrogen management strategies on crop yield and nitrate losses. The strategies include uniform application as well as delineating the field into multiple zones of varying nitrogen fertilizer rates to optimize nitrogen use efficiency. We present how coupled modeling and in-situ data sets can inform agricultural management and policy to encourage improved nitrogen management.

Hepatic expression of inflammatory genes and microRNAs in pigs with high “cholesteryl ester transfer protein” (CETP) activity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cirera, Susanna; Tørsleff, Benedicte C Juul; Ritz, Christian

2016-01-01

levels (designated as CETP-high and CETP-low, respectively). Furthermore, breed and gender differences were also investigated. We found significant difference (P hepatic expression levels of several mRNAs and microRNAs between the CETP-high and -low groups (C5, IL1RN, IL18, and miR-223-5p......) promoting the redistribution of cholesteryl esters, triglycerides, and phospholipids between plasma proteins. Moreover, obesity and ORD are often linked with chronic low-grade inflammation leading to insulin resistance and endothelial and microvascular dysfunctions. The aim of this study was to detect...... differences in the hepatic expression of genes involved in low-grade inflammation and of obesity- and cholesterol-related microRNAs in two mixed breed populations of pigs (Yorkshire-Göttingen minipig, YM and Duroc-Göttingen minipig, DM) including males and females, with extreme phenotypes for CETP activity...

Deeper snow alters soil nutrient availability and leaf nutrient status in high Arctic tundra

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Semenchuk, Philipp R.; Elberling, Bo; Amtorp, Cecilie

2015-01-01

season. Changing nutrient availability may be reflected in plant N and chlorophyll content and lead to increased photosynthetic capacity, plant growth, and ultimately carbon (C) assimilation by plants. In this study, we increased snow depth and thereby cold-season soil temperatures in high Arctic...... Svalbard in two vegetation types spanning three moisture regimes. We measured growing-season availability of ammonium (NH4 (+)), nitrate (NO3 (-)), total dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nitrogen (TON) in soil; C, N, delta N-15 and chlorophyll content in Salix polaris leaves; and leaf sizes of Salix...

Effects of Glutamine on Gastric Emptying of Low- and High-Nutrient Drinks in Healthy Young Subjects—Impact on Glycaemia

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Yang T. Du

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Glutamine is a potent stimulus for the release of glucagon-like peptide-1, which increases postprandial insulin and slows gastric emptying (GE. We determined the effects of glutamine on GE of, and glycaemic responses to, low- and high-nutrient drinks in eight healthy males (mean age 21.6 ± 0.7 years and BMI 22.9 ± 0.7 kg/m2. Participants were studied on four occasions on which they consumed either a low-nutrient (beef soup; 18 kcal or high-nutrient (75 g dextrose; 255 kcal drink, each with or without 30 g of glutamine (120 kcal, in a randomised, crossover design. GE (2D ultrasound, blood glucose and plasma insulin concentrations were measured concurrently. Glutamine slowed GE (half emptying time (T50 of both low- (45 ± 3 min vs. 26 ± 2 min, p < 0.001, and high-nutrient, (100 ± 5 min vs. 77 ± 5 min, p = 0.03 drinks, however, there was no effect on GE of the high nutrient drinks when expressed as kcal/min (3.39 ± 0.21 kcal/min vs. 3.81 ± 0.20 kcal/min, p = 0.25. There was no change in blood glucose after the low-nutrient drinks with or without glutamine, despite a slight increase in plasma insulin with glutamine (p = 0.007. The rise in blood glucose following the high-nutrient drink (p = 0.0001 was attenuated during the first 60 min by glutamine (p = 0.007. We conclude that in healthy subjects, glutamine slows GE of both low- and high-nutrient drinks comparably and attenuates the rise in blood glucose after the high-nutrient glucose drink.

The Effect of High Frequency Pulse on the Discharge Probability in Micro EDM

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Y.; Qu, Y.; Zhang, W.; Ma, F.; Sha, Z.; Wang, Y.; Rolfe, B.; Zhang, S.

2017-12-01

High frequency pulse improves the machining efficiency of micro electric discharge machining (micro EDM), while it also brings some changes in micro EDM process. This paper focuses on the influence of skin-effect under the high frequency pulse on energy distribution and transmission in micro EDM, based on which, the rules of discharge probability of electrode end face are also analysed. On the basis of the electrical discharge process under the condition of high frequency pulse in micro EDM, COMSOL Multiphysics software is used to establish energy transmission model in micro electrode. The discharge energy distribution and transmission within tool electrode under different pulse frequencies, electrical currents, and permeability situation are studied in order to get the distribution pattern of current density and electric field intensity in the electrode end face under the influence of electrical parameters change. The electric field intensity distribution is regarded as the influencing parameter of discharge probability on the electrode end. Finally, MATLAB is used to fit the curve and obtain the distribution of discharge probability of electrode end face.

Modeling and Reconstruction of Micro-structured 3D Chitosan/Gelatin Porous Scaffolds Using Micro-CT

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Haibo; Li, Dichen; He, Jiankang; Liu, Yaxiong; Lian, Qin; Zhao, Jinna

2008-09-01

Three dimensional (3D) channel networks are the key to promise the uniform distribution of nutrients inside 3D hepatic tissue engineering scaffolds and prompt elimination of metabolic products out of the scaffolds. 3D chitosan/gelatin porous scaffolds with predefined internal channels were fabricated and a combination of light microscope, laser confocal microscopy and micro-CT were employed to characterize the structure of porous scaffolds. In order to evaluate the flow field distribution inside the micro-structured 3D scaffolds, a computer reconstructing method based on Micro-CT was proposed. According to this evaluating method, a contrast between 3D porous scaffolds with and without predefined internal channels was also performed to assess scaffolds' fluid characters. Results showed that the internal channel of the 3D scaffolds formed the 3D fluid channel network; the uniformity of flow field distribution of the scaffolds fabricated in this paper was better than the simple porous scaffold without micro-fluid channels.

Ramadan major nutrient patterns are associated with anthropometric measurements and physical activity in Tehran, Iran

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Mahdieh Akhoundan

2015-05-01

Full Text Available During Ramadan fasting quantity and quality of dietary intake may change. There was no data on nutrient patterns in Ramadan fasting. The purpose of this study was to identify Ramadan major nutrient patterns among those who fast in Tehran, Iran. 510 fasting people aged 18-65 years and BMI 18.5-40 Kg/m2 were recruited in our study by 2-stage cluster sampling method in June-July 2014. Data on the socio-demographic and physical activity level were collected by questionnaire. Usual diet during Ramadan was estimated by valid and reliable food frequency questionnaire. BMI was calculated based on measured height and weight. Three nutrient patterns derived by conducting principal component factor analysis on 30 major nutrients. Micronutrient and fiber pattern which characterized by high intake of vitamin K, total fiber, iron, manganese, magnesium, β-carotene, folate, vitamin B12, potassium and calcium was adversely associated with weight (b=-0.16, P= 0.004. High protein pattern had great loadings on protein, riboflavin, phosphorous and zinc which physical activity level was decreased by tertiles of this pattern (b=0.13, P=0.02. High carbohydrate pattern which presented high positive loadings on carbohydrate and thiamin and negative loading on total fat, poly unsaturated fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids was positively associated with BMI (b= 0.12, P=0.03. Adherence to different Ramadan nutrient patterns is associated with weight, BMI and physical activity level. People on high in carbohydrate may have a higher BMI and low micronutrient density diet that should be considered in Ramadan fasting nutrition educational programs.

Detection of the argonaute protein Ago2 and microRNAs in the RNA induced silencing complex (RISC) using a monoclonal antibody.

Science.gov (United States)

Ikeda, Keigo; Satoh, Minoru; Pauley, Kaleb M; Fritzler, Marvin J; Reeves, Westley H; Chan, Edward K L

2006-12-20

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short RNA molecules responsible for post-transcriptional gene silencing by the degradation or translational inhibition of their target messenger RNAs (mRNAs). This process of gene silencing, known as RNA interference (RNAi), is mediated by highly conserved Argonaute (Ago) proteins which are the key components of the RNA induced silencing complex (RISC). In humans, Ago2 is responsible for the endonuclease cleavage of targeted mRNA and it interacts with the mRNA-binding protein GW182, which is a marker for cytoplasmic foci referred to as GW bodies (GWBs). We demonstrated that the anti-Ago2 monoclonal antibody 4F9 recognized GWBs in a cell cycle dependent manner and was capable of capturing miRNAs associated with Ago2. Since Ago2 protein is the effector protein of RNAi, anti-Ago2 monoclonal antibody may be useful in capturing functional miRNAs.

High throughput generated micro-aggregates of chondrocytes stimulate cartilage formation in vitro and in vivo

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LS Moreira Teixeira

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Cell-based cartilage repair strategies such as matrix-induced autologous chondrocyte implantation (MACI could be improved by enhancing cell performance. We hypothesised that micro-aggregates of chondrocytes generated in high-throughput prior to implantation in a defect could stimulate cartilaginous matrix deposition and remodelling. To address this issue, we designed a micro-mould to enable controlled high-throughput formation of micro-aggregates. Morphology, stability, gene expression profiles and chondrogenic potential of micro-aggregates of human and bovine chondrocytes were evaluated and compared to single-cells cultured in micro-wells and in 3D after encapsulation in Dextran-Tyramine (Dex-TA hydrogels in vitro and in vivo. We successfully formed micro-aggregates of human and bovine chondrocytes with highly controlled size, stability and viability within 24 hours. Micro-aggregates of 100 cells presented a superior balance in Collagen type I and Collagen type II gene expression over single cells and micro-aggregates of 50 and 200 cells. Matrix metalloproteinases 1, 9 and 13 mRNA levels were decreased in micro-aggregates compared to single-cells. Histological and biochemical analysis demonstrated enhanced matrix deposition in constructs seeded with micro-aggregates cultured in vitro and in vivo, compared to single-cell seeded constructs. Whole genome microarray analysis and single gene expression profiles using human chondrocytes confirmed increased expression of cartilage-related genes when chondrocytes were cultured in micro-aggregates. In conclusion, we succeeded in controlled high-throughput formation of micro-aggregates of chondrocytes. Compared to single cell-seeded constructs, seeding of constructs with micro-aggregates greatly improved neo-cartilage formation. Therefore, micro-aggregation prior to chondrocyte implantation in current MACI procedures, may effectively accelerate hyaline cartilage formation.

High throughput generated micro-aggregates of chondrocytes stimulate cartilage formation in vitro and in vivo.

Science.gov (United States)

Moreira Teixeira, L S; Leijten, J C H; Sobral, J; Jin, R; van Apeldoorn, A A; Feijen, J; van Blitterswijk, C; Dijkstra, P J; Karperien, M

2012-06-05

Cell-based cartilage repair strategies such as matrix-induced autologous chondrocyte implantation (MACI) could be improved by enhancing cell performance. We hypothesised that micro-aggregates of chondrocytes generated in high-throughput prior to implantation in a defect could stimulate cartilaginous matrix deposition and remodelling. To address this issue, we designed a micro-mould to enable controlled high-throughput formation of micro-aggregates. Morphology, stability, gene expression profiles and chondrogenic potential of micro-aggregates of human and bovine chondrocytes were evaluated and compared to single-cells cultured in micro-wells and in 3D after encapsulation in Dextran-Tyramine (Dex-TA) hydrogels in vitro and in vivo. We successfully formed micro-aggregates of human and bovine chondrocytes with highly controlled size, stability and viability within 24 hours. Micro-aggregates of 100 cells presented a superior balance in Collagen type I and Collagen type II gene expression over single cells and micro-aggregates of 50 and 200 cells. Matrix metalloproteinases 1, 9 and 13 mRNA levels were decreased in micro-aggregates compared to single-cells. Histological and biochemical analysis demonstrated enhanced matrix deposition in constructs seeded with micro-aggregates cultured in vitro and in vivo, compared to single-cell seeded constructs. Whole genome microarray analysis and single gene expression profiles using human chondrocytes confirmed increased expression of cartilage-related genes when chondrocytes were cultured in micro-aggregates. In conclusion, we succeeded in controlled high-throughput formation of micro-aggregates of chondrocytes. Compared to single cell-seeded constructs, seeding of constructs with micro-aggregates greatly improved neo-cartilage formation. Therefore, micro-aggregation prior to chondrocyte implantation in current MACI procedures, may effectively accelerate hyaline cartilage formation.

High rate behavior and discharge limits in micro-pattern detectors

CERN Document Server

Bressan, A; Pagano, P; Ropelewski, Leszek; Sauli, Fabio; Biagi, S F; Buzulutskov, A F; Gruwé, M; De Lentdecker, G; Mörmann, D; Sharma, A

1999-01-01

We present and discuss a set of systematic measurements, carried out with gaseous proportional micro-pattern detectors, in order to assess their maximum gain when irradiated with high-rate soft X-rays and heavily ionizing alpha particles. The inventory of detectors tested includes: micro-strip micromegas, micro-dot, gas electron multiplier, CAT (compteur à trous), trench (or groove), micro-CAT (or WELL) detectors, as well as systems with two elements of gaseous amplification in cascade. We confirm the general trend of all single-stage detectors to follow Raether's criterion, i.e. a spontaneous transition from avalanche to streamer, followed by a discharge, when the avalanche size reaches a value of a few 10 7 ; a noticeable exception is the micro-dot counter holding more than 10 8. In multiple structures, where the gain under irradiation is increased by at least one order of magnitude; we speculate this to be a consequence of a voltage dependence of Raether's limit, larger for low operating potentials. Our c...

Food Yields and Nutrient Analyses of the Three Sisters: A Haudenosaunee Cropping System

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Jane Mt.Pleasant

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Scholars have studied The Three Sisters, a traditional cropping system of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois, from multiple perspectives. However, there is no research examining food yields, defined as the quantities of energy and protein produced per unit land area, from the cropping system within Iroquoia. This article compares food yields and other nutrient contributions from the Three Sisters, comprised of interplanted maize, bean and pumpkin, with monocultures of these same crops. The Three Sisters yields more energy (12.25 x 106 kcal/ha and more protein (349 kg/ha than any of the crop monocultures or mixtures of monocultures planted to the same area. The Three Sisters supplies 13.42 people/ha/yr. with energy and 15.86 people/ha/yr. with protein. Nutrient contents of the crops are further enhanced by nixtamalization, a traditional processing technique where maize is cooked in a high alkaline solution. This process increases calcium, protein quality, and niacin in maize.

High nutrient transport and cycling potential revealed in the microbial metagenome of Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea) faeces.

Science.gov (United States)

Lavery, Trish J; Roudnew, Ben; Seymour, Justin; Mitchell, James G; Jeffries, Thomas

2012-01-01

Metagenomic analysis was used to examine the taxonomic diversity and metabolic potential of an Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea) gut microbiome. Bacteria comprised 98% of classifiable sequences and of these matches to Firmicutes (80%) were dominant, with Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria representing 8% and 2% of matches respectively. The relative proportion of Firmicutes (80%) to Bacteriodetes (2%) is similar to that in previous studies of obese humans and obese mice, suggesting the gut microbiome may confer a predisposition towards the excess body fat that is needed for thermoregulation within the cold oceanic habitats foraged by Australian sea lions. Core metabolic functions, including carbohydrate utilisation (14%), protein metabolism (9%) and DNA metabolism (7%) dominated the metagenome, but in comparison to human and fish gut microbiomes there was a significantly higher proportion of genes involved in phosphorus metabolism (2.4%) and iron scavenging mechanisms (1%). When sea lions defecate at sea, the relatively high nutrient metabolism potential of bacteria in their faeces may accelerate the dissolution of nutrients from faecal particles, enhancing their persistence in the euphotic zone where they are available to stimulate marine production.

Proteína degradável no rúmen na dieta de bovinos: digestibilidades total e parcial dos nutrientes e parâmetros ruminais Rumen degradable protein on bovine diet: total and partial nutrient digestibility and ruminal parameters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saul Ferreira Caldas Neto

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Quatro novilhos da raça Holandesa (450 kg portadores de cânula ruminal e duodenal, recebendo dietas com níveis de proteína degradável no rúmen (PDR de 50, 60, 65 e 70%, associadas a uma fonte de amido de alta degradabilidade ruminal (farinha de varredura de mandioca, foram distribuídos em quadrado latino 4 × 4 para se avaliarem as digestibilidades total e parcial dos nutrientes, a concentração de amônia e o pH ruminal. Foi utilizada, como indicador do fluxo duodenal e fecal, a cinza insolúvel em ácido. Não foi observado efeito do nível de PDR sobre o coeficiente de digestibilidade total, digestibilidade ruminal e digestibilidade intestinal da matéria seca, matéria orgânica, fibra em detergente neutro, carboidratos não-estruturais e energia bruta. O aumento do nível de PDR na dieta elevou o coeficiente de digestibilidade total e ruminal da proteína bruta e reduziu a digestibilidade intestinal desse nutriente como porcentagem do digerido. Não houve efeito dos níveis de PDR no pH ruminal, no entanto, maior concentração ruminal de amônia foi observada para as dietas com maior teor de PDR. Os resultados obtidos indicaram que o aumento no teor de PDR acarretou maior produção de nitrogênio na forma de amônia, independentemente da presença da fonte de amido de alta degradabilidade ruminal, contudo, o aporte de proteína intestinal foi semelhante para todas as dietas.Four ruminally and duodenally cannulated Holstein steers (450 kg were fed diets with rumen degradable protein (RDP levels of 50.0 60.0 65.0 and 70.0% associated with a high ruminal degradability starch (cassava by-product meal were allotted to a 4 × 4 Latin square design for the evaluation of total and partial digestibility of the nutrients, ruminal ammonia concentration and pH. The acid insoluble ash was used as a marker of the duodenal and fecal flow. No effects were observed on the level of RDP on total digestibility coefficient, ruminal digestibility and

Design of a self-calibration high precision micro-angle deformation optical monitoring scheme

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Yingying; Wang, Li; Guo, Shaogang; Wu, Yun; Liu, Da

2018-03-01

In order to meet the requirement of high precision and micro-angle measurement on orbit, a self-calibrated optical non-contact real-time monitoring device is designed. Within three meters, the micro-angle variable of target relative to measuring basis can be measured in real-time. The range of angle measurement is +/-50'', the angle measurement accuracy is less than 2''. The equipment can realize high precision real-time monitoring the micro-angle deformation, which caused by high strength vibration and shock of rock launching, sun radiation and heat conduction on orbit and so on.

Nutrient transport in the mammary gland: calcium, trace minerals and water soluble vitamins.

Science.gov (United States)

Montalbetti, Nicolas; Dalghi, Marianela G; Albrecht, Christiane; Hediger, Matthias A

2014-03-01

Milk nutrients are secreted by epithelial cells in the alveoli of the mammary gland by several complex and highly coordinated systems. Many of these nutrients are transported from the blood to the milk via transcellular pathways that involve the concerted activity of transport proteins on the apical and basolateral membranes of mammary epithelial cells. In this review, we focus on transport mechanisms that contribute to the secretion of calcium, trace minerals and water soluble vitamins into milk with particular focus on the role of transporters of the SLC series as well as calcium transport proteins (ion channels and pumps). Numerous members of the SLC family are involved in the regulation of essential nutrients in the milk, such as the divalent metal transporter-1 (SLC11A2), ferroportin-1 (SLC40A1) and the copper transporter CTR1 (SLC31A1). A deeper understanding of the physiology and pathophysiology of these transporters will be of great value for drug discovery and treatment of breast diseases.

NUTRIENTS DIGESTIBILITY IN Tithonia diversifolia FOLIAGE IN FATTENING RABBITS

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Duilio Nieves

2010-10-01

Full Text Available An experiment was carried out to determine the nutrients digestibility in Tithonia diversifolia foliage in fattening rabbits, 30 animals (1.450 g ± 93.77 initial body weight were distributed according to a completely randomized experimental design in three treatments and ten replicates. The mash diets including 0, 9 and 18 % of tithonia foliage. The dry matter (DMD, organic matter (OMD, crude protein (CPD, neutral detergent fiber (FDND, hemicellulose (HEMD and energy digestibilities (DE were determined using the acid insoluble ash method. The nutrient digestibility in foliage was estimated by the replacing test ingredient method. The DMD, OMD, PCD and HEMD (51.12, 53.45 and 51.25; 51.99, 54.87 and 52.60; 68.57, 60.11 and 64.08, and 44.20, 45.37 and 47.24 % for the three foliage inclusion level, respectively were similar (P>0.05 among diets. The foliage MSD, OMD, PCD, and ED DHEM was 53.80, 55.19, 59.17, 50.00 and 39.18%, while the protein and energy digestible content in tithonia foliage was 109.60 g/kg and 2139.45 kcal/kg. It was concluded that the tithonia foliage has high content of nutrients

Photon-trapping micro/nanostructures for high linearity in ultra-fast photodiodes

Science.gov (United States)

Cansizoglu, Hilal; Gao, Yang; Perez, Cesar Bartolo; Ghandiparsi, Soroush; Ponizovskaya Devine, Ekaterina; Cansizoglu, Mehmet F.; Yamada, Toshishige; Elrefaie, Aly F.; Wang, Shih-Yuan; Islam, M. Saif

2017-08-01

Photodetectors (PDs) in datacom and computer networks where the link length is up to 300 m, need to handle higher than typical input power used in other communication links. Also, to reduce power consumption due to equalization at high speed (>25Gb/s), the datacom links will use PAM-4 signaling instead of NRZ with stringent receiver linearity requirements. Si PDs with photon-trapping micro/nanostructures are shown to have high linearity in output current verses input optical power. Though there is less silicon material due to the holes, the micro-/nanostructured holes collectively reradiate the light to an in-plane direction of the PD surface and can avoid current crowding in the PD. Consequently, the photocurrent per unit volume remains at a low level contributing to high linearity in the photocurrent. We present the effect of design and lattice patterns of micro/nanostructures on the linearity of ultra-fast silicon PDs designed for high speed multi gigabit data networks.

High-performance nanostructured thermoelectric generators for micro combined heat and power systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Yanliang; Wang, Xiaowei; Cleary, Martin; Schoensee, Luke; Kempf, Nicholas; Richardson, Joseph

2016-01-01

Highlights: • A TEG is fabricated using high-efficiency nanostructured thermoelectric materials. • The TEG produces high power density of 2.1 W/cm"2 with 5.3% electrical efficiency. • A micro-CHP system is demonstrated by integrating the TEG into a gas-fired boiler. - Graphical Abstract: - Abstract: Micro combined heat and power (micro-CHP) systems are promising pathways to increase power generation efficiencies. Here a new class of micro-CHP system without moving parts is experimentally demonstrated by integrating high-temperature thermoelectric generators (TEGs) and residential gas-fired boilers, thus enabling wide applications. The TEGs fabricated using high-efficiency nanostructured bulk half-Heusler alloys generate ultrahigh power density of 2.1 W/cm"2 with 5.3% electrical efficiency under 500 °C temperature differences between the hot and cold sides. The TEG system harnesses the untapped exergy between the combustion gas and water, and converts thermal energy into electric power with 4% heat-to-electricity efficiency based on the total heat input into the TEGs. The high-performance TEGs open lots of opportunities to transform power generation technologies and improve energy efficiency.

Investment in secreted enzymes during nutrient-limited growth is utility dependent.

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Cezairliyan, Brent; Ausubel, Frederick M

2017-09-12

Pathogenic bacteria secrete toxins and degradative enzymes that facilitate their growth by liberating nutrients from the environment. To understand bacterial growth under nutrient-limited conditions, we studied resource allocation between cellular and secreted components by the pathogenic bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa during growth on a protein substrate that requires extracellular digestion by secreted proteases. We identified a quantitative relationship between the rate of increase of cellular biomass under nutrient-limiting growth conditions and the rate of increase in investment in secreted proteases. Production of secreted proteases is stimulated by secreted signals that convey information about the utility of secreted proteins during nutrient-limited growth. Growth modeling using this relationship recapitulated the observed kinetics of bacterial growth on a protein substrate. The proposed regulatory strategy suggests a rationale for quorum-sensing-dependent stimulation of the production of secreted enzymes whereby investment in secreted enzymes occurs in proportion to the utility they confer. Our model provides a framework that can be applied toward understanding bacterial growth in many environments where growth rate is limited by the availability of nutrients.

Calculating radiation exposures during use of (14)C-labeled nutrients, food components, and biopharmaceuticals to quantify metabolic behavior in humans.

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Kim, Seung-Hyun; Kelly, Peter B; Clifford, Andrew J

2010-04-28

(14)C has long been used as a tracer for quantifying the in vivo human metabolism of food components, biopharmaceuticals, and nutrients. Minute amounts (food components, biopharmaceuticals, or nutrients to be organized into models suitable for quantitative hypothesis testing and determination of metabolic parameters. In vivo models are important for specification of intake levels for food components, biopharmaceuticals, and nutrients. Accurate estimation of the radiation exposure from ingested (14)C is an essential component of the experimental design. Therefore, this paper illustrates the calculation involved in determining the radiation exposure from a minute dose of orally administered (14)C-beta-carotene, (14)C-alpha-tocopherol, (14)C-lutein, and (14)C-folic acid from four prior experiments. The administered doses ranged from 36 to 100 nCi, and radiation exposure ranged from 0.12 to 5.2 microSv to whole body and from 0.2 to 3.4 microSv to liver with consideration of tissue weighting factor and fractional nutrient. In comparison, radiation exposure experienced during a 4 h airline flight across the United States at 37000 ft was 20 microSv.

Systematic validation of predicted microRNAs for cyclin D1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang, Qiong; Feng, Ming-Guang; Mo, Yin-Yuan

2009-01-01

MicroRNAs are the endogenous small non-coding RNA molecules capable of silencing protein coding genes at the posttranscriptional level. Based on computer-aided predictions, a single microRNA could have over a hundred of targets. On the other hand, a single protein-coding gene could be targeted by many potential microRNAs. However, only a relatively small number of these predicted microRNA/mRNA interactions are experimentally validated, and no systematic validation has been carried out using a reporter system. In this study, we used luciferease reporter assays to validate microRNAs that can silence cyclin D1 (CCND1) because CCND1 is a well known proto-oncogene implicated in a variety of types of cancers. We chose miRanda (http://www.microRNA.org) as a primary prediction method. We then cloned 51 of 58 predicted microRNA precursors into pCDH-CMV-MCS-EF1-copGFP and tested for their effect on the luciferase reporter carrying the 3'-untranslated region (UTR) of CCND1 gene. Real-time PCR revealed the 45 of 51 cloned microRNA precursors expressed a relatively high level of the exogenous microRNAs which were used in our validation experiments. By an arbitrary cutoff of 35% reduction, we identified 7 microRNAs that were able to suppress Luc-CCND1-UTR activity. Among them, 4 of them were previously validated targets and the rest 3 microRNAs were validated to be positive in this study. Of interest, we found that miR-503 not only suppressed the luciferase activity, but also suppressed the endogenous CCND1 both at protein and mRNA levels. Furthermore, we showed that miR-503 was able to reduce S phase cell populations and caused cell growth inhibition, suggesting that miR-503 may be a putative tumor suppressor. This study provides a more comprehensive picture of microRNA/CCND1 interactions and it further demonstrates the importance of experimental target validation

Dissection of protein interactomics highlights microRNA synergy.

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Zhu, Wenliang; Zhao, Yilei; Xu, Yingqi; Sun, Yong; Wang, Zhe; Yuan, Wei; Du, Zhimin

2013-01-01

Despite a large amount of microRNAs (miRNAs) have been validated to play crucial roles in human biology and disease, there is little systematic insight into the nature and scale of the potential synergistic interactions executed by miRNAs themselves. Here we established an integrated parameter synergy score to determine miRNA synergy, by combining the two mechanisms for miRNA-miRNA interactions, miRNA-mediated gene co-regulation and functional association between target gene products, into one single parameter. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis indicated that synergy score accurately identified the gene ontology-defined miRNA synergy (AUC = 0.9415, psynergy, implying poor expectancy of widespread synergy. However, targeting more key genes made two miRNAs more likely to act synergistically. Compared to other miRNAs, miR-21 was a highly exceptional case due to frequent appearance in the top synergistic miRNA pairs. This result highlighted its essential role in coordinating or strengthening physiological and pathological functions of other miRNAs. The synergistic effect of miR-21 and miR-1 were functionally validated for their significant influences on myocardial apoptosis, cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis. The novel approach established in this study enables easy and effective identification of condition-restricted potent miRNA synergy simply by concentrating the available protein interactomics and miRNA-target interaction data into a single parameter synergy score. Our results may be important for understanding synergistic gene regulation by miRNAs and may have significant implications for miRNA combination therapy of cardiovascular disease.

Nutrient recovery from swine waste and protein biomass production using duckweed ponds (Landoltia punctata): southern Brazil.

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Mohedano, R A; Velho, V F; Costa, R H R; Hofmann, S M; Belli Filho, P

2012-01-01

Brazil is one of the most important countries in pork production worldwide, ranking third. This activity has an important role in the national economic scenario. However, the fast growth of this activity has caused major environmental impacts, especially in developing countries. The large amount of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds found in pig manure has caused ecological imbalances, with eutrophication of major river basins in the producing regions. Moreover, much of the pig production in developing countries occurs on small farms, and therefore causes diffuse pollution. Therefore, duckweed pond have been successfully used in the swine waste polishing, generating further a biomass with high protein content. The present study evaluated the efficiency of two full scale duckweed ponds for the polishing of a small pig farm effluent, biomass yield and crude protein (CP) content. Duckweed pond series received the effluent from a biodigester-storage pond, with a flow rate of 1 m(3)/day (chemical oxygen demand rate = 186 kg/ha day) produced by 300 animals. After 1 year a great improvement of effluent quality was observed, with removal of 96% of total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) and 89% of total phosphorus (TP), on average. Nitrogen removal rate is one of the highest ever found (4.4 g TKN/m(2) day). Also, the dissolved oxygen rose from 0.0 to 3.0 mg/L. The two ponds produced together over 13 tons of fresh biomass (90.5% moisture), with 35% of CP content, which represents a productivity of 24 tonsCP/ha year. Due to the high rate of nutrient removal, and also the high protein biomass production, duckweed ponds revealed, under the presented conditions, a great potential for the polishing and valorization of swine waste. Nevertheless, this technology should be better exploited to improve the sustainability of small pig farms in order to minimize the impacts of this activity on the environment.

Study of Selecting on Light Source Used for Micro-algae Cultivation in Space

Science.gov (United States)

Ai, Weidang; Ai, Weidang; Guo, Shuang-Sheng; Gao, Feng; Tang, Yong-Kang; Qin, Li-Feng

To select suitable light source for micro-algae cultivation in future space station, the selected Spirulina plastensis(No.7) were cultured under different lightening qualities, including six light sources that were made up of different combinations of red and blue light-emitting diode(LED). The growth, photosynthetic efficiency and nutrition quality of the Spirulina, were analyzed. From the experiments, the red light may promote the cumulation of biomass of the Spirulina, and the cumulating rate was the highest under all red light source, but the syntheses of protein, phycobiliprotein, β-carotene, VE and other nutrients needs a certain portion of blue light; yet, the complete blue light condition is not favorable to the growth of Spirulina, and may bring pollution by chlorella and other kinds of micro-algae. It is concluded that the LEDs can be used as the light resource of micro-algae cultivation. The normal growth and development of microalgae need two light sources of both red and blue LEDs. The comprehensive analyses of the various factors that affect the growth of Spirulina, such as nutrition quality and photosynthetic activities, etc., showed that the combination of 80% red and 20% blue LED is the optimum one among those tested combinations. Key word: light-emitting diode; micro-algae; controlled ecological life support system (CELSS); space cultivation

TOR Signaling and Nutrient Sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Dobrenel, Thomas; Caldana, Camila; Hanson, Johannes; Robaglia, Christophe; Vincentz, Michel; Veit, Bruce; Meyer, Christian

2016-04-29

All living organisms rely on nutrients to sustain cell metabolism and energy production, which in turn need to be adjusted based on available resources. The evolutionarily conserved target of rapamycin (TOR) protein kinase is a central regulatory hub that connects environmental information about the quantity and quality of nutrients to developmental and metabolic processes in order to maintain cellular homeostasis. TOR is activated by both nitrogen and carbon metabolites and promotes energy-consuming processes such as cell division, mRNA translation, and anabolism in times of abundance while repressing nutrient remobilization through autophagy. In animals and yeasts, TOR acts antagonistically to the starvation-induced AMP-activated kinase (AMPK)/sucrose nonfermenting 1 (Snf1) kinase, called Snf1-related kinase 1 (SnRK1) in plants. This review summarizes the immense knowledge on the relationship between TOR signaling and nutrients in nonphotosynthetic organisms and presents recent findings in plants that illuminate the crucial role of this pathway in conveying nutrient-derived signals and regulating many aspects of metabolism and growth.

High-Efficiency Food Production in a Renewable Energy Based Micro-Grid

Science.gov (United States)

Bubenheim, David L.

2017-01-01

Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) systems can be used to produce high-quality, desirable food year round, and the fresh produce can positively contribute to the health and well being of residents in communities with difficult supply logistics. While CEA has many positive outcomes for a remote community, the associated high electric demands have prohibited widespread implementation in what is typically already a fully subscribed power generation and distribution system. Recent advances in CEA technologies as well as renewable power generation, storage, and micro-grid management are increasing system efficiency and expanding the possibilities for enhancing community supporting infrastructure without increasing demands for outside supplied fuels. We will present examples of how new lighting, nutrient delivery, and energy management and control systems can enable significant increases in food production efficiency while maintaining high yields in CEA.Examples from Alaskan communities where initial incorporation of renewable power generation, energy storage and grid management techniques have already reduced diesel fuel consumption for electric generation by more than 40 and expanded grid capacity will be presented. We will discuss how renewable power generation, efficient grid management to extract maximum community service per kW, and novel energy storage approaches can expand the food production, water supply, waste treatment, sanitation and other community support services without traditional increases of consumable fuels supplied from outside the community. These capabilities offer communities with a range of choices to enhance their communities. The examples represent a synergy of technology advancement efforts to develop sustainable community support systems for future space-based human habitats and practical implementation of infrastructure components to increase efficiency and enhance health and well-being in remote communities today and tomorrow.

In Vitro Digestibilities of Six Rumen Protected Fat-Protein Supplement Formulas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lilis Hartati

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract. The aim of the research was to evaluate the efficacy of protection method of rumen protected fat-protein supplements. In vitro digestibility test was carried out to examine nutrients digestibility of different supplement formula based on the sources of protein and oil. The research used two sources of fat namely crude palm oil (CPO and fish oil (FO and three sources of protein namely milk skim, soy flour, and soybean meal. Thus there were 6 combinations that subjected in the in vitro digestibility test. The observed variables were the digestibility of dry matter (DM, organic matter (OM, crude fat (CF, and crude protein (CP. Results indicated that the method for protecting protein and fat was effective. This was showed by low nutrients digestibility in the rumen and high nutrients digestibility in the post rumen. In conclusion the combination between skim milk and CPO gave the best results among the other supplement formula. Keywords: rumen protected nutrient, fat-protein supplement, rumen digestibility, in vitro Animal Production 14(1:1-5, January 2012

Nutrient Sensing at the Plasma Membrane of Fungal Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Dijck, Patrick; Brown, Neil Andrew; Goldman, Gustavo H; Rutherford, Julian; Xue, Chaoyang; Van Zeebroeck, Griet

2017-03-01

To respond to the changing environment, cells must be able to sense external conditions. This is important for many processes including growth, mating, the expression of virulence factors, and several other regulatory effects. Nutrient sensing at the plasma membrane is mediated by different classes of membrane proteins that activate downstream signaling pathways: nontransporting receptors, transceptors, classical and nonclassical G-protein-coupled receptors, and the newly defined extracellular mucin receptors. Nontransporting receptors have the same structure as transport proteins, but have lost the capacity to transport while gaining a receptor function. Transceptors are transporters that also function as a receptor, because they can rapidly activate downstream signaling pathways. In this review, we focus on these four types of fungal membrane proteins. We mainly discuss the sensing mechanisms relating to sugars, ammonium, and amino acids. Mechanisms for other nutrients, such as phosphate and sulfate, are discussed briefly. Because the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been the most studied, especially regarding these nutrient-sensing systems, each subsection will commence with what is known in this species.

Micro-optics for microfluidic analytical applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Hui; Gijs, Martin A M

2018-02-19

This critical review summarizes the developments in the integration of micro-optical elements with microfluidic platforms for facilitating detection and automation of bio-analytical applications. Micro-optical elements, made by a variety of microfabrication techniques, advantageously contribute to the performance of an analytical system, especially when the latter has microfluidic features. Indeed the easy integration of optical control and detection modules with microfluidic technology helps to bridge the gap between the macroscopic world and chip-based analysis, paving the way for automated and high-throughput applications. In our review, we start the discussion with an introduction of microfluidic systems and micro-optical components, as well as aspects of their integration. We continue with a detailed description of different microfluidic and micro-optics technologies and their applications, with an emphasis on the realization of optical waveguides and microlenses. The review continues with specific sections highlighting the advantages of integrated micro-optical components in microfluidic systems for tackling a variety of analytical problems, like cytometry, nucleic acid and protein detection, cell biology, and chemical analysis applications.

Food sources of energy and nutrients in Finnish girls and boys 6-8 years of age - the PANIC study.

Science.gov (United States)

Eloranta, Aino-Maija; Venäläinen, Taisa; Soininen, Sonja; Jalkanen, Henna; Kiiskinen, Sanna; Schwab, Ursula; Lakka, Timo A; Lindi, Virpi

2016-01-01

Data on food sources of nutrients are needed to improve strategies to enhance nutrient intake among girls and boys in Western countries. To identify major food sources of energy, energy nutrients, dietary fibre, and micronutrients, and to study gender differences in these food sources among children. We assessed food consumption and nutrient intake using 4-day food records in a population sample of Finnish girls ( n =213) and boys ( n =217) aged 6-8 years from the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children Study. We calculated the percentual contribution of 55 food groups for energy and nutrient intake using the population proportion method. Low-fibre grain products, skimmed milk, and high-fibre bread provided almost 23% of total energy intake. Skimmed milk was the top source of protein (18% of total intake), vitamin D (32%), potassium (20%), calcium (39%), magnesium (17%), and zinc (16%). Vegetable oils (15%) and high-fat vegetable oil-based spreads (14%) were the top sources of polyunsaturated fat. High-fibre bread was the top source of fibre (27%) and iron (12%). Non-root vegetables were the top source of folate (14%) and vitamin C (22%). Sugar-sweetened beverages provided 21% of sucrose intake. Pork was a more important source of protein and sausage was a more important source of total fat and monounsaturated fat in boys than in girls. Vegetable oils provided a higher proportion of unsaturated fat and vitamin E among boys, whereas high-fat vegetable oil-based spreads provided a higher proportion of these nutrients among girls. Commonly recommended foods, such as skimmed milk, high-fibre grain products, vegetables, vegetable oil, and vegetable oil-based spreads, were important sources of several nutrients, whereas sugar-sweetened beverages provided the majority of sucrose intake among children. This knowledge can be used in improving health among children by dietary interventions, nutrition education, and health policy decision making.

Hypothalamic AgRP-neurons control peripheral substrate utilization and nutrient partitioning

Science.gov (United States)

Joly-Amado, Aurélie; Denis, Raphaël G P; Castel, Julien; Lacombe, Amélie; Cansell, Céline; Rouch, Claude; Kassis, Nadim; Dairou, Julien; Cani, Patrice D; Ventura-Clapier, Renée; Prola, Alexandre; Flamment, Melissa; Foufelle, Fabienne; Magnan, Christophe; Luquet, Serge

2012-01-01

Obesity-related diseases such as diabetes and dyslipidemia result from metabolic alterations including the defective conversion, storage and utilization of nutrients, but the central mechanisms that regulate this process of nutrient partitioning remain elusive. As positive regulators of feeding behaviour, agouti-related protein (AgRP) producing neurons are indispensible for the hypothalamic integration of energy balance. Here, we demonstrate a role for AgRP-neurons in the control of nutrient partitioning. We report that ablation of AgRP-neurons leads to a change in autonomic output onto liver, muscle and pancreas affecting the relative balance between lipids and carbohydrates metabolism. As a consequence, mice lacking AgRP-neurons become obese and hyperinsulinemic on regular chow but display reduced body weight gain and paradoxical improvement in glucose tolerance on high-fat diet. These results provide a direct demonstration of a role for AgRP-neurons in the coordination of efferent organ activity and nutrient partitioning, providing a mechanistic link between obesity and obesity-related disorders. PMID:22990237

Designing a high-frequency nutrient and biogeochemical monitoring network for the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, northern California

Science.gov (United States)

Bergamaschi, Brian A.; Downing, Bryan D.; Kraus, Tamara E.C.; Pellerin, Brian A.

2017-07-11

Executive SummaryThis report is the third in a series of three reports that provide information about how high-frequency (HF) nutrient monitoring may be used to assess nutrient inputs and dynamics in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California (Delta). The purpose of this report is to provide the background, principles, and considerations for designing an HF nutrient-monitoring network for the Delta to address high-priority, nutrient-management questions. The report starts with discussion of the high-priority management questions to be addressed, continues through discussion of the questions and considerations that place demands and constraints on network design, discusses the principles applicable to network design, and concludes with the presentation of three example nutrient-monitoring network designs for the Delta. For three example network designs, we assess how they would address high-priority questions that have been identified by the Delta Regional Monitoring Program (Delta Regional Monitoring Program Technical Advisory Committee, 2015).This report, along with the other two reports of this series (Kraus and others, 2017; Downing and others, 2017), was drafted in cooperation with the Delta Regional Monitoring Program to help scientists, managers, and planners understand how HF data improve our understanding of nutrient sources and sinks, drivers, and effects in the Delta. The first report in the series (Kraus and others, 2017) provides an introduction to the reasons for and fundamental concepts behind using HF monitoring measurements, including a brief summary of nutrient status and trends in the Delta and an extensive literature review showing how and where other research and monitoring programs have used HF monitoring to improve our understanding of nutrient cycling. The report covers the various technologies available for HF nutrient monitoring and presents the different ways HF monitoring instrumentation may be used for both fixed station and spatial

Biophysical and computational comparison on the binding affinity of three important nutrients to β-lactoglobulin: folic acid, ascorbic acid and vitamin K3.

Science.gov (United States)

Shahraki, Somaye; Heydari, Ali; Saeidifar, Maryam; Gomroki, Masoumeh

2017-11-06

Small globular protein, β-lactoglobulin (βLG), which has significant affinity toward many drugs, is the most abundant whey protein in milk. In this study, the interaction of βLG with three important nutrients, ascorbic acid (ASC), folic acid (FOL), and vitamin K3 (VK3) was investigated by spectroscopic methods (UV-visible and fluorescence) along with molecular docking technique. The results of fluorescence measurements showed that studied nutrients strongly quenched βLG fluorescence in static (FOL and ACS) or static-dynamic combined quenching (VK3) mode. The values of binding constants (K βLG-ASC  ~ 4.34 × 10 4  M -1 , K βLG-FOL ~ 1.67 × 10 4  M -1 and K βLG-VK3 ~ 13.49 × 10 4  M -1 at 310 K) suggested that VK3 and FOL had stronger binding affinity toward βLG than ASC. Thermodynamic analysis indicated that hydrophobic interactions are the major forces in the stability of FOL-βLG complex with enthalpy- and entropy-driving mode while, hydrogen bonds and van der Waals interactions play a major role for βLG-ASC and βLG-VK3 associations. The results of 3D fluorescence FT-IR and UV-Visible measurements indicated that the binding of above nutrients to βLG may induce conformational and micro-environmental changes of protein. Also, there is a reciprocal complement between spectroscopic techniques and molecular docking modeling. The docking results indicate that the ASC, FOL, and VK3 bind to residues located in the subdomain B of βLG. Finally, this report suggests that βLG could be used as an effective carrier of above nutrients in functional foods.

Interactions between nutrients and organic micro-pollutants in shallow freshwater ecosystems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Roessink, I.; Koelmans, A.A.; Brock, T.C.M.

2008-01-01

Effects of nutrients and toxicants in aquatic ecosystems may interact in several ways. Here, we (a) present an overview of reported mechanisms that may play a role in these interactions, and (b) compare these reported mechanisms against the results of a suite of experiments performed with organic

A prototypical non-malignant epithelial model to study genome dynamics and concurrently monitor micro-RNAs and proteins in situ during oncogene-induced senescence.

Science.gov (United States)

Komseli, Eirini-Stavroula; Pateras, Ioannis S; Krejsgaard, Thorbjørn; Stawiski, Konrad; Rizou, Sophia V; Polyzos, Alexander; Roumelioti, Fani-Marlen; Chiourea, Maria; Mourkioti, Ioanna; Paparouna, Eleni; Zampetidis, Christos P; Gumeni, Sentiljana; Trougakos, Ioannis P; Pefani, Dafni-Eleftheria; O'Neill, Eric; Gagos, Sarantis; Eliopoulos, Aristides G; Fendler, Wojciech; Chowdhury, Dipanjan; Bartek, Jiri; Gorgoulis, Vassilis G

2018-01-10

Senescence is a fundamental biological process implicated in various pathologies, including cancer. Regarding carcinogenesis, senescence signifies, at least in its initial phases, an anti-tumor response that needs to be circumvented for cancer to progress. Micro-RNAs, a subclass of regulatory, non-coding RNAs, participate in senescence regulation. At the subcellular level micro-RNAs, similar to proteins, have been shown to traffic between organelles influencing cellular behavior. The differential function of micro-RNAs relative to their subcellular localization and their role in senescence biology raises concurrent in situ analysis of coding and non-coding gene products in senescent cells as a necessity. However, technical challenges have rendered in situ co-detection unfeasible until now. In the present report we describe a methodology that bypasses these technical limitations achieving for the first time simultaneous detection of both a micro-RNA and a protein in the biological context of cellular senescence, utilizing the new commercially available SenTraGor TM compound. The method was applied in a prototypical human non-malignant epithelial model of oncogene-induced senescence that we generated for the purposes of the study. For the characterization of this novel system, we applied a wide range of cellular and molecular techniques, as well as high-throughput analysis of the transcriptome and micro-RNAs. This experimental setting has three advantages that are presented and discussed: i) it covers a "gap" in the molecular carcinogenesis field, as almost all corresponding in vitro models are fibroblast-based, even though the majority of neoplasms have epithelial origin, ii) it recapitulates the precancerous and cancerous phases of epithelial tumorigenesis within a short time frame under the light of natural selection and iii) it uses as an oncogenic signal, the replication licensing factor CDC6, implicated in both DNA replication and transcription when over

Identification of human microRNA-like sequences embedded within the protein-encoding genes of the human immunodeficiency virus.

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Bryan Holland

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs (miRNAs are highly conserved, short (18-22 nts, non-coding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression by binding to the 3' untranslated regions (3'UTRs of mRNAs. While numerous cellular microRNAs have been associated with the progression of various diseases including cancer, miRNAs associated with retroviruses have not been well characterized. Herein we report identification of microRNA-like sequences in coding regions of several HIV-1 genomes. RESULTS: Based on our earlier proteomics and bioinformatics studies, we have identified 8 cellular miRNAs that are predicted to bind to the mRNAs of multiple proteins that are dysregulated during HIV-infection of CD4+ T-cells in vitro. In silico analysis of the full length and mature sequences of these 8 miRNAs and comparisons with all the genomic and subgenomic sequences of HIV-1 strains in global databases revealed that the first 18/18 sequences of the mature hsa-miR-195 sequence (including the short seed sequence, matched perfectly (100%, or with one nucleotide mismatch, within the envelope (env genes of five HIV-1 genomes from Africa. In addition, we have identified 4 other miRNA-like sequences (hsa-miR-30d, hsa-miR-30e, hsa-miR-374a and hsa-miR-424 within the env and the gag-pol encoding regions of several HIV-1 strains, albeit with reduced homology. Mapping of the miRNA-homologues of env within HIV-1 genomes localized these sequence to the functionally significant variable regions of the env glycoprotein gp120 designated V1, V2, V4 and V5. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that microRNA-like sequences are embedded within the protein-encoding regions of several HIV-1 genomes. Given that the V1 to V5 regions of HIV-1 envelopes contain specific, well-characterized domains that are critical for immune responses, virus neutralization and disease progression, we propose that the newly discovered miRNA-like sequences within the HIV-1 genomes may have evolved to self-regulate survival of the

Excess nutrients in hydroponic solutions alter nutrient content of rice, wheat, and potato

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McKeehen, J. D.; Mitchell, C. A.; Wheeler, R. M.; Bugbee, B.; Nielsen, S. S.

1996-01-01

Environment has significant effects on the nutrient content of field-grown crop plants. Little is known, however, about compositional changes caused by controlled environments in which plants receive only artificial radiation and soilless, hydroponic culture. This knowledge is essential for developing a safe, nutritious diet in a Controlled Ecological Life-Support System (CELSS). Three crops that are candidates for inclusion in a CELSS (rice, wheat, and white potato) were grown both in the field and in controlled environments where the hydroponic nutrient solution, photosynthetic photon flux (PPF), and CO2 level were manipulated to achieve rapid growth rates. Plants were harvested at maturity, separated into discrete parts, and dried prior to analysis. Plant materials were analyzed for proximate composition (protein, fat, ash, and carbohydrate), total nitrogen (N), nitrate, minerals, and amino-acid composition. The effect of environment on nutrient content varied by crop and plant part. Total N and nonprotein N (NPN) contents of plant biomass generally increased under controlled-environment conditions compared to field conditions, especially for leafy plant parts and roots. Nitrate levels were increased in hydroponically-grown vegetative tissues, but nitrate was excluded from grains and tubers. Mineral content changes in plant tissue included increased phosphorus and decreased levels of certain micronutrient elements under controlled-environment conditions. These findings suggest that cultivar selection, genetic manipulation, and environmental control could be important to obtain highly nutritious biomass in a CELSS.

Canadian infants' nutrient intakes from complementary foods during the first year of life

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Prowse Daniel

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Complementary feeding is currently recommended after six months of age, when the nutrients in breast milk alone are no longer adequate to support growth. Few studies have examined macro- and micro-nutrient intakes from complementary foods (CF only. Our purpose was to assess the sources and nutritional contribution of CF over the first year of life. Methods In July 2003, a cross-sectional survey was conducted on a nationally representative sample of mothers with infants aged three to 12 months. The survey was administered evenly across all regions of the country and included a four-day dietary record to assess infants' CF intakes in household (tablespoon measures (breast milk and formula intakes excluded. Records from 2,663 infants were analyzed for nutrient and CF food intake according to 12 categories. Mean daily intakes for infants at each month of age from CF were pooled and compared to the Dietary Reference Intakes for the respective age range. Results At three months of age, 83% of infants were already consuming infant cereals. Fruits and vegetables were among the most common foods consumed by infants at all ages, while meats were least common at all ages except 12 months. Macro- and micro-nutrient intakes from CF generally increased with age. All mean nutrient intakes, except vitamin D and iron, met CF recommendations at seven to 12 months. Conclusions Complementary foods were introduced earlier than recommended. Although mean nutrient intakes from CF at six to 12 months appear to be adequate among Canadian infants, further attention to iron and vitamin D intakes and sources may be warranted.

Mild chemical strategy to grow micro-roses and micro-woolen like arranged CuO nanosheets for high performance supercapacitors

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Dubal, Deepak P.; Gund, Girish S.; Holze, Rudolf; Lokhande, Chandrakant D.

2013-11-01

The hierarchical structures of nanosheets, micro-roses and micro-woolen like CuO nanosheets were directly fabricated on stainless steel via surfactant-free and inexpensive chemical bath deposition (CBD) method. Further, these CuO nanostructures demonstrate excellent surface properties like uniform surface morphology, high surface area and uniform pore size distribution of CuO samples. The electrochemical properties of CuO nanostructures have been investigated by cyclic voltammetry, charge-discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques. The electrochemical studies of the CuO samples show obvious influence of surface properties on the pseudocapacitance performance. The maximum specific capacitances of nanosheets, micro-roses and micro-woolen like CuO nanosheets are found to be 303 Fg-1, 279 Fg-1 and 346 Fg-1, respectively at 5 mV s-1 scan rate. Further, the EIS analysis shows lower ESR value, high power performance, excellent rate as well as frequency response of micro-woolen like CuO sample. The Ragone plot ascertains better power and energy densities of all three CuO nanostructured samples than other electrical energy storage devices. The long-term cycling performance of CuO is examined at different scan rates and the morphology changes of the electrode materials were studied. Present investigation suggests the inexpensive CBD approach for fine-tuning surface properties of oxide materials for energy storage applications.

Nutrient intake, acid base status and weight gain in water buffalo ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

p2492989

URL: http://www.sasas.co.za ... Introduction. A consistent supply of macro and micro nutrients to growing water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) calves is important to ... humid environmental conditions appears to be inappropriate. ... The experiment was conducted on five commercial feedlot farms in the district, Toba Tek Singh, in.

An introduction to high-frequency nutrient and biogeochemical monitoring for the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, northern California

Science.gov (United States)

Kraus, Tamara E.C.; Bergamaschi, Brian A.; Downing, Bryan D.

2017-07-11

Executive SummaryThis report is the first in a series of three reports that provide information about high-frequency (HF) nutrient and biogeochemical monitoring in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta of northern California (Delta). This first report provides an introduction to the reasons for and fundamental concepts behind collecting HF measurements, and describes the benefits associated with a real-time, continuous, HF, multi-parameter water quality monitoring station network that is co-located with flow stations. It then provides examples of how HF nutrient measurements have improved our understating of nutrient sources and cycling in aquatic systems worldwide, followed by specific examples from the Delta. These examples describe the ways in which HF instrumentation may be used for both fixed-station and spatial assessments. The overall intent of this document is to describe how HF measurements currently (2017) are being used in the Delta to examine the relationship between nutrient concentrations, nutrient cycling, and aquatic habitat conditions.The second report in the series (Downing and others, 2017) summarizes information about HF nutrient and associated biogeochemical monitoring in the northern Delta. The report synthesizes data available from the nutrient and water quality monitoring network currently operated by the U.S. Geological Survey in this ecologically important region of the Delta. In the report, we present and discuss the available data at various timescales—first, at the monthly, seasonal, and inter-annual timescales; and, second, for comparison, at the tidal and event (for example, storms, reservoir releases, phytoplankton blooms) timescales. As expected, we determined that there is substantial variability in nitrate concentrations at short timescales within hours, but also significant variability at longer timescales such as months or years. This multi-scale, high variability affects calculation of fluxes and loads, indicating that HF

High rate behavior and discharge limits in micro-pattern detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bressan, A.; Hoch, M.; Pagano, P.; Ropelewski, L.; Sauli, F.; Biagi, S.; Buzulutskov, A.; Gruwe, M.; De Lentdecker, G.; Moermann, D.; Sharma, A.

1999-01-01

We present and discuss a set of systematic measurements, carried out with gaseous proportional micro-pattern detectors, in order to assess their maximum gain when irradiated with high-rate soft X-rays and heavily ionizing alpha particles. The inventory of detectors tested includes: micro-strips, micromegas, micro-dot, gas electron multiplier, CAT (compteur a trous), trench (or groove), micro-CAT (or WELL) detectors, as well as systems with two elements of gaseous amplification in cascade. We confirm the general trend of all single-stage detectors to follow Raether's criterion, i.e. a spontaneous transition from avalanche to streamer, followed by a discharge, when the avalanche size reaches a value of a few 10 7 ; a noticeable exception is the micro-dot counter holding more than 10 8 . In multiple structures, where the gain is shared between two devices in cascade, the maximum overall gain under irradiation is increased by at least one order of magnitude; we speculate this to be a consequence of a voltage dependence of Raether's limit, larger for low operating potentials. Our conclusion is that only multiple devices can guarantee a sufficient margin of reliability for operation in harsh LHC running conditions

Sampling strategies for tropical forest nutrient cycling studies: a case study in São Paulo, Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Sparovek

1997-12-01

Full Text Available The precise sampling of soil, biological or micro climatic attributes in tropical forests, which are characterized by a high diversity of species and complex spatial variability, is a difficult task. We found few basic studies to guide sampling procedures. The objective of this study was to define a sampling strategy and data analysis for some parameters frequently used in nutrient cycling studies, i. e., litter amount, total nutrient amounts in litter and its composition (Ca, Mg, Κ, Ν and P, and soil attributes at three depths (organic matter, Ρ content, cation exchange capacity and base saturation. A natural remnant forest in the West of São Paulo State (Brazil was selected as study area and samples were collected in July, 1989. The total amount of litter and its total nutrient amounts had a high spatial independent variance. Conversely, the variance of litter composition was lower and the spatial dependency was peculiar to each nutrient. The sampling strategy for the estimation of litter amounts and the amount of nutrient in litter should be different than the sampling strategy for nutrient composition. For the estimation of litter amounts and the amount of nutrients in litter (related to quantity a large number of randomly distributed determinations are needed. Otherwise, for the estimation of litter nutrient composition (related to quality a smaller amount of spatially located samples should be analyzed. The determination of sampling for soil attributes differed according to the depth. Overall, surface samples (0-5 cm showed high short distance spatial dependent variance, whereas, subsurface samples exhibited spatial dependency in longer distances. Short transects with sampling interval of 5-10 m are recommended for surface sampling. Subsurface samples must also be spatially located, but with transects or grids with longer distances between sampling points over the entire area. Composite soil samples would not provide a complete

Wafer-scale integrated micro-supercapacitors on an ultrathin and highly flexible biomedical platform.

Science.gov (United States)

Maeng, Jimin; Meng, Chuizhou; Irazoqui, Pedro P

2015-02-01

We present wafer-scale integrated micro-supercapacitors on an ultrathin and highly flexible parylene platform, as progress toward sustainably powering biomedical microsystems suitable for implantable and wearable applications. All-solid-state, low-profile (supercapacitors are formed on an ultrathin (~20 μm) freestanding parylene film by a wafer-scale parylene packaging process in combination with a polyaniline (PANI) nanowire growth technique assisted by surface plasma treatment. These micro-supercapacitors are highly flexible and shown to be resilient toward flexural stress. Further, direct integration of micro-supercapacitors into a radio frequency (RF) rectifying circuit is achieved on a single parylene platform, yielding a complete RF energy harvesting microsystem. The system discharging rate is shown to improve by ~17 times in the presence of the integrated micro-supercapacitors. This result suggests that the integrated micro-supercapacitor technology described herein is a promising strategy for sustainably powering biomedical microsystems dedicated to implantable and wearable applications.

Automatic and integrated micro-enzyme assay (AIμEA) platform for highly sensitive thrombin analysis via an engineered fluorescence protein-functionalized monolithic capillary column.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Lihua; Liu, Shengquan; Nie, Zhou; Chen, Yingzhuang; Lei, Chunyang; Wang, Zhen; Yin, Chao; Hu, Huiping; Huang, Yan; Yao, Shouzhuo

2015-04-21

Nowadays, large-scale screening for enzyme discovery, engineering, and drug discovery processes require simple, fast, and sensitive enzyme activity assay platforms with high integration and potential for high-throughput detection. Herein, a novel automatic and integrated micro-enzyme assay (AIμEA) platform was proposed based on a unique microreaction system fabricated by a engineered green fluorescence protein (GFP)-functionalized monolithic capillary column, with thrombin as an example. The recombinant GFP probe was rationally engineered to possess a His-tag and a substrate sequence of thrombin, which enable it to be immobilized on the monolith via metal affinity binding, and to be released after thrombin digestion. Combined with capillary electrophoresis-laser-induced fluorescence (CE-LIF), all the procedures, including thrombin injection, online enzymatic digestion in the microreaction system, and label-free detection of the released GFP, were integrated in a single electrophoretic process. By taking advantage of the ultrahigh loading capacity of the AIμEA platform and the CE automatic programming setup, one microreaction column was sufficient for many times digestion without replacement. The novel microreaction system showed significantly enhanced catalytic efficiency, about 30 fold higher than that of the equivalent bulk reaction. Accordingly, the AIμEA platform was highly sensitive with a limit of detection down to 1 pM of thrombin. Moreover, the AIμEA platform was robust and reliable to detect thrombin in human serum samples and its inhibition by hirudin. Hence, this AIμEA platform exhibits great potential for high-throughput analysis in future biological application, disease diagnostics, and drug screening.

High nutrient transport and cycling potential revealed in the microbial metagenome of Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea faeces.

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Trish J Lavery

Full Text Available Metagenomic analysis was used to examine the taxonomic diversity and metabolic potential of an Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea gut microbiome. Bacteria comprised 98% of classifiable sequences and of these matches to Firmicutes (80% were dominant, with Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria representing 8% and 2% of matches respectively. The relative proportion of Firmicutes (80% to Bacteriodetes (2% is similar to that in previous studies of obese humans and obese mice, suggesting the gut microbiome may confer a predisposition towards the excess body fat that is needed for thermoregulation within the cold oceanic habitats foraged by Australian sea lions. Core metabolic functions, including carbohydrate utilisation (14%, protein metabolism (9% and DNA metabolism (7% dominated the metagenome, but in comparison to human and fish gut microbiomes there was a significantly higher proportion of genes involved in phosphorus metabolism (2.4% and iron scavenging mechanisms (1%. When sea lions defecate at sea, the relatively high nutrient metabolism potential of bacteria in their faeces may accelerate the dissolution of nutrients from faecal particles, enhancing their persistence in the euphotic zone where they are available to stimulate marine production.

Common Prairie feeds with different soluble and insoluble fractions used for CPM diet formulation in dairy cattle: Impact of carbohydrate-protein matrix structure on protein and other primary nutrient digestion

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Quanhui; Wang, Zhisheng; Zhang, Xuewei; Yu, Peiqiang

2014-03-01

An experiment was conducted to investigate the relationship of carbohydrates molecular spectral characteristics to rumen degradability of primary nutrients in Prairie feeds in dairy cattle. In total, 12 different types of feeds were selected, each type of feed was from three different source with total 37 samples. Six types of them were energy-sourced feeds and the others were protein-sourced feeds. The carbohydrates molecular spectral intensity of various functional groups were collected using Fourier transform infrared attenuated total reflectance (ATR-FT/IR) spectroscopy. In the in situ study, the results showed that the rumen digestibility and digestible fractions of primary nutrients (DM, OM, NCP, and CP) were significantly different (P digestibility and digestible fractions of DM, OM and NCP. Spectral intensities of H_1150, H_1015, A_1, and A_3 were weakly negatively associated with in situ rumen degradation of CP. Spectral intensities of A_1240 and H_1240, mainly associated with cellulosic compounds, were correlated with rumen CP degradation. The multiple regression analysis demonstrated that the spectral intensities of A_3 and H_1415 played the most important role and could be used as a potential tool to predict rumen protein degradation of feeds in dairy cattle. In conclusion, this study showed that the carbohydrates as a whole have an effect on protein rumen degradation, rather than cellulose alone, indicating carbohydrate-protein matrix structure impact protein utilization in dairy cattle. The non-invasive molecular spectral technique (ATR-FT/IR) could be used as a rapid potential tool to predict rumen protein degradation of feedstuffs by using molecular spectral bands intensities in carbohydrate fingerprint region.

Mathematical modelling of the influenced of diffusion rate on macro nutrient availability in paddy field

Science.gov (United States)

Renny; Supriyanto

2018-04-01

Nutrition is the chemical compounds that needed by the organism for the growth process. In plants, nutrients are organic or inorganic compounds that are absorbed from the roots of the soil. It consist of macro and micro nutrient. Macro nutrients are nutrition that needed by plants in large quantities, such as, nitrogen, calcium, pottacium, magnesium, and sulfur. The total soil nutrient is the difference between the input nutrient and the output nutrients. Input nutrients are nutrient that derived from the decomposition of organic substances. Meanwhile, the output nutrient consists of the nutrients that absorbed by plant roots (uptake), the evaporated nutrients (volatilized) and leached nutrients. The nutrient transport can be done through diffusion process. The diffusion process is essential in removing the nutrient from one place to the root surface. It will cause the rate of absorption of nutrient by the roots will be greater. Nutrient concept in paddy filed can be represented into a mathematical modelling, by making compartment models. The rate of concentration change in the compartment model forms a system of homogeneous linear differential equations. In this research, we will use Laplaces transformation to solve the compartment model and determined the dynamics of macro nutrition due to diffusion process.

Agroforestry systems, nutrients in litter and microbial activity in soils cultivated with coffee at high altitude

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Krystal de Alcantara Notaro

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Agroforestry systems are an alternative option for sustainable production management. These systems contain trees that absorb nutrients from deeper layers of the soil and leaf litter that help improve the soil quality of the rough terrain in high altitude areas, which are areas extremely susceptible to environmental degradation. The aim of this study was to characterize the stock and nutrients in litter, soil activity and the population of microorganisms in coffee (Coffea arabica L. plantations under high altitude agroforestry systems in the semi-arid region of the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. Samples were collected from the surface litter together with soil samples taken at two depths (0-10 and 10-20 cm from areas each subject to one of the following four treatments: agroforestry system (AS, native forest (NF, biodynamic system (BS and coffee control (CT.The coffee plantation had been abandoned for nearly 15 years and, although there had been no management or harvesting, still contained productive coffee plants. The accumulation of litter and mean nutrient content of the litter, the soil nutrient content, microbial biomass carbon, total carbon, total nitrogen, C/N ratio, basal respiration, microbial quotient, metabolic quotient and microbial populations (total bacteria, fluorescent bacteria group, total fungi and Trichoderma spp. were all analyzed. The systems thatwere exposed to human intervention (A and BS differed in their chemical attributes and contained higher levels of nutrients when compared to NF and CT. BS for coffee production at high altitude can be used as a sustainable alternative in the high altitude zones of the semi-arid region in Brazil, which is an area that is highly susceptible to environmental degradation.

Seasonality directs contrasting food collection behavior and nutrient regulation strategies in ants.

Science.gov (United States)

Cook, Steven C; Eubanks, Micky D; Gold, Roger E; Behmer, Spencer T

2011-01-01

Long-lived animals, including social insects, often display seasonal shifts in foraging behavior. Foraging is ultimately a nutrient consumption exercise, but the effect of seasonality per se on changes in foraging behavior, particularly as it relates to nutrient regulation, is poorly understood. Here, we show that field-collected fire ant colonies, returned to the laboratory and maintained under identical photoperiod, temperature, and humidity regimes, and presented with experimental foods that had different protein (p) to carbohydrate (c) ratios, practice summer- and fall-specific foraging behaviors with respect to protein-carbohydrate regulation. Summer colonies increased the amount of food collected as the p:c ratio of their food became increasingly imbalanced, but fall colonies collected similar amounts of food regardless of the p:c ratio of their food. Choice experiments revealed that feeding was non-random, and that both fall and summer ants preferred carbohydrate-biased food. However, ants rarely ate all the food they collected, and their cached or discarded food always contained little carbohydrate relative to protein. From a nutrient regulation strategy, ants consumed most of the carbohydrate they collected, but regulated protein consumption to a similar level, regardless of season. We suggest that varied seasonal food collection behaviors and nutrient regulation strategies may be an adaptation that allows long-lived animals to meet current and future nutrient demands when nutrient-rich foods are abundant (e.g. spring and summer), and to conserve energy and be metabolically more efficient when nutritionally balanced foods are less abundant.

GEM detector performance with innovative micro-TPC readout in high magnetic field

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Garzia I.

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Gas detector development is one of the pillars of the research in fundamental physics. Since several years, a new concept of detectors, called Micro Pattern Gas Detector (MPGD, allowed to overcome several problems related to other types of commonly used detectors, like drift chamber and micro strips detectors, reducing the rate of discharges and providing better radiation tolerance. Among the most used MPGDs are the Gas Electron Multipliers (GEMs. Invented by Sauli in 1997, nowadays GEMs have become an important reality for particle detectors in high energy physics. Commonly deployed as fast timing detectors and triggers, their fast response, high rate capability and high radiation hardness make them also suitable as tracking detectors. The readout scheme is one of the most important features in tracking technology. Analog readout based on the calculation of the center of gravity technique allows to overcome the limit imposed by digital pads, whose spatial resolution is limited by the pitch dimensions. However, the presence of high external magnetic fields can distort the electronic cloud and affect the performance. The development of the micro-TPC reconstruction method brings GEM detectors into a new prospective, improving significantly the spatial resolutionin presence of high magnetic fields. This innovative technique allows to reconstruct the 3-dimensional particle position, as Time Projection Chamber, but within a drift gap of a few millimeters. In these report, the charge centroid and micro-TPC methods are described in details. We discuss the results of several test beams performed with planar chambers in magnetic field. These results are one of the first developments of micro-TPC technique for GEM detectors, which allows to reach unprecedented performance in a high magnetic field of 1 T.

GEM detector performance with innovative micro-TPC readout in high magnetic field

Science.gov (United States)

Garzia, I.; Alexeev, M.; Amoroso, A.; Baldini Ferroli, R.; Bertani, M.; Bettoni, D.; Bianchi, F.; Calcaterra, A.; Canale, N.; Capodiferro, M.; Cassariti, V.; Cerioni, S.; Chai, J. Y.; Chiozzi, S.; Cibinetto, G.; Cossio, F.; Cotta Ramusino, A.; De Mori, F.; Destefanis, M.; Dong, J.; Evangelisti, F.; Evangelisti, F.; Farinelli, R.; Fava, L.; Felici, G.; Fioravanti, E.; Gatta, M.; Greco, M.; Lavezzi, L.; Leng, C. Y.; Li, H.; Maggiora, M.; Malaguti, R.; Marcello, S.; Melchiorri, M.; Mezzadri, G.; Mignone, M.; Morello, G.; Pacetti, S.; Patteri, P.; Pellegrino, J.; Pelosi, A.; Rivetti, A.; Rolo, M. D.; Savrié, M.; Scodeggio, M.; Soldani, E.; Sosio, S.; Spataro, S.; Tskhadadze, E.; Verma, S.; Wheadon, R.; Yan, L.

2018-01-01

Gas detector development is one of the pillars of the research in fundamental physics. Since several years, a new concept of detectors, called Micro Pattern Gas Detector (MPGD), allowed to overcome several problems related to other types of commonly used detectors, like drift chamber and micro strips detectors, reducing the rate of discharges and providing better radiation tolerance. Among the most used MPGDs are the Gas Electron Multipliers (GEMs). Invented by Sauli in 1997, nowadays GEMs have become an important reality for particle detectors in high energy physics. Commonly deployed as fast timing detectors and triggers, their fast response, high rate capability and high radiation hardness make them also suitable as tracking detectors. The readout scheme is one of the most important features in tracking technology. Analog readout based on the calculation of the center of gravity technique allows to overcome the limit imposed by digital pads, whose spatial resolution is limited by the pitch dimensions. However, the presence of high external magnetic fields can distort the electronic cloud and affect the performance. The development of the micro-TPC reconstruction method brings GEM detectors into a new prospective, improving significantly the spatial resolutionin presence of high magnetic fields. This innovative technique allows to reconstruct the 3-dimensional particle position, as Time Projection Chamber, but within a drift gap of a few millimeters. In these report, the charge centroid and micro-TPC methods are described in details. We discuss the results of several test beams performed with planar chambers in magnetic field. These results are one of the first developments of micro-TPC technique for GEM detectors, which allows to reach unprecedented performance in a high magnetic field of 1 T.

Effects of supplemental enzymes on apparent nutrient digestibility in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fed plant-based diets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dalsgaard, Anne Johanne Tang; Hjermitslev, Niels Harthøj; Ekmann, Kim Schøn

2010-01-01

in fish feed due to growing demands for and high price variations in fish meal, but high inclusion levels in diets for carnivorous fish are hampered by a great variety of anti-nutritional factors (ANFs), which reduce nutrient utilisation. Exogenous dietary enzymes may potentially help to alleviate...... on the effects of enzymes in fish feed apart from phytase. Phytase works by hydrolyzing phytic acid, and numerous studies have documented that phytase supplementation increases phosphorus availability in fish fed diets with high inclusion levels of plant proteins. Plant derived proteins are increasingly used...... these effects, and the objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of supplementing protease and pectinase to a diet containing approximately 30% soybean meal, rapeseed meal or sunflower meal on nutrient digestibility in juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Digestibility trials were...

High resolution micro ultrasonic machining for trimming 3D microstructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Viswanath, Anupam; Li, Tao; Gianchandani, Yogesh

2014-01-01

This paper reports on the evaluation of a high resolution micro ultrasonic machining (HR-µUSM) process suitable for post fabrication trimming of complex 3D microstructures made from fused silica. Unlike conventional USM, the HR-µUSM process aims for low machining rates, providing high resolution and high surface quality. The machining rate is reduced by keeping the micro-tool tip at a fixed distance from the workpiece and vibrating it at a small amplitude. The surface roughness is improved by an appropriate selection of abrasive particles. Fluidic modeling is performed to study interaction among the vibrating micro-tool tip, workpiece, and the slurry. Using 304 stainless steel (SS304) tool tips of 50 µm diameter, the machining performance of the HR-µUSM process is characterized on flat fused silica substrates. The depths and surface finish of machined features are evaluated as functions of slurry concentrations, separation between the micro-tool and workpiece, and machining time. Under the selected conditions, the HR-µUSM process achieves machining rates as low as 10 nm s −1  averaged over the first minute of machining of a flat virgin sample. This corresponds to a mass removal rate of ≈20 ng min −1 . The average surface roughness, S a , achieved is as low as 30 nm. Analytical and numerical modeling are used to explain the typical profile of the machined features as well as machining rates. The process is used to demonstrate trimming of hemispherical 3D shells made of fused silica. (paper)

Predicting the profile of nutrients available for absorption: from nutrient requirement to animal response and environmental impact.

Science.gov (United States)

Dijkstra, J; Kebreab, E; Mills, J A N; Pellikaan, W F; López, S; Bannink, A; France, J

2007-02-01

.Empirical models lack the biological basis necessary to evaluate mitigation strategies to reduce excretion of waste, including nitrogen, phosphorus and methane. Such models may have little predictive value when comparing various feeding strategies. Examples include the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Tier II models to quantify methane emissions and current protein evaluation systems to evaluate low protein diets to reduce nitrogen losses to the environment. Nutrient based mechanistic models can address such issues. Since environmental issues generally attract more funding from governmental offices, further development of nutrient based models may well take place within an environmental framework.

Nutrient Shielding in Clusters of Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Lavrentovich, Maxim O.; Koschwanez, John H.; Nelson, David R.

2014-01-01

Cellular nutrient consumption is influenced by both the nutrient uptake kinetics of an individual cell and the cells’ spatial arrangement. Large cell clusters or colonies have inhibited growth at the cluster's center due to the shielding of nutrients by the cells closer to the surface. We develop an effective medium theory that predicts a thickness ℓ of the outer shell of cells in the cluster that receives enough nutrient to grow. The cells are treated as partially absorbing identical spherical nutrient sinks, and we identify a dimensionless parameter ν that characterizes the absorption strength of each cell. The parameter ν can vary over many orders of magnitude between different cell types, ranging from bacteria and yeast to human tissue. The thickness ℓ decreases with increasing ν, increasing cell volume fraction ϕ, and decreasing ambient nutrient concentration ψ∞. The theoretical results are compared with numerical simulations and experiments. In the latter studies, colonies of budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, are grown on glucose media and imaged under a confocal microscope. We measure the growth inside the colonies via a fluorescent protein reporter and compare the experimental and theoretical results for the thickness ℓ. PMID:23848711

High throughput micro-well generation of hepatocyte micro-aggregates for tissue engineering.

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Elien Gevaert

Full Text Available The main challenge in hepatic tissue engineering is the fast dedifferentiation of primary hepatocytes in vitro. One successful approach to maintain hepatocyte phenotype on the longer term is the cultivation of cells as aggregates. This paper demonstrates the use of an agarose micro-well chip for the high throughput generation of hepatocyte aggregates, uniform in size. In our study we observed that aggregation of hepatocytes had a beneficial effect on the expression of certain hepatocyte specific markers. Moreover we observed that the beneficial effect was dependent on the aggregate dimensions, indicating that aggregate parameters should be carefully considered. In a second part of the study, the selected aggregates were immobilized by encapsulation in methacrylamide-modified gelatin. Phenotype evaluations revealed that a stable hepatocyte phenotype could be maintained during 21 days when encapsulated in the hydrogel. In conclusion we have demonstrated the beneficial use of micro-well chips for hepatocyte aggregation and the size-dependent effects on hepatocyte phenotype. We also pointed out that methacrylamide-modified gelatin is suitable for the encapsulation of these aggregates.

High throughput micro-well generation of hepatocyte micro-aggregates for tissue engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Gevaert, Elien; Dollé, Laurent; Billiet, Thomas; Dubruel, Peter; van Grunsven, Leo; van Apeldoorn, Aart; Cornelissen, Ria

2014-01-01

The main challenge in hepatic tissue engineering is the fast dedifferentiation of primary hepatocytes in vitro. One successful approach to maintain hepatocyte phenotype on the longer term is the cultivation of cells as aggregates. This paper demonstrates the use of an agarose micro-well chip for the high throughput generation of hepatocyte aggregates, uniform in size. In our study we observed that aggregation of hepatocytes had a beneficial effect on the expression of certain hepatocyte specific markers. Moreover we observed that the beneficial effect was dependent on the aggregate dimensions, indicating that aggregate parameters should be carefully considered. In a second part of the study, the selected aggregates were immobilized by encapsulation in methacrylamide-modified gelatin. Phenotype evaluations revealed that a stable hepatocyte phenotype could be maintained during 21 days when encapsulated in the hydrogel. In conclusion we have demonstrated the beneficial use of micro-well chips for hepatocyte aggregation and the size-dependent effects on hepatocyte phenotype. We also pointed out that methacrylamide-modified gelatin is suitable for the encapsulation of these aggregates.

High light bio-fortification stimulatesde novosynthesis ofresveratrol inDiplotaxis tenuifolia(wild rocket micro-greens

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bianke Loedolff

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Background: Brassica vegetables and leafy greens are consumed globally due to their health promoting phytochemicals. Diplotaxis tenuifolia (wild rocket or arugula is a popular Brassica leafy green, with a diverse range of phytochemicals (in mature plants. Immature plants (micro-greens, 2-4 true leaves accumulate phytochemicals up to 10 times more than plants grown to maturity. Although plants accumulate phytochemicals ubiquitously, environmental stimuli can further enhance this phenomenon of accumulation, which is part of a global stress mechanism in plants. In this study, we describe a simple method toward the bio-fortification of a wild rocket micro-green system, via environmental manipulation (using high light. Objective: To establish a high light-induced bio-fortification strategy to augment the accumulation of bio-active compounds in Brassica micro-greens (wild rocket, with the purpose of developing a ‘designer’ micro-green melange (functional food product containing a diverse range of bio-active (disease preventative compounds. Results: High light stimulated wild rocket micro-greens to achieve a significant increase of known phytochemicals (documented in relevant Brassica leafy greens. Furthermore, undocumented phytochemicals (resveratrol, catechin, epicatechin, and kaempferol, among others also accumulated to adequate concentrations. Plant extracts from bio-fortified micro-greens displayed increased anti-oxidant capacity (up to 3-fold, when compared to control, a key component in future cancer cell research. Conclusion: The use of high light resulted in successful bio-fortification of wild rocket micro-greens, evidenced by the accumulation of previously undocumented polyphenols (such as resveratrol, catechin and epicatechin and improved anti-oxidant capacity.

Insects - a natural nutrient source for poultry - a review

OpenAIRE

Józefiak, D; Josefiak, A; Kieronczyk, B; Rawski, M; Swiatkiewicz, S; Dlugosz, Jakub; Engberg, Ricarda Greuel

2016-01-01

The consumption of poultry meat and eggs is expected to increase considerably in the nearest future, which creates the demand for new poultry feed ingredients in order to support sustainable intensive production. Moreover, the constant improvement of the genetic potential of poultry has resulted in an increased nutrient density in poultry feeds, which limits the possibility to include low quality feed ingredients. Therefore, the feed industry needs new sources of highly digestible protein wit...

High aspect ratio micro tool manufacturing for polymer replication using mu EDM of silicon, selective etching and electroforming

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tosello, Guido; Bissacco, Giuliano; Tang, Peter Torben

2008-01-01

Mass fabrication of polymer micro components with high aspect ratio micro-structures requires high performance micro tools allowing the use of low cost replication processes such as micro injection moulding. In this regard an innovative process chain, based on a combination of micro electrical di...... discharge machining (mu EDM) of a silicon substrate, electroforming and selective etching was used for the manufacturing of a micro tool. The micro tool was employed for polymer replication by means of the injection moulding process....

Effect of Carbohydrate Source and Cottonseed Meal Level in the Concentrate on Feed Intake, Nutrient Digestibility, Rumen Fermentation and Microbial Protein Synthesis in Swamp Buffaloes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Wanapat

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of carbohydrate source and cottonseed meal level in the concentrate on feed intake, nutrient digestibility, rumen fermentation and microbial protein synthesis in swamp buffaloes. Four, 4-yr old rumen fistulated swamp buffaloes were randomly assigned to receive four dietary treatments according to a 2×2 factorial arrangement in a 4×4 Latin square design. Factor A was carbohydrate source; cassava chip (CC and CC+rice bran at a ratio 3:1 (CR3:1, and factor B was level of cottonseed meal (CM; 109 g CP/kg (LCM and 328 g CP/kg (HCM in isonitrogenous diets (490 g CP/kg. Buffaloes received urea-treated rice straw ad libitum and supplemented with 5 g concentrate/kg BW. It was found that carbohydrate source did not affect feed intake, nutrient intake, digested nutrients, nutrient digestibility, ammonia nitrogen concentration, fungi and bacterial populations, or microbial protein synthesis (p>0.05. Ruminal pH at 6 h after feeding and the population of protozoa at 4 h after feeding were higher when buffalo were fed with CC than in the CR3:1 treatment (p0.05. Based on this experiment, concentrate with a low level of cottonseed meal could be fed with cassava chips as an energy source in swamp buffalo receiving rice straw.

Role of Translocted Signals in Regulating Root Development and Nutrient Uptake in Legumes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Atkins, C. A. [School of Plant Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA (Australia)

2013-11-15

Uptake of nutrients is achieved through the expression and activity of specific carrier/transporter mechanisms localized in the root system and distributed as a consequence of the development of the architecture of the system. Both root system development and the nutrient transport mechanisms are responsive to environmental factors that include nutrient supply and availability, water supply, salinity, soil acidity and compaction together with a wide range of biotic stresses. The response to each may be regulated at the molecular level by both local and systemic signals. These signals include the classical plant growth regulators but also low molecular weight compounds such as sugars and amino acids as well as macromolecules, including peptides, proteins and nucleic acids. Among the latter, recent research has shown that small RNA species and especially small interfering RNAs (siRNA) and microRNAs (miRNA) are potent and effective regulators of gene expression which, in the context of root development as well as nutrient uptake, have central and critical roles. Systemic (translocated) signals that specifically regulate root development and function are less well defined but analyses of phloem exudate in species of lupin (Lupinus albus and L. angustifolius) and species of Brassica and cucurbits have demonstrated that a wide range of macromolecules, including miRNAs, are present and potentially translocated from source organs (principally leaves) to sinks (shoot apical meristems, developing fruits and seeds, roots and nodules). While specific signaling roles for many of these macromolecules are yet to be discovered there are some that have been documented and their regulatory activity in organ development and functioning, as well as in nutrition, confirmed. The following article provides an up to date review and presents the results of recent research using lupin with emphasis on the analysis of small RNAs and their likely role(s) in regulation of root development and

Prediction of novel pre-microRNAs with high accuracy through boosting and SVM.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yuanwei; Yang, Yifan; Zhang, Huan; Jiang, Xiaohua; Xu, Bo; Xue, Yu; Cao, Yunxia; Zhai, Qian; Zhai, Yong; Xu, Mingqing; Cooke, Howard J; Shi, Qinghua

2011-05-15

High-throughput deep-sequencing technology has generated an unprecedented number of expressed short sequence reads, presenting not only an opportunity but also a challenge for prediction of novel microRNAs. To verify the existence of candidate microRNAs, we have to show that these short sequences can be processed from candidate pre-microRNAs. However, it is laborious and time consuming to verify these using existing experimental techniques. Therefore, here, we describe a new method, miRD, which is constructed using two feature selection strategies based on support vector machines (SVMs) and boosting method. It is a high-efficiency tool for novel pre-microRNA prediction with accuracy up to 94.0% among different species. miRD is implemented in PHP/PERL+MySQL+R and can be freely accessed at http://mcg.ustc.edu.cn/rpg/mird/mird.php.

Palmtop spectrophotometer for DNA and protein measurement in micro-nanoliter assays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qiu Tian; Huang Guoliang; Yang Xiaoyong; Ma Li; Yang Xu

2011-01-01

Spectrophotometer, an important tool in life science, medicine, and analytical fields, usually uses an optical path of 10 mm or more for absorbance measurement of UV light. This corresponds to a sample consumption of ≥ 50 μL in volume and a narrow measuring range of 0.5-50 ng/μL for nucleic acid samples and 0.05-2 mg/mL for protein samples. Higher concentrations must be diluted for measurement. In this paper, we developed an advanced palmtop spectrophotometer for the measurement of both DNA and protein concentrations in micro-nanoliter assays. We constructed a fiber transmission and a fiber reflection absorbance detection scheme illuminated by either UV-LED or deuterium lamp. The sensitivity of 0.5 ng/μL and a wide measuring range of 0.5-2000 ng/μL in concentrations were obtained for DNA, and the sensitivity of 0.05 mg/mL and a wide measuring range of 0.05-100 mg/mL were also obtained for protein. However, sample consumption is only 1 μL in volume for fiber transmission detection scheme and 500 nL for fiber reflection detection scheme. The linear correlation coefficient of measured concentrations to theoretical concentrations is greater than 0.99. With the profit of this work, a miniaturized spectrophotometer with better sensitivity and wider measuring range can be produced for analytical applications.

Nutrient discharge from China’s aquaculture industry and associated environmental impacts

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ying; Bleeker, Albert; Liu, Junguo

2015-04-01

China’s aquaculture industry accounts for the largest share of the world’s fishery production, and provides a principal source of protein for the nation’s booming population. However, the environmental effects of the nutrient loadings produced by this industry have not been systematically studied or reviewed. Few quantitative estimates exist for nutrient discharge from aquaculture and the resultant nutrient enrichment in waters and sediments. In this paper, we evaluate nutrient discharge from aquacultural systems into aquatic ecosystems and the resulting nutrient enrichment of water and sediments, based on data from 330 cases in 51 peer-reviewed publications. Nitrogen use efficiency ranged from 11.7% to 27.7%, whereas phosphorus use efficiency ranged from 8.7% to 21.2%. In 2010, aquacultural nutrient discharges into Chinese aquatic ecosystems included 1044 Gg total nitrogen (184 Gg N from mariculture; 860 Gg N freshwater culture) and 173 Gg total phosphorus (22 Gg P from mariculture; 151 Gg P from freshwater culture). Water bodies and sediments showed high levels of nutrient enrichment, especially in closed pond systems. However, this does not mean that open aquacultural systems have smaller nutrient losses. Improvement of feed efficiency in cage systems and retention of nutrients in closed systems will therefore be necessary. Strategies to increase nutrient recycling, such as integrated multi-trophic aquaculture, and social measures, such as subsidies, should be increased in the future. We recommend the recycling of nutrients in water and sediments by hybrid agricultural-aquacultural systems and the adoption of nutrient use efficiency as an indicator at farm or regional level for the sustainable development of aquaculture; such indicators; together with water quality indicators, can be used to guide evaluations of technological, policy, and economic approaches to improve the sustainability of Chinese aquaculture.

Integrative microRNA and proteomic approaches identify novel osteoarthritis genes and their collaborative metabolic and inflammatory networks.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dimitrios Iliopoulos

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis is a multifactorial disease characterized by destruction of the articular cartilage due to genetic, mechanical and environmental components affecting more than 100 million individuals all over the world. Despite the high prevalence of the disease, the absence of large-scale molecular studies limits our ability to understand the molecular pathobiology of osteoathritis and identify targets for drug development. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In this study we integrated genetic, bioinformatic and proteomic approaches in order to identify new genes and their collaborative networks involved in osteoarthritis pathogenesis. MicroRNA profiling of patient-derived osteoarthritic cartilage in comparison to normal cartilage, revealed a 16 microRNA osteoarthritis gene signature. Using reverse-phase protein arrays in the same tissues we detected 76 differentially expressed proteins between osteoarthritic and normal chondrocytes. Proteins such as SOX11, FGF23, KLF6, WWOX and GDF15 not implicated previously in the genesis of osteoarthritis were identified. Integration of microRNA and proteomic data with microRNA gene-target prediction algorithms, generated a potential "interactome" network consisting of 11 microRNAs and 58 proteins linked by 414 potential functional associations. Comparison of the molecular and clinical data, revealed specific microRNAs (miR-22, miR-103 and proteins (PPARA, BMP7, IL1B to be highly correlated with Body Mass Index (BMI. Experimental validation revealed that miR-22 regulated PPARA and BMP7 expression and its inhibition blocked inflammatory and catabolic changes in osteoarthritic chondrocytes. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings indicate that obesity and inflammation are related to osteoarthritis, a metabolic disease affected by microRNA deregulation. Gene network approaches provide new insights for elucidating the complexity of diseases such as osteoarthritis. The integration of microRNA, proteomic

Seasonality directs contrasting food collection behavior and nutrient regulation strategies in ants.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Steven C Cook

Full Text Available Long-lived animals, including social insects, often display seasonal shifts in foraging behavior. Foraging is ultimately a nutrient consumption exercise, but the effect of seasonality per se on changes in foraging behavior, particularly as it relates to nutrient regulation, is poorly understood. Here, we show that field-collected fire ant colonies, returned to the laboratory and maintained under identical photoperiod, temperature, and humidity regimes, and presented with experimental foods that had different protein (p to carbohydrate (c ratios, practice summer- and fall-specific foraging behaviors with respect to protein-carbohydrate regulation. Summer colonies increased the amount of food collected as the p:c ratio of their food became increasingly imbalanced, but fall colonies collected similar amounts of food regardless of the p:c ratio of their food. Choice experiments revealed that feeding was non-random, and that both fall and summer ants preferred carbohydrate-biased food. However, ants rarely ate all the food they collected, and their cached or discarded food always contained little carbohydrate relative to protein. From a nutrient regulation strategy, ants consumed most of the carbohydrate they collected, but regulated protein consumption to a similar level, regardless of season. We suggest that varied seasonal food collection behaviors and nutrient regulation strategies may be an adaptation that allows long-lived animals to meet current and future nutrient demands when nutrient-rich foods are abundant (e.g. spring and summer, and to conserve energy and be metabolically more efficient when nutritionally balanced foods are less abundant.

High resolution capacitance detection circuit for rotor micro-gyroscope

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ming-Yuan Ren

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Conventional methods for rotor position detection of micro-gyroscopes include common exciting electrodes (single frequency and common sensing electrodes (frequency multiplex, but they have encountered some problems. So we present a high resolution and low noise pick-off circuit for micro-gyroscopes which utilizes the time multiplex method. The detecting circuit adopts a continuous-time current sensing circuit for capacitance measurement, and its noise analysis of the charge amplifier is introduced. The equivalent output noise power spectral density of phase-sensitive demodulation is 120 nV/Hz1/2. Tests revealed that the whole circuitry has a relative capacitance resolution of 1 × 10−8.

microRNA-independent recruitment of Argonaute 1 to nanos mRNA through the Smaug RNA-binding protein.

Science.gov (United States)

Pinder, Benjamin D; Smibert, Craig A

2013-01-01

Argonaute (Ago) proteins are typically recruited to target messenger RNAs via an associated small RNA such as a microRNA (miRNA). Here, we describe a new mechanism of Ago recruitment through the Drosophila Smaug RNA-binding protein. We show that Smaug interacts with the Ago1 protein, and that Ago1 interacts with and is required for the translational repression of the Smaug target, nanos mRNA. The Ago1/nanos mRNA interaction does not require a miRNA, but it does require Smaug. Taken together, our data suggest a model whereby Smaug directly recruits Ago1 to nanos mRNA in a miRNA-independent manner, thereby repressing translation.

A multiscale method for modeling high-aspect-ratio micro/nano flows

Science.gov (United States)

Lockerby, Duncan; Borg, Matthew; Reese, Jason

2012-11-01

In this paper we present a new multiscale scheme for simulating micro/nano flows of high aspect ratio in the flow direction, e.g. within long ducts, tubes, or channels, of varying section. The scheme consists of applying a simple hydrodynamic description over the entire domain, and allocating micro sub-domains in very small ``slices'' of the channel. Every micro element is a molecular dynamics simulation (or other appropriate model, e.g., a direct simulation Monte Carlo method for micro-channel gas flows) over the local height of the channel/tube. The number of micro elements as well as their streamwise position is chosen to resolve the geometrical features of the macro channel. While there is no direct communication between individual micro elements, coupling occurs via an iterative imposition of mass and momentum-flux conservation on the macro scale. The greater the streamwise scale of the geometry, the more significant is the computational speed-up when compared to a full MD simulation. We test our new multiscale method on the case of a converging/diverging nanochannel conveying a simple Lennard-Jones liquid. We validate the results from our simulations by comparing them to a full MD simulation of the same test case. Supported by EPSRC Programme Grant, EP/I011927/1.

Nutrient imbalance in Norway spruce

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thelin, Gunnar

2000-11-01

The studies presented in my thesis indicate that growing Norway spruce in monoculture does not constitute sustainable forest management in a high N and S deposition environment, such as in southern Sweden. The combination of N-induced high growth rates and leaching due to soil acidification causes soil reserves of nutrients to decrease. This will increase the risk of nutrient imbalance within the trees when nutrient demands are not met. The development of nutrient imbalance in Scania, southern Sweden, was shown as negative trends in needle and soil nutrient status from the mid-80s to the present in Norway spruce and Scots pine stands. This imbalance appears to be connected to high levels of N and S deposition. Clear negative effects on tree vitality were found when using a new branch development method. Today, growth and vitality seems to be limited by K, rather than N, in spruce stands older than 40 years. However, younger stands appear to be able to absorb the deposited N without negative effects on growth and vitality. When investigating effects of nutrient stress on tree vitality, indicators such as branch length and shoot multiplication rate, which include effects accumulated over several years, are suitable. Countermeasures are needed in order to maintain the forest production at a high level. Positive effects on tree nutrient status after vitality fertilization (N-free fertilization) was shown in two micronutrient deficient stands in south-central Sweden. In addition, tree vitality was positively affected after the application of a site-adapted fertilizer to the canopy. Site-adaption of fertilizers will most likely improve the possibilities of a positive response on tree growth and vitality in declining stands. In a survey of Norway spruce in mixtures with beech, birch, or oak compared to monocultures it was shown that spruce nutrient status was higher in mixtures with deciduous species than in monocultures. By using mixed-species stands the need for

Nutrient imbalance in Norway spruce

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thelin, Gunnar

2000-11-01

The studies presented in my thesis indicate that growing Norway spruce in monoculture does not constitute sustainable forest management in a high N and S deposition environment, such as in southern Sweden. The combination of N-induced high growth rates and leaching due to soil acidification causes soil reserves of nutrients to decrease. This will increase the risk of nutrient imbalance within the trees when nutrient demands are not met. The development of nutrient imbalance in Scania, southern Sweden, was shown as negative trends in needle and soil nutrient status from the mid-80s to the present in Norway spruce and Scots pine stands. This imbalance appears to be connected to high levels of N and S deposition. Clear negative effects on tree vitality were found when using a new branch development method. Today, growth and vitality seems to be limited by K, rather than N, in spruce stands older than 40 years. However, younger stands appear to be able to absorb the deposited N without negative effects on growth and vitality. When investigating effects of nutrient stress on tree vitality, indicators such as branch length and shoot multiplication rate, which include effects accumulated over several years, are suitable. Countermeasures are needed in order to maintain the forest production at a high level. Positive effects on tree nutrient status after vitality fertilization (N-free fertilization) was shown in two micronutrient deficient stands in south-central Sweden. In addition, tree vitality was positively affected after the application of a site-adapted fertilizer to the canopy. Site-adaption of fertilizers will most likely improve the possibilities of a positive response on tree growth and vitality in declining stands. In a survey of Norway spruce in mixtures with beech, birch, or oak compared to monocultures it was shown that spruce nutrient status was higher in mixtures with deciduous species than in monocultures. By using mixed-species stands the need for

Laser beam micro-milling of micro-channels in aerospace alloys

CERN Document Server

Ahmed, Naveed; Al-Ahmari, Abdulrahman

2017-01-01

This volume is greatly helpful to micro-machining and laser engineers as it offers obliging guidelines about the micro-channel fabrications through Nd:YAG laser beam micro-milling. The book also demonstrates how the laser beam micro-milling behaves when operating under wet conditions (under water), and explores what are the pros and cons of this hybrid technique. From the predictive mathematical models, the readers can easily estimate the resulting micro-channel size against the desired laser parametric combinations. The book considers micro-channels in three highly important research materials commonly used in aerospace industry: titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V, nickel alloy Inconel 718 and aluminum alloy AA 2024. Therefore, the book is highly practicable in the fields of micro-channel heat exchangers, micro-channel aerospace turbine blades, micro-channel heat pipes, micro-coolers and micro-channel pulsating heat plates. These are frequently used in various industries such as aerospace, automotive, biomedical and m...

Non-Photolithographic Manufacturing Processes for Micro-Channels Functioned by Micro-Contact-Printed SAMs

Science.gov (United States)

Saigusa, Hiroki; Suga, Yasuo; Miki, Norihisa

In this paper we propose non-photolithographic fabrication processes of micro-fluid channels with patterned SAMs (Self-Assembled-Monolayers). SAMs with a thiol group are micro-contact printed on a patterned Au/Ti layer, which is vapor-deposited through a shadow mask. Ti is an adhesion layer. Subsequently, the micro-channels are formed by bonding surface-activated PDMS onto the silicon substrate via a silanol group, producing a SAMs-functioned bottom wall of the micro-channel. No photolithographic processes are necessary and thus, the proposed processes are very simple, quick and low cost. The micro-reactors can have various functions associated with the micro-contact-printed SAMs. We demonstrate successful manufacturing of micro-reactors with two types of SAMs. The micro-reactor with patterned AUT (11-amino-1-undecanethiol) successfully trapped nano-particles with a carboxylic acid group, indicating that micro-contact-printed SAMs remain active after the manufacturing processes of the micro-reactor. AUT -functioned micro-channels are applicable to bioassay and to immobilize proteins for DNA arrays. ODT (1-octadecanethiol) makes surfaces hydrophobic with the methyl terminal group. When water was introduced into the micro-reactor with ODT-patterned surfaces, water droplets remained only in the hydrophilic areas where ODT was not patterned. ODT -functioned micro-channels are applicable to fluid handling.

A high carbohydrate, but not fat or protein meal attenuates postprandial ghrelin, PYY and GLP-1 responses in Chinese men

OpenAIRE

Parvaresh Rizi, Ehsan; Loh, Tze Ping; Baig, Sonia; Chhay, Vanna; Huang, Shiqi; Caleb Quek, Jonathan; Tai, E. Shyong; Toh, Sue-Anne; Khoo, Chin Meng

2018-01-01

It is known that the macronutrient content of a meal has different impacts on the postprandial satiety and appetite hormonal responses. Whether obesity interacts with such nutrient-dependent responses is not well characterized. We examined the postprandial appetite and satiety hormonal responses after a high-protein (HP), high-carbohydrate (HC), or high-fat (HF) mixed meal. This was a randomized cross-over study of 9 lean insulin-sensitive (mean±SEM HOMA-IR 0.83±0.10) and 9 obese insulin-resi...

Highly sensitive uric acid biosensor based on individual zinc oxide micro/nanowires

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, Yanguang; Yan, Xiaoqin; Kang, Zhuo; Lin, Pei; Fang, Xiaofei; Lei, Yang; Ma, Siwei; Zhang, Yue

2013-01-01

We describe the use of individual zinc oxide (ZnO) micro/nanowires in an electrochemical biosensor for uric acid. The wires were synthesized by chemical vapor deposition and possess uniform morphology and high crystallinity as revealed by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and photoluminescence studies. The enzyme uricase was then immobilized on the surface of the ZnO micro/nanowires by physical adsorption, and this was proven by Raman spectroscopy and fluorescence microscopy. The resulting uric acid biosensor undergoes fast electron transfer between the active site of the enzyme and the surface of the electrode. It displays high sensitivity (89.74 μA cm −2 mM −1 ) and a wide linear analytical range (between 0.1 mM and 0.59 mM concentrations of uric acid). This study also demonstrates the potential of the use of individual ZnO micro/nanowires for the construction of highly sensitive nano-sized biosensors. (author)

Silica particles encapsulated poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) monolithic stationary phases for micro-high performance liquid chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Bakry, R; Stöggl, W M; Hochleitner, E O; Stecher, G; Huck, C W; Bonn, G K

2006-11-03

In the paper we demonstrate a new approach for the preparation and application of continuous silica bed columns that involve encapsulation (entrapment) of functionalized silica microparticles, which can be used as packing material in micro high performance liquid chromatography (micro-HPLC) and capillary electrochromatography (CEC). Like traditional packed columns, these capillaries possess characterized silica particles that offer high phase ratio and narrow pore size distribution leading to high retention and separation efficiency, respectively. More importantly, immobilization of the microparticles stabilizes the separation bed and eliminates the need for retaining frits. The developed capillary columns were fabricated in exactly the same way as a packed capillary column (slurry packing) but with an additional entrapment step. This immobilization of the packed bed was achieved by in situ polymerization of styrene and divinylbenzene in presence of decanol as a porogen and azobisisobutyronitrile as thermal initiator. Silica particles with different particle sizes and pore sizes ranging from 60 to 4000 A were studied. In addition different modified silica was used, including C-18 reversed phase, anion exchange and chiral stationary phases. Efficient separation of polyphenolic compounds, peptides, proteins and even DNA mutation were achieved using the developed technique depending on the properties of the silica particles used (particles pore size). For example, using 3 microm ProntoSIL C-18 particles with 300 A pore size, separation efficiencies in the range of 120,000-200,000 plates/m were obtained for protein separation, in a 6 cm x 200 microm i.d. capillary column. Using encapsulated silica C-18 with 1000 A pore size, separation of DNA homo and hetero duplexes were achieved under denaturing HPLC conditions for mutation detection. In addition, nucleotides were separated using anion exchange material encapsulated with poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) (PS/DVB), which

Dietary, Nutrient Patterns and Blood Essential Elements in Chinese Children with ADHD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fankun Zhou

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Dietary or nutrient patterns represent the combined effects of foods or nutrients, and elucidate efficaciously the impact of diet on diseases. Because the pharmacotherapy on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD was reported be associated with certain side effects, and the etiology of ADHD is multifactorial, this study investigated the association of dietary and nutrient patterns with the risk of ADHD. We conducted a case-control study with 592 Chinese children including ADHD (n = 296 and non-ADHD (n = 296 aged 6–14 years old, matched by age and sex. Dietary and nutrient patterns were identified using factor analysis and a food frequency questionnaire. Blood essential elements levels were measured using atomic absorption spectrometry. A fish-white meat dietary pattern rich in shellfish, deep water fish, white meat, freshwater fish, organ meat and fungi and algae was inversely associated with ADHD (p = 0.006. Further analysis found that a mineral-protein nutrient pattern rich in zinc, protein, phosphorus, selenium, calcium and riboflavin was inversely associated with ADHD (p = 0.014. Additionally, the blood zinc was also negatively related to ADHD (p = 0.003. In conclusion, the fish-white meat dietary pattern and mineral-protein nutrient pattern may have beneficial effects on ADHD in Chinese children, and blood zinc may be helpful in distinguishing ADHD in Chinese children.

Dietary, Nutrient Patterns and Blood Essential Elements in Chinese Children with ADHD.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Fankun; Wu, Fengyun; Zou, Shipu; Chen, Ying; Feng, Chang; Fan, Guangqin

2016-06-08

Dietary or nutrient patterns represent the combined effects of foods or nutrients, and elucidate efficaciously the impact of diet on diseases. Because the pharmacotherapy on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was reported be associated with certain side effects, and the etiology of ADHD is multifactorial, this study investigated the association of dietary and nutrient patterns with the risk of ADHD. We conducted a case-control study with 592 Chinese children including ADHD (n = 296) and non-ADHD (n = 296) aged 6-14 years old, matched by age and sex. Dietary and nutrient patterns were identified using factor analysis and a food frequency questionnaire. Blood essential elements levels were measured using atomic absorption spectrometry. A fish-white meat dietary pattern rich in shellfish, deep water fish, white meat, freshwater fish, organ meat and fungi and algae was inversely associated with ADHD (p = 0.006). Further analysis found that a mineral-protein nutrient pattern rich in zinc, protein, phosphorus, selenium, calcium and riboflavin was inversely associated with ADHD (p = 0.014). Additionally, the blood zinc was also negatively related to ADHD (p = 0.003). In conclusion, the fish-white meat dietary pattern and mineral-protein nutrient pattern may have beneficial effects on ADHD in Chinese children, and blood zinc may be helpful in distinguishing ADHD in Chinese children.

Nutritive value of browses as protein supplement(s) to poor quality roughages

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kaitho, R.J.

1997-01-01

In tropical and subtropical regions, pasture grasses and cereal residues are frequently low in nutrients especially protein and therefore cannot support high levels of ruminant production. Many browse species are endowed with high levels of protein and hence suitable as supplements. The

Nutrient timing revisited: is there a post-exercise anabolic window?

OpenAIRE

Aragon Alan Albert; Schoenfeld Brad Jon

2013-01-01

Abstract Nutrient timing is a popular nutritional strategy that involves the consumption of combinations of nutrients--primarily protein and carbohydrate--in and around an exercise session. Some have claimed that this approach can produce dramatic improvements in body composition. It has even been postulated that the timing of nutritional consumption may be more important than the absolute daily intake of nutrients. The post-exercise period is widely considered the most critical part of nutri...

Mycobacterium fortuitum and Mycobacterium chelonae biofilm formation under high and low nutrient conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Hall-Stoodley, L; Keevil, C W; Lappin-Scott, H M

1998-12-01

The rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM) are broadly disbursed in the environment. They have been recovered from freshwater, seawater, wastewater and even potable water samples and are increasingly associated with non-tuberculous mycobacterial disease. There is scant evidence that non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) and RGM form biofilms. Therefore, an experimental system was designed to assess the ability of RGM to form biofilms under controlled laboratory conditions. A flat plate reactor flow cell was attached to either a high or low nutrient reservoir and monitored by image analysis over time. Two surfaces were chosen for assessment of biofilm growth: silastic which is commonly used in medical settings and high density polyethylene (HDPE) which is prevalent in water distribution systems. The results show that Mycobacterium fortuitum and M. chelonae formed biofilms under both high and low nutrient conditions on both surfaces studied. These results suggest that RGM may form biofilms under a variety of conditions in industrial and medical environments. 1998 Society of Applied Microbiology.

In the other 90%: phytoplankton responses to enhanced nutrient availability in the Great Barrier Reef Lagoon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Furnas, Miles; Mitchell, Alan; Skuza, Michele; Brodie, Jon

2005-01-01

Our view of how water quality effects ecosystems of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is largely framed by observed or expected responses of large benthic organisms (corals, algae, seagrasses) to enhanced levels of dissolved nutrients, sediments and other pollutants in reef waters. In the case of nutrients, however, benthic organisms and communities are largely responding to materials which have cycled through and been transformed by pelagic communities dominated by micro-algae (phytoplankton), protozoa, flagellates and bacteria. Because GBR waters are characterised by high ambient light intensities and water temperatures, inputs of nutrients from both internal and external sources are rapidly taken up and converted to organic matter in inter-reefal waters. Phytoplankton growth, pelagic grazing and remineralisation rates are very rapid. Dominant phytoplankton species in GBR waters have in situ growth rates which range from ∼1 to several doublings per day. To a first approximation, phytoplankton communities and their constituent nutrient content turn over on a daily basis. Relative abundances of dissolved nutrient species strongly indicate N limitation of new biomass formation. Direct ( 15 N) and indirect ( 14 C) estimates of N demand by phytoplankton indicate dissolved inorganic N pools have turnover times on the order of hours to days. Turnover times for inorganic phosphorus in the water column range from hours to weeks. Because of the rapid assimilation of nutrients by plankton communities, biological responses in benthic communities to changed water quality are more likely driven (at several ecological levels) by organic matter derived from pelagic primary production than by dissolved nutrient stocks alone

Malting process optimization for protein digestibility enhancement in finger millet grain.

Science.gov (United States)

Hejazi, Sara Najdi; Orsat, Valérie

2016-04-01

Finger millet (Eleusine coracana) is a nutritious, gluten-free, and drought resistant cereal containing high amounts of protein, carbohydrate, and minerals. However, bio-availability of these nutrients is restricted due to the presence of an excessive level of anti-nutrient components, mainly phytic acid, tannin, and oxalate. It has been shown that a well-designed malting/germination process can significantly reduce these anti-nutrients and consequently enhance the nutrient availability. In the present study, the effects of two important germination factors, duration and temperature, on the enhancement of in-vitro protein digestibility of finger millet were thoroughly investigated and optimized. Based on a central composite design, the grains were germinated for 24, 36, and 48 h at 22, 26, and 30 °C. For all factor combinations, protein, peptide, phytic acid, tannin, and oxalate contents were evaluated and digestibility was assessed. It was shown that during the malting/germinating process, both temperature and duration factors significantly influenced the investigated quantities. Germination of finger millet for 48 h at 30 °C increased protein digestibility from 74 % (for native grain) up to 91 %. Besides, it notably decreased phytic acid, tannin, and oxalate contents by 45 %, 46 %, and 29 %, respectively. Linear correlations between protein digestibility and these anti-nutrients were observed.

Analytic analysis on asymmetrical micro arcing in high plasma potential RF plasma systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yin, Y; McKenzie, D R; Bilek, M M M

2006-01-01

We report experimental and analytical results on asymmetrical micro arcing in a RF (radio frequency) plasma. Micro arcing, resulting from high plasma potential, in RF plasma was found to occur only on the grounded electrode for a variety of electrode and surface configurations. The analytic derivation was based on a simple RF time-dependent Child-Langmuir sheath model and electric current continuity. We found that the minimum potential difference in one RF period across the grounded electrode sheath depends on the area ratio of the grounded electrode to the powered electrode. As the area ratio increases, the minimum potential difference across a sheath increases for the grounded electrode but not for the RF powered electrode. We showed that discharge time in micro arcing is more than 100 RF periods; thus the presence of a continuous high electric field in one RF cycle results in micro arcing on the grounded electrode. However, the minimum potential difference in one RF period across the powered electrode sheath is always small so that it prevents micro arcing occurring even though the average sheath voltage can be large. This simple analytic model is consistent with particle-in-cell simulation results

Trialling nutrient recommendations for slow lorises (Nycticebus spp.) based on wild feeding ecology.

Science.gov (United States)

Cabana, F; Dierenfeld, E; Wirdateti, W; Donati, G; Nekaris, K A I

2018-02-01

Slow loris (Nycticebus spp.) captive diets have been based on routine and anecdotes rather than scientific fact. The growing body of evidence contradicts the high fruit diet supported by such anecdotes. Non-human primate nutrient requirements are grouped into new (based on the common marmoset Callithrix jacchus) or old world (based on rhesus macaques Macaca mulatta) primates. Slow lorises are known to suffer from many health ailments in captivity such as dental disease, obesity, wasting and kidney issues all of which have been linked to diet. This study aimed to estimate nutrient intake from free-ranging slow lorises and to determine whether this intake can be used as nutrient recommendations. We collected data of nutrient intake, food passage rate and digestibility of captive slow lorises on three diet treatments 1: current captive type diet which is mostly fruits, 2: wild-type diet made only of food items from their natural diet, 3: new diet made to reflect wild slow loris nutrient intake. In order to validate our nutrient recommendations, diets 2 and 3 would have to be significantly different to Diet 1 in terms of nutrients, but not different from each other. Captive diets were significantly higher in soluble carbohydrates and lower in minerals and fibre fractions than both diets 2 and 3. Diets 2 and 3 led to a significantly increased food passage time and to more effective fibre and calcium digestion compared to Diet 1. We also observed obese individuals lost weight and underweight individuals gained weight. Our nutrient recommendations have been validated by our trials, and new or old world monkey nutrient recommendations are not consistent with our results. Diets should be high in protein and fibre and low in soluble carbohydrates and fats. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

JAZ repressors: Possible Involvement in Nutrients Deficiency Response in Rice and Chickpea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ajit P. Singh

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Jasmonates (JA are well-known phytohormones which play important roles in plant development and defence against pathogens. Jasmonate ZIM domain (JAZ proteins are plant-specific proteins and act as transcriptional repressors of JA-responsive genes. JA regulates both biotic and abiotic stress responses in plants; however, its role in nutrient deficiency responses is very elusive. Although, JA is well-known for root growth inhibition, little is known about behaviour of JAZ genes in response to nutrient deficiencies, under which root architectural alteration is an important adaptation. Using protein sequence homology and a conserved-domains approach, here we identify ten novel JAZ genes from the recently sequenced Chickpea genome, which is one of the most nutrient efficient crops. Both rice and chickpea JAZ genes express in tissue- and stimuli-specific manners. Many of which are preferentially expressed in root. Our analysis further showed differential expression of JAZ genes under macro (NPK and micronutrients (Zn, Fe deficiency in rice and chickpea roots. While both rice and chickpea JAZ genes showed a certain level of specificity towards type of nutrient deficiency, generally majority of them showed induction under K deficiency. Generally, JAZ genes showed an induction at early stages of stress and expression declined at later stages of macro-nutrient deficiency. Our results suggest that JAZ genes might play a role in early nutrient deficiency response both in monocot and dicot roots, and information generated here can be further used for understanding the possible roles of JA in root architectural alterations for nutrient deficiency adaptations

Combinatorial microRNA target predictions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krek, Azra; Grün, Dominic; Poy, Matthew N.

2005-01-01

MicroRNAs are small noncoding RNAs that recognize and bind to partially complementary sites in the 3' untranslated regions of target genes in animals and, by unknown mechanisms, regulate protein production of the target transcript1, 2, 3. Different combinations of microRNAs are expressed...... in different cell types and may coordinately regulate cell-specific target genes. Here, we present PicTar, a computational method for identifying common targets of microRNAs. Statistical tests using genome-wide alignments of eight vertebrate genomes, PicTar's ability to specifically recover published micro......RNA targets, and experimental validation of seven predicted targets suggest that PicTar has an excellent success rate in predicting targets for single microRNAs and for combinations of microRNAs. We find that vertebrate microRNAs target, on average, roughly 200 transcripts each. Furthermore, our results...

Metal additive manufacturing of a high-pressure micro-pump

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wits, Wessel Willems; Weitkamp, Sander J.; van Es, J.; van Es, Johannes

2013-01-01

For the thermal control of future space applications pumped two-phase loops are an essential part to handle the increasing thermal power densities. This study investigates the design of a reliable, leak tight, low-weight and high-pressure micro-pump for small satellite applications. The developed

Nutrient Content And Acceptability Of Snakehead-Fish (Ophiocephalus Striatus) And Pumpkin (Cucurbita Moschata) Based Complementary Foods

Science.gov (United States)

Ratna Noer, Etika; Candra, Aryu; Panunggal, Binar

2017-02-01

Poor nutrient-dense complementary foods is one of the common factors contributed for decline growth pattern in children. Snakehead-fish and Pumpkin Complementary Feeding (SPCF) base on locally food can help to reduce child malnutrition. Specifically, high protein and vitamin A in SPCF may improve immunity and nutrition status of malnutrition children. This study aimed to formulate low-cost, nutritive value and acceptable of SPCF on malnutrition children in coastal area. Carbohydrate content was determined by difference, protein by Kjeldahl, betacaroten by spectofotometri and sensory evaluation using a five point hedonic scale. Fe and zinc was determined by AAS. There is an effect of the substitution of snake-head fish flour and yellow pumpkin flour toward the nutrient content and the acceptability

Interaction of micro and macro elements with manure on barley feed ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ajl yemi

2011-11-28

Nov 28, 2011 ... on barley feed yield and soil nutrient content in Sistan region ... In order to study the effect of interaction of 'micro' and 'macro' ... different proportions of manure and chemical fertilizer treatment were: 100% manure (F1), 100%.

Effects of ultraviolet radiation and nutrients on the structure-function of phytoplankton in a high mountain lake.

Science.gov (United States)

Korbee, Nathalie; Carrillo, Presentación; Mata, M Teresa; Rosillo, Silvia; Medina-Sánchez, Juan Manuel; Figueroa, Félix L

2012-06-01

The combined effect of high solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and nutrient supply in a phytoplankton community of a high mountain lake is analyzed in a in situ experiment for 6 days with 2 × 2 factorial design. Interactive UVR × nutrient effects on structural and functional variables (algal biomass, chlorophyll a (chl a), primary production (PP), maximal electron transport rate (ETR(max)), and alkaline phosphatase activity (APA)), as well as stoichiometric ones (sestonic N per cell and N:P ratio) were found. Under non-nutrient enriched conditions, no deleterious effects of UVR on structural variables, PP, photosynthetic efficiency and ETR(max) were observed, whereas only particulate and total APA were affected by UVR. However, percentage excreted organic carbon (%EOC), dissolved APA and sestonic C and P per cell increased under UVR, leading to a decrease in algal C:P and N:P ratios. After nutrient enrichment, chl a, total algal biomass and PP were negatively affected by UVR whereas %EOC, ETR(max) and internal C, P and N content increased. We suggest that the mechanism of algal acclimation to UVR in this high UVR flux ecosystem seems to be related to the increase of internal algal P-content mediated by physiological mechanisms to save P and by a stimulatory UVR effect on dissolved extracellular APA. The mechanism involved in the unmasking effect of UVR after nutrient-enrichment may be the result of a greater sensitivity to UVR-induced cell damage, making the negative UVR effects more evident.

Comparative analysis of phytochemicals and nutrient availability in two contrasting cultivars of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Shekhar, Shubhendu; Mishra, Divya; Buragohain, Alak Kumar; Chakraborty, Subhra; Chakraborty, Niranjan

2015-04-15

Sweet potato ranks as the world's seventh most important food crop, and has major contribution to energy and phytochemical source of nutrition. To unravel the molecular basis for differential nutrient availability, and to exploit the natural genetic variation(s) of sweet potato, a series of physiochemical and proteomics experiment was conducted using two contrasting cultivars, an orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) and a white-fleshed sweet potato (WFSP). Phytochemical screening revealed high percentage of carbohydrate, reducing sugar and phenolics in WFSP, whereas OFSP showed increased levels of total protein, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and carotenoids. The rate of starch and cellulose degradation was found to be less in OFSP during storage, indicating tight regulation of gene(s) responsible for starch-degradation. Comparative proteomics displayed a cultivar-dependent expression of proteins along with evolutionarily conserved proteins. These results suggest that cultivar-specific expression of proteins and/or their interacting partners might play a crucial role for nutrient acquisition in sweet potato. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of Dissolved Organic Nutrients in the Interstitial Water of Natural Biofilms.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsuchiya, Yuki; Eda, Shima; Kiriyama, Chiho; Asada, Tomoya; Morisaki, Hisao

2016-07-01

In biofilms, the matrix of extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) retains water in the interstitial region of the EPS. This interstitial water is the ambient environment for microorganisms in the biofilms. The nutrient condition in the interstitial water may affect microbial activity in the biofilms. In the present study, we measured the concentrations of dissolved organic nutrients, i.e., saccharides and proteins, contained in the interstitial water of biofilms formed on the stones. We also analyzed the molecular weight distribution, chemical species, and availability to bacteria of some saccharides in the interstitial water. Colorimetric assays showed that the concentrations of saccharides and proteins in the biofilm interstitial water were significantly higher (ca. 750 times) than those in the surrounding lake waters (p Chromatographic analyses demonstrated that the saccharides in the interstitial waters were mainly of low molecular-weight saccharides such as glucose and maltose, while proteins in the interstitial water were high molecular-weight proteins (over 7000 Da). Bacterial growth and production of EPS occurred simultaneously with the decrease in the low molecular-weight saccharide concentrations when a small portion of biofilm suspension was inoculated to the collected interstitial water, suggesting that the dissolved saccharides in the interstitial water support bacterial growth and formation of biofilms.

Characteristics of micro-propagated banana (Musa spp.) cultures ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Administrator

2011-05-23

May 23, 2011 ... was conducted to assess the effect of NaCl and PEG separately as well as in combination on plant micro- propagation efficiency of banana (Musa spp.) cv., Basrai. In this experiment, 4-weeks old plantlets of the 3rd sub- culture with well propagation on MS2b nutrient were sub- cultured on three differentially ...

The role of incoherent microRNA-mediated feedforward loops in noise buffering.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matteo Osella

2011-03-01

Full Text Available MicroRNAs are endogenous non-coding RNAs which negatively regulate the expression of protein-coding genes in plants and animals. They are known to play an important role in several biological processes and, together with transcription factors, form a complex and highly interconnected regulatory network. Looking at the structure of this network, it is possible to recognize a few overrepresented motifs which are expected to perform important elementary regulatory functions. Among them, a special role is played by the microRNA-mediated feedforward loop in which a master transcription factor regulates a microRNA and, together with it, a set of target genes. In this paper we show analytically and through simulations that the incoherent version of this motif can couple the fine-tuning of a target protein level with an efficient noise control, thus conferring precision and stability to the overall gene expression program, especially in the presence of fluctuations in upstream regulators. Among the other results, a nontrivial prediction of our model is that the optimal attenuation of fluctuations coincides with a modest repression of the target expression. This feature is coherent with the expected fine-tuning function and in agreement with experimental observations of the actual impact of a wide class of microRNAs on the protein output of their targets. Finally, we describe the impact on noise-buffering efficiency of the cross-talk between microRNA targets that can naturally arise if the microRNA-mediated circuit is not considered as isolated, but embedded in a larger network of regulations.

Growth and accumulation of carotenoids and nitrogen compounds in Gracilaria domingensis (Kütz. Sonder ex Dickie (Gracilariales, Rhodophyta cultured under different irradiance and nutrient levels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernanda Ramlov

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Effects of the interaction of irradiance and nutrient levels on growth and contents of photosynthetic pigments, carotenoids and proteins in Gracilaria domingensis (Kütz. Sonder ex Dickie (Gracilariales, Rhodophyta were investigated experimentally. Nutrient availability provided by dilutions of the nutrient solution of von Stosch (25 and 50%, which corresponded to nitrate concentrations of 125 and 250 μmol, respectively and two photon flux densities [low PFD (50±5 and high PFD (100±5 μmol photons.m-2.s-1] were tested. Growth rates of G. domingensis were stimulated by high PFD. The interaction between high nutrient availability (50% VSES and high PFD stimulated the accumulation of total soluble protein. Phycobiliprotein concentrations (phycoerythrin, phycocyanin, and allophycocyanin and carotenoid contents were influenced by irradiance levels. Phycobiliprotein concentrations were higher at low PFD and high irradiances stimulated carotenoid accumulation. These results reflect the function of these pigments in photoprotection and the acclimation of G. domingensis to changes in irradiance levels. Our results indicate that light is a limiting factor for G. domingensis growth, that variations in phycobiliprotein contents under different irradiance levels are related to photoacclimation process, and that higher carotenoid contents at high irradiances are due to a photoprotection mechanism.

Growth and accumulation of carotenoids and nitrogen compounds in Gracilaria domingensis (Kütz. Sonder ex Dickie (Gracilariales, Rhodophyta cultured under different irradiance and nutrient levels

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernanda Ramlov

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Effects of the interaction of irradiance and nutrient levels on growth and contents of photosynthetic pigments, carotenoids and proteins in Gracilaria domingensis (Kütz. Sonder ex Dickie (Gracilariales, Rhodophyta were investigated experimentally. Nutrient availability provided by dilutions of the nutrient solution of von Stosch (25 and 50%, which corresponded to nitrate concentrations of 125 and 250 μmol, respectively and two photon flux densities [low PFD (50±5 and high PFD (100±5 μmol photons.m-2.s-1] were tested. Growth rates of G. domingensis were stimulated by high PFD. The interaction between high nutrient availability (50% VSES and high PFD stimulated the accumulation of total soluble protein. Phycobiliprotein concentrations (phycoerythrin, phycocyanin, and allophycocyanin and carotenoid contents were influenced by irradiance levels. Phycobiliprotein concentrations were higher at low PFD and high irradiances stimulated carotenoid accumulation. These results reflect the function of these pigments in photoprotection and the acclimation of G. domingensis to changes in irradiance levels. Our results indicate that light is a limiting factor for G. domingensis growth, that variations in phycobiliprotein contents under different irradiance levels are related to photoacclimation process, and that higher carotenoid contents at high irradiances are due to a photoprotection mechanism.

Reduction of ring artefacts in high resolution micro-CT reconstructions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sijbers, Jan; Postnov, Andrei

2004-01-01

High resolution micro-CT images are often corrupted by ring artefacts, prohibiting quantitative analysis and hampering post processing. Removing or at least significantly reducing such artefacts is indispensable. However, since micro-CT systems are pushed to the extremes in the quest for the ultimate spatial resolution, ring artefacts can hardly be avoided. Moreover, as opposed to clinical CT systems, conventional correction schemes such as flat-field correction do not lead to satisfactory results. Therefore, in this note a simple but efficient and fast post processing method is proposed that effectively reduces ring artefacts in reconstructed μ-CT images. (note)

A micro-structured Si-based electrodes for high capacity electrical double layer capacitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krikscikas, Valdas; Oguchi, Hiroyuki; Hara, Motoaki; Kuwano, Hiroki; Yanazawa, Hiroshi

2014-01-01

We challenged to make basis for Si electrodes of electric double layer capacitors (EDLC) used as a power source of micro-sensor nodes. Mcroelectromechanical systems (MEMS) processes were successfully introduced to fabricate micro-structured Si-based electrodes to obtain high surface area which leads to high capacity of EDLCs. Study of fundamental properties revealed that the microstructured electrodes benefit from good wettability to electrolytes, but suffer from electric resistance. We found that this problem can be solved by metal-coating of the electrode surface. Finally we build an EDLC consisting of Au-coated micro-structured Si electrodes. This EDLC showed capacity of 14.3 mF/cm 2 , which is about 530 times larger than that of an EDLC consisting of flat Au electrodes

Micro-coil NMR to monitor optimization of the reconstitution conditions for the integral membrane protein OmpW in detergent micelles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stanczak, Pawel; Zhang Qinghai; Horst, Reto; Serrano, Pedro; Wüthrich, Kurt

2012-01-01

Optimization of aqueous solutions of the integral membrane protein (IMP) OmpW for NMR structure determination has been monitored with micro-coil NMR, which enables the acquisition of NMR spectra using only micrograms of protein and detergent. The detergent 30-Fos (2-undecylphosphocholine) was found to yield the best 2D [ 15 N, 1 H]-TROSY correlation NMR spectra of [ 2 H, 15 N]-labeled OmpW. For the OmpW structure determination we then optimized the 30-Fos concentration, the sample temperature and long-time stability, and the deuteration level of the protein. Some emerging guidelines for reconstitution of β-barrel integral membrane proteins in structural biology are discussed.

High-Efficiency Food Production in a Renewable Energy Based Micro-Grid Power System

Science.gov (United States)

Bubenheim, David; Meiners, Dennis

2016-01-01

Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) systems can be used to produce high-quality, desirable food year round, and the fresh produce can positively contribute to the health and well being of residents in communities with difficult supply logistics. While CEA has many positive outcomes for a remote community, the associated high electric demands have prohibited widespread implementation in what is typically already a fully subscribed power generation and distribution system. Recent advances in CEA technologies as well as renewable power generation, storage, and micro-grid management are increasing system efficiency and expanding the possibilities for enhancing community supporting infrastructure without increasing demands for outside supplied fuels. We will present examples of how new lighting, nutrient delivery, and energy management and control systems can enable significant increases in food production efficiency while maintaining high yields in CEA. Examples from Alaskan communities where initial incorporation of renewable power generation, energy storage and grid management techniques have already reduced diesel fuel consumption for electric generation by more than 40% and expanded grid capacity will be presented. We will discuss how renewable power generation, efficient grid management to extract maximum community service per kW, and novel energy storage approaches can expand the food production, water supply, waste treatment, sanitation and other community support services without traditional increases of consumable fuels supplied from outside the community. These capabilities offer communities with a range of choices to enhance their communities. The examples represent a synergy of technology advancement efforts to develop sustainable community support systems for future space-based human habitats and practical implementation of infrastructure components to increase efficiency and enhance health and well being in remote communities today and tomorrow.

Interdependence of nutrient metabolism and the circadian clock system: Importance for metabolic health

Science.gov (United States)

Ribas-Latre, Aleix; Eckel-Mahan, Kristin

2016-01-01

Background While additional research is needed, a number of large epidemiological studies show an association between circadian disruption and metabolic disorders. Specifically, obesity, insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease, and other signs of metabolic syndrome all have been linked to circadian disruption in humans. Studies in other species support this association and generally reveal that feeding that is not in phase with the external light/dark cycle, as often occurs with night or rotating shift workers, is disadvantageous in terms of energy balance. As food is a strong driver of circadian rhythms in the periphery, understanding how nutrient metabolism drives clocks across the body is important for dissecting out why circadian misalignment may produce such metabolic effects. A number of circadian clock proteins as well as their accessory proteins (such as nuclear receptors) are highly sensitive to nutrient metabolism. Macronutrients and micronutrients can function as zeitgebers for the clock in a tissue-specific way and can thus impair synchrony between clocks across the body, or potentially restore synchrony in the case of circadian misalignment. Circadian nuclear receptors are particularly sensitive to nutrient metabolism and can alter tissue-specific rhythms in response to changes in the diet. Finally, SNPs in human clock genes appear to be correlated with diet-specific responses and along with chronotype eventually may provide valuable information from a clinical perspective on how to use diet and nutrition to treat metabolic disorders. Scope of review This article presents a background of the circadian clock components and their interrelated metabolic and transcriptional feedback loops, followed by a review of some recent studies in humans and rodents that address the effects of nutrient metabolism on the circadian clock and vice versa. We focus on studies in which results suggest that nutrients provide an opportunity to restore or, alternatively

Nutrient patterns and risk of cataract: a case-control study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fatemeh Sedaghat

2017-04-01

Full Text Available AIM: To assess the relation between nutrient patterns and cataract risk. METHODS: This is a hospital-based case-control study with 97 cataract patients and 198 matched controls. Dietary consumption was collected through a valid food frequency questionnaire (FFQ. Nutrient patterns were detected by applying factor analysis. Unconditional logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratio (ORs and 95%CIs. RESULTS: We extracted 5 main nutrient patterns. Factor 1 included niacin, thiamin, carbohydrates, protein, zinc, vitamin B6 and sodium (sodium pattern. Factor 2 was characterized by oleic acid, monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, linoleic acid, trans fatty acid, linolenic acid, vitamin E and saturated fats (fatty acid pattern. The third factor represented high intake of vitamin B12, vitamin D, cholesterol and calcium (mixed pattern. The 4th pattern was high in intake of beta and alpha carotene, vitamin A and vitamin C (antioxidant pattern. Finally, the 5th pattern loaded heavily on docosahexaenoic acid (DHA and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA (omega-3 pattern. In crude and multivariate analysis, the sodium pattern was associated with increased risk of cataract (OR=1.97, 95%CI: 1.09-3.96. The fatty acid pattern elevated the risk of cataract (OR=1.94, 95%CI: 1.1-3.86. Antioxidant pattern was associated with a significant 79% reduced risk (2nd category compared with the 1st. Omega-3 pattern was significantly negatively associated with risk of cataract (P=0.04. CONCLUSION: These findings imply that nutrient patterns reflecting a combined consumption of nutrients might be important in the etiology of cataract. Additional studies with more efficient designs are warranted to confirm our findings.

Application of nano- and micro-sized particles of cattle manure on soybean growth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hesam Aryanpour

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Background: Cattle manure (CM is the most common organic fertilizer used by farmers. However, its usually slow decomposition leads to the use of chemical fertilizers. Therefore, experiments on nano- and micro-sized particles of CM were conducted to evaluate the possibility of accelerating its decomposition in soil. Methods: The effects of a sole application of CM in different sizes (nano-, micro-, and natural-sized particles in two ranges (5 and 20 Mg ha-1 and the combined application of CM and chemical fertilizers on the plant growth characteristics of soybean (cv. JS 335 were studied at Gorgan University. Nano- and micro-sized particles of CM were produced using a ball mill, and their half-life in soil was measured. Soil properties were measured before planting. Grain yield, 1000 grain weight, number of pods per plant, biological yield, plant height, and nutrient contents in plant shoot material were measured. Results: The results showed that the use of nano-sized particles of CM (nCM caused a significant increase in yield and yield components. Increasing the amount of crushing resulted in an increased rate of CM mineralization and in proper nitration before the formation of nodes in the roots. A significantly higher yield was obtained with nCM than with chemical fertilizer, and due to the nCM particles’ half-life in soil, the plants were allowed to absorb nutrients for a longer time period. Conclusion: The nCM has two major advantages over chemical fertilizers in that it does not release nutrients as quickly as chemical fertilizers and the loss of nutrients from soil is low.

Insects - a natural nutrient source for poultry - a review

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Józefiak, D; Josefiak, A; Kieronczyk, B

2016-01-01

, such as fishmeal. With estimated 1.5 to 3 million species, the class of insects harbours the largest species variety in the world including species providing a high protein and sulphur amino acids content, which can be successfully exploited as feed for poultry. The aim of this paper is to review the present state...... of knowledge concerning the use of insect protein in poultry nutrition and the possibilities of mass production of insects for the feed industry. There is no doubt that insects have an enormous potential as a source of nutrients (protein) and active substances (polyunsaturated fatty acids, antimicrobial...... peptides) for poultry. It can be concluded, based on many experimental results, that meals from insects being members of the orders Diptera (black soldier fly, housefly), Coleoptera (mealworms) and Orthoptera (grasshoppers, locust, crickets and katylids), may be successfully used as feed material...

Water Relations, Gas Exchange, and Nutrient Response to a Long Term Constant Water Deficit

Science.gov (United States)

Berry, Wade L.; Goldstein, Guillermo; Dreschel, Thomas W.; Wheeler, Raymond M.; Sager, John C.; Knott, William M.

1992-01-01

Wheat plants (Triticum aestivum) were grown for 43 days in a micro-porous tube nutrient delivery system. Roots were unable to penetrate the microporous tube, but grew on the surface and maintained capillary contact with the nutrient solution on the inside of the tube through the 5-micron pores of the porous tube. Water potential in the system was controlled at -0.4, -0.8, and -3.0 kPa by adjusting the applied pressure (hydrostatic head) to the nutrient solution flowing through the microporous tubes. A relatively small decrease in applied water potential from -0.4 to -3.0 kPa resulted in a 34% reduction of shoot growth but only a moderate reduction in the midday leaf water potential from -1.3 to -1.7 MPa. Carbon dioxide assimilation decreased and water use efficiency increased with the more negative applied water potentials, while intercellular CO2 concentration remained constant. This was associated with a decrease in stomatal conductance to water vapor from 1.90 to 0.98 mol/(sq m sec) and a decrease in total apparent hydraulic conductance from 47 to 12 (micro)mol/(sec MPa). Although the applied water potentials were in the -0.4 to -3.0 kPa range, the actual water potential perceived by the plant roots appeared to be in the range of -0.26 to -0.38 MPa as estimated by the leaf water potential of bagged plants. The amount of K, Ca, Mg, Zn, Cu, and B accumulated with each unit of transpired water increased as the applied water potential became less negative. The increase in accumulation ranged from 1.4-fold for K to 2.2-fold for B. The physiological responses observed in this study in response to small constant differences in applied water potentials were much greater than expected from either the applied water potential or the observed plant water potential. Even though the micro-porous tube may not represent natural conditions and could possibly introduce morphological and physiological artifacts, it enables a high degree of control of water potential that

Pleistocene atmospheric CO2 change linked to Southern Ocean nutrient utilization

Science.gov (United States)

Ziegler, M.; Diz, P.; Hall, I. R.; Zahn, R.

2011-12-01

Biological uptake of CO2 by the ocean and its subsequent storage in the abyss is intimately linked with the global carbon cycle and constitutes a significant climatic force1. The Southern Ocean is a particularly important region because its wind-driven upwelling regime brings CO2 laden abyssal waters to the surface that exchange CO2 with the atmosphere. The Subantarctic Zone (SAZ) is a CO2 sink and also drives global primary productivity as unutilized nutrients, advected with surface waters from the south, are exported via Subantarctic Mode Water (SAMW) as preformed nutrients to the low latitudes where they fuel the biological pump in upwelling areas. Recent model estimates suggest that up to 40 ppm of the total 100 ppm atmospheric pCO2 reduction during the last ice age were driven by increased nutrient utilization in the SAZ and associated feedbacks on the deep ocean alkalinity. Micro-nutrient fertilization by iron (Fe), contained in the airborne dust flux to the SAZ, is considered to be the prime factor that stimulated this elevated photosynthetic activity thus enhancing nutrient utilization. We present a millennial-scale record of the vertical stable carbon isotope gradient between subsurface and deep water (Δδ13C) in the SAZ spanning the past 350,000 years. The Δδ13C gradient, derived from planktonic and benthic foraminifera, reflects the efficiency of biological pump and is highly correlated (rxy = -0.67 with 95% confidence interval [0.63; 0.71], n=874) with the record of dust flux preserved in Antarctic ice cores6. This strongly suggests that nutrient utilization in the SAZ was dynamically coupled to dust-induced Fe fertilization across both glacial-interglacial and faster millennial timescales. In concert with ventilation changes of the deep Southern Ocean this drove ocean-atmosphere CO2 exchange and, ultimately, atmospheric pCO2 variability during the late Pleistocene.

Food sources of energy and nutrients in Finnish girls and boys 6–8 years of age – the PANIC study

Science.gov (United States)

Eloranta, Aino-Maija; Venäläinen, Taisa; Soininen, Sonja; Jalkanen, Henna; Kiiskinen, Sanna; Schwab, Ursula; Lakka, Timo A.; Lindi, Virpi

2016-01-01

Background Data on food sources of nutrients are needed to improve strategies to enhance nutrient intake among girls and boys in Western countries. Objective To identify major food sources of energy, energy nutrients, dietary fibre, and micronutrients, and to study gender differences in these food sources among children. Design We assessed food consumption and nutrient intake using 4-day food records in a population sample of Finnish girls (n=213) and boys (n=217) aged 6–8 years from the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children Study. We calculated the percentual contribution of 55 food groups for energy and nutrient intake using the population proportion method. Results Low-fibre grain products, skimmed milk, and high-fibre bread provided almost 23% of total energy intake. Skimmed milk was the top source of protein (18% of total intake), vitamin D (32%), potassium (20%), calcium (39%), magnesium (17%), and zinc (16%). Vegetable oils (15%) and high-fat vegetable oil–based spreads (14%) were the top sources of polyunsaturated fat. High-fibre bread was the top source of fibre (27%) and iron (12%). Non-root vegetables were the top source of folate (14%) and vitamin C (22%). Sugar-sweetened beverages provided 21% of sucrose intake. Pork was a more important source of protein and sausage was a more important source of total fat and monounsaturated fat in boys than in girls. Vegetable oils provided a higher proportion of unsaturated fat and vitamin E among boys, whereas high-fat vegetable oil–based spreads provided a higher proportion of these nutrients among girls. Conclusion Commonly recommended foods, such as skimmed milk, high-fibre grain products, vegetables, vegetable oil, and vegetable oil–based spreads, were important sources of several nutrients, whereas sugar-sweetened beverages provided the majority of sucrose intake among children. This knowledge can be used in improving health among children by dietary interventions, nutrition education, and

Food sources of energy and nutrients in Finnish girls and boys 6–8 years of age – the PANIC study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aino-Maija Eloranta

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Data on food sources of nutrients are needed to improve strategies to enhance nutrient intake among girls and boys in Western countries. Objective: To identify major food sources of energy, energy nutrients, dietary fibre, and micronutrients, and to study gender differences in these food sources among children. Design: We assessed food consumption and nutrient intake using 4-day food records in a population sample of Finnish girls (n=213 and boys (n=217 aged 6–8 years from the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children Study. We calculated the percentual contribution of 55 food groups for energy and nutrient intake using the population proportion method. Results: Low-fibre grain products, skimmed milk, and high-fibre bread provided almost 23% of total energy intake. Skimmed milk was the top source of protein (18% of total intake, vitamin D (32%, potassium (20%, calcium (39%, magnesium (17%, and zinc (16%. Vegetable oils (15% and high-fat vegetable oil–based spreads (14% were the top sources of polyunsaturated fat. High-fibre bread was the top source of fibre (27% and iron (12%. Non-root vegetables were the top source of folate (14% and vitamin C (22%. Sugar-sweetened beverages provided 21% of sucrose intake. Pork was a more important source of protein and sausage was a more important source of total fat and monounsaturated fat in boys than in girls. Vegetable oils provided a higher proportion of unsaturated fat and vitamin E among boys, whereas high-fat vegetable oil–based spreads provided a higher proportion of these nutrients among girls. Conclusion: Commonly recommended foods, such as skimmed milk, high-fibre grain products, vegetables, vegetable oil, and vegetable oil–based spreads, were important sources of several nutrients, whereas sugar-sweetened beverages provided the majority of sucrose intake among children. This knowledge can be used in improving health among children by dietary interventions, nutrition education

Three-dimensional (3D) plasma micro-nanotextured slides for high performance biomolecule microarrays: Comparison with epoxy-silane coated glass slides.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsougeni, Katerina; Ellinas, Kosmas; Koukouvinos, George; Petrou, Panagiota S; Tserepi, Angeliki; Kakabakos, Sotirios E; Gogolides, Evangelos

2018-05-01

Glass slides coated with a poly(methyl methacrylate) layer and plasma micro-nanotextured to acquire 3D topography (referred as 3D micro-nanotextured slides) were evaluated as substrates for biomolecule microarrays. Their performance is compared with that of epoxy-coated glass slides. We found that the proposed three-dimensional (3D) slides offered significant improvements in terms of spot intensity, homogeneity, and reproducibility. In particular, they provided higher spot intensity, by a factor of at least 1.5, and significantly improved spot homogeneity when compared to the epoxy-silane coated ones (intra-spot and between spot coefficients of variation ranging between 5 and 15% for the 3D micro-nanotextured slides and between 25 and 85% for the epoxy-silane coated ones). The latter was to a great extent the result of a strong "coffee-ring" effect observed for the spots created on the epoxy-coated slides; a phenomenon that was severely reduced in the 3D micro-nanotextured slides. The 3D micro-nanotextured slides offered in addition higher signal to noise ratio values over a wide range of protein probe concentrations and shelf-life over one year without requirement for specific storage conditions. Finally, the protocols employed for protein probe immobilization were extremely simple. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Micro-machinable polymer-derived ceramic sensors for high-temperature applications

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jian; Xu, Chengying; An, Linan

2010-04-01

Micro-sensors are highly desired for on-line temperature/pressure monitoring in turbine engines to improve their efficiency and reduce pollution. The biggest challenge for developing this type of sensors is that the sensors have to sustain at extreme environments in turbine engine environments, such as high-temperatures (>800 °C), fluctuated pressure and oxidation/corrosion surroundings. In this paper, we describe a class of sensors made of polymer-derived ceramics (PDCs) for such applications. PDCs have the following advantages over conventional ceramics, making them particularly suitable for these applications: (i) micromachining capability, (ii) tunable electric properties, and (iii) hightemperature capability. Here, we will discuss the materials and their properties in terms of their applications for hightemperature micro-sensors, and microfabrication technologies. In addition, we will also discuss the design of a heat-flux sensor based on polymer-derived ceramics.

Balancing of protein and lipid intake by a mammalian carnivore, the mink, Mustela vison

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mayntz, David; Nielsen, Vivi Hunnicke; Sørensen, Allan

2009-01-01

Many herbivores and omnivores can balance their intake of macronutrients when faced with nutritionally variable environments. Carnivores, however, are widely believed to optimize their rates of prey capture and energy intake rather than balancing nutrients. We tested nutrient balancing in captive...... target) of the two macronutrients. When given only one food of fixed nutrient composition, mink balanced macronutrient intake relative to the intake target, without showing the excessive energy intake on diets with a low percentage of protein and energy deficit on diets with a high percentage of protein...... previously reported for herbivores and omnivores, including humans. This demonstration of nutrient balancing in a carnivorous mammal indicates that the capacity for nutrient balancing is a more general phenomenon across trophic levels than was hitherto believed to be the case...

Frequent Canned Food Use is Positively Associated with Nutrient-Dense Food Group Consumption and Higher Nutrient Intakes in US Children and Adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Comerford, Kevin B

2015-07-09

In addition to fresh foods, many canned foods also provide nutrient-dense dietary options, often at a lower price, with longer storage potential. The aim of this study was to compare nutrient-dense food group intake and nutrient intake between different levels of canned food consumption in the US. Consumption data were collected for this cross-sectional study from 9761 American canned food consumers (aged two years and older) from The NPD Group's National Eating Trends® (NET®) database during 2011-2013; and the data were assessed using The NPD Group's Nutrient Intake Database. Canned food consumers were placed into three groups: Frequent Can Users (≥6 canned items/week); n = 2584, Average Can Users (3-5 canned items/week); n = 4445, and Infrequent Can Users (≤2 canned items/week); n = 2732. The results provide evidence that Frequent Can Users consume more nutrient-dense food groups such as fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and protein-rich foods, and also have higher intakes of 17 essential nutrients including the shortfall nutrients-potassium, calcium and fiber-when compared to Infrequent Can Users. Therefore, in addition to fresh foods, diets higher in nutrient-dense canned food consumption can also offer dietary options which improve nutrient intakes and the overall diet quality of Americans.

Potensi “Khimelor” sebagai Tepung Komposit Tinggi Energi Tinggi Protein Berbasis Pangan Lokal (Health Potential of “Khimelor” as Composite Fluor Having Both High Energy and High Protein Level Based on Local Food

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laksmi Karunia Tanuwijaya

2016-07-01

The use of wheat flour as the basic ingredients of food products for high energy high protein diet is considerably high. Soybeans, mung beans, red leaf spinach and moringa leaf is local food sources of nutrients that are potential to be processed into a composite flour substituting wheat flour, which can be utilized for a variety of food products. The research was aimed to know the influence of proportion of soybeans, mung beans, red leaf spinach and moringa leaf (KhiMeLor on the quality of nutrition, protein and organoleptik quality of composite flour. This was experimental research with a complete random design. The treatment were several composition mixtures of wheat and composite flour, consisting of soybean, mung bean, red leaf spinach and moringa leaf P0 (100% : 0%; P1 (75% : 25%; P2 (50% : 50%; P3 (25% : 75%; P4 (0% : 100%. The content of carbohydrate, protein and fat was analyzed using proximate analysis. The quality of protein was examined from limiting amino acid and protein digestibility score. The sensory test was used to examine the costumer acceptance on sensory parameters. Statistical analysis used One Way Anova which  showed that substitution of  soy bean, mung bean,  moringaleaf and red spinach significantly (p=0,000 increases protein level. The limiting amino acid of P0,P1 and P2 was Lysine, but P3 and P4 was methionine. Protein digestibility of composite fluor was less than P0 (96%. The result of sensory evaluation showed that there was significant difference in aroma (p=0,000 and texture (p=0,029 which decreases as there is an increase of proportion composite flour. The conclusion was different proportion of soy bean, mung bean, moringa leaf and red spinach  influences the nutrition quality and sensory evaluation of composite flour. Keyword : composite flour, local food, KHiMelor

Micro injection moulding process validation for high precision manufacture of thermoplastic elastomer micro suspension rings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Calaon, M.; Tosello, G.; Elsborg Hansen, R.

Micro injection moulding (μIM) is one of the most suitable micro manufacturing processes for flexible mass-production of multi-material functional micro components. The technology was employed in this research used to produce thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) micro suspension rings identified...... main μIM process parameters (melt temperature, injection speed, packing pressure) using the Design of Experiment statistical technique. Measurements results demonstrated the importance of calibrating mould´s master geometries to ensure correct part production and effective quality conformance...... on the frequency in order to improve the signal quality and assure acoustic reproduction fidelity. Production quality of the TPE rings drastically influence the product functionality. In the present study, a procedure for μIM TPE micro rings production optimization has been established. The procedure entail using...

Ultra-high resolution protein crystallography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takeda, Kazuki; Hirano, Yu; Miki, Kunio

2010-01-01

Many protein structures have been determined by X-ray crystallography and deposited with the Protein Data Bank. However, these structures at usual resolution (1.5< d<3.0 A) are insufficient in their precision and quantity for elucidating the molecular mechanism of protein functions directly from structural information. Several studies at ultra-high resolution (d<0.8 A) have been performed with synchrotron radiation in the last decade. The highest resolution of the protein crystals was achieved at 0.54 A resolution for a small protein, crambin. In such high resolution crystals, almost all of hydrogen atoms of proteins and some hydrogen atoms of bound water molecules are experimentally observed. In addition, outer-shell electrons of proteins can be analyzed by the multipole refinement procedure. However, the influence of X-rays should be precisely estimated in order to derive meaningful information from the crystallographic results. In this review, we summarize refinement procedures, current status and perspectives for ultra high resolution protein crystallography. (author)

Cultivar and Harvest Month Influence the Nutrient Content of Opuntia spp. Cactus Pear Cladode Mucilage Extracts.

Science.gov (United States)

du Toit, Alba; de Wit, Maryna; Hugo, Arno

2018-04-16

Mucilage extracted from cactus pear cladodes is a hydrocolloid gum. It is a novel, natural, low-kilojoule, cost-effective texture-modifying ingredient in functional food products. Yet, the cultivar with the most optimal nutrient content and the preferred harvest times are as yet unknown. For this reason, mucilage from three Opuntia ficus-indica (Algerian, Morado and Gymno-Carpo) and one Opuntia robusta (Robusta) cultivar were investigated to determine their nutrient content over six months. Nutrients that contribute energy (10.2 kJ/g) were low. The mineral content was high (ash 17.7/100 g), particularly calcium (3.0 g/100 g) and phosphorous (109.5 mg/kg). Low insoluble acid-detergent fibre (1.4 g/kg) and neutral-detergent fibre (2.1 g/kg) values indicated that mucilage was mostly soluble fibre. Calcium oxalate crystals were not detected in dried mucilage. Opuntia robusta powders had higher protein, extractable fat and potassium content, while Opuntia ficus-indica mucilage powders had higher polyunsaturated (Linoleic and α-Linolenic acid) fat content. O. robusta Robusta mucilage, harvested after the fruit harvest (February) had the lowest energy content and the highest mineral and protein content. Mucilage powders were highly soluble, low-kilojoule and mineral-rich. This is a functional ingredient that is produced from an easily cultivated crop, as cactus pears grow in areas with poor soil, extremely high daytime temperatures and limited water supplies.

Properties of biochar derived from wood and high-nutrient biomasses with the aim of agronomic and environmental benefits.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rimena R Domingues

Full Text Available Biochar production and use are part of the modern agenda to recycle wastes, and to retain nutrients, pollutants, and heavy metals in the soil and to offset some greenhouse gas emissions. Biochars from wood (eucalyptus sawdust, pine bark, sugarcane bagasse, and substances rich in nutrients (coffee husk, chicken manure produced at 350, 450 and 750°C were characterized to identify agronomic and environmental benefits, which may enhance soil quality. Biochars derived from wood and sugarcane have greater potential for improving C storage in tropical soils due to a higher aromatic character, high C concentration, low H/C ratio, and FTIR spectra features as compared to nutrient-rich biochars. The high ash content associated with alkaline chemical species such as KHCO3 and CaCO3, verified by XRD analysis, made chicken manure and coffee husk biochars potential liming agents for remediating acidic soils. High Ca and K contents in chicken manure and coffee husk biomass can significantly replace conventional sources of K (mostly imported in Brazil and Ca, suggesting a high agronomic value for these biochars. High-ash biochars, such as chicken manure and coffee husk, produced at low-temperatures (350 and 450°C exhibited high CEC values, which can be considered as a potential applicable material to increase nutrient retention in soil. Therefore, the agronomic value of the biochars in this study is predominantly regulated by the nutrient richness of the biomass, but an increase in pyrolysis temperature to 750°C can strongly decrease the adsorptive capacities of chicken manure and coffee husk biochars. A diagram of the agronomic potential and environmental benefits is presented, along with some guidelines to relate biochar properties with potential agronomic and environmental uses. Based on biochar properties, research needs are identified and directions for future trials are delineated.

Micro/nano-computed tomography technology for quantitative dynamic, multi-scale imaging of morphogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Gregg, Chelsea L; Recknagel, Andrew K; Butcher, Jonathan T

2015-01-01

Tissue morphogenesis and embryonic development are dynamic events challenging to quantify, especially considering the intricate events that happen simultaneously in different locations and time. Micro- and more recently nano-computed tomography (micro/nanoCT) has been used for the past 15 years to characterize large 3D fields of tortuous geometries at high spatial resolution. We and others have advanced micro/nanoCT imaging strategies for quantifying tissue- and organ-level fate changes throughout morphogenesis. Exogenous soft tissue contrast media enables visualization of vascular lumens and tissues via extravasation. Furthermore, the emergence of antigen-specific tissue contrast enables direct quantitative visualization of protein and mRNA expression. Micro-CT X-ray doses appear to be non-embryotoxic, enabling longitudinal imaging studies in live embryos. In this chapter we present established soft tissue contrast protocols for obtaining high-quality micro/nanoCT images and the image processing techniques useful for quantifying anatomical and physiological information from the data sets.

Common Prairie feeds with different soluble and insoluble fractions used for CPM diet formulation in dairy cattle: impact of carbohydrate-protein matrix structure on protein and other primary nutrient digestion.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Quanhui; Wang, Zhisheng; Zhang, Xuewei; Yu, Peiqiang

2014-01-01

An experiment was conducted to investigate the relationship of carbohydrates molecular spectral characteristics to rumen degradability of primary nutrients in Prairie feeds in dairy cattle. In total, 12 different types of feeds were selected, each type of feed was from three different source with total 37 samples. Six types of them were energy-sourced feeds and the others were protein-sourced feeds. The carbohydrates molecular spectral intensity of various functional groups were collected using Fourier transform infrared attenuated total reflectance (ATR-FT/IR) spectroscopy. In the in situ study, the results showed that the rumen digestibility and digestible fractions of primary nutrients (DM, OM, NCP, and CP) were significantly different (P<0.05) among the feeds. The spectral bands features were significantly different (P<0.05) among the feeds. Spectral intensities of A_Cell, H_1415 and H_1370 were weakly positively correlated with in situ rumen digestibility and digestible fractions of DM, OM and NCP. Spectral intensities of H_1150, H_1015, A_1, and A_3 were weakly negatively associated with in situ rumen degradation of CP. Spectral intensities of A_1240 and H_1240, mainly associated with cellulosic compounds, were correlated with rumen CP degradation. The multiple regression analysis demonstrated that the spectral intensities of A_3 and H_1415 played the most important role and could be used as a potential tool to predict rumen protein degradation of feeds in dairy cattle. In conclusion, this study showed that the carbohydrates as a whole have an effect on protein rumen degradation, rather than cellulose alone, indicating carbohydrate-protein matrix structure impact protein utilization in dairy cattle. The non-invasive molecular spectral technique (ATR-FT/IR) could be used as a rapid potential tool to predict rumen protein degradation of feedstuffs by using molecular spectral bands intensities in carbohydrate fingerprint region. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B

Characteristic of Soil Nutrients Loss in Beiyunhe Reservoir Under the Simulated Rainfall

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LIU Cao

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Field nutrient loss from soil became the major factor of the water pollution control in countryside in China. Beiyunhe reservoir is located in semiarid zone, where field nutrient loss distributed in summer. To assess the flied nutrient loss in Beiyunhe reservoir, we conducted experiments to study the characteristic of soil nutrients loss by analysis of the content of runoff water, soil nutrients and runoff water sediment under simulated rainfall. The results showed that the runoff happened in the rainstorm. In runoff water, the content of TN was 4.7~11.3 mg·L-1, ammonia nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen accounted for 44.51% of TN; the content of P was 0.66~1.35 mg·L-1, water soluble phosphorus accounted for 54.08% of TP. And the main loss of nutrients was in the surface soil, the loss of TN, NH4+-N, NO3--N, TP and DP were 29.79%, 52.09%, 10.21%, 16.48% and 5.27%, respectively. However, the most of field nutrient loss were in runoff sediment, the content of TN and TP were 0.66~1.27 mg·g-1 and 14.73~20 mg·g-1 in sediment, and TN and TP account for 82.28% and 99.89% of total loss of nutrient. After the rainstorm, the macro-aggregates were reduced 8.8%, and the micro-aggregates increased 9.5%.

Modeling cooperating micro-organisms in antibiotic environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Book, Gilad; Ingham, Colin; Ariel, Gil

2017-01-01

Recent experiments with the bacteria Paenibacillus vortex reveal a remarkable strategy enabling it to cope with antibiotics by cooperating with a different bacterium-Escherichia coli. While P. vortex is a highly effective swarmer, it is sensitive to the antibiotic ampicillin. On the other hand, E. coli can degrade ampicillin but is non-motile when grown on high agar percentages. The two bacterial species form a shared colony in which E. coli is transported by P. vortex and E. coli detoxifies the ampicillin. The paper presents a simplified model, consisting of coupled reaction-diffusion equations, describing the development of ring patterns in the shared colony. Our results demonstrate some of the possible cooperative movement strategies bacteria utilize in order to survive harsh conditions. In addition, we explore the behavior of mixed colonies under new conditions such as antibiotic gradients, synchronization between colonies and possible dynamics of a 3-species system including P. vortex, E. coli and a carbon producing algae that provides nutrients under illuminated, nutrient poor conditions. The derived model was able to simulate an asymmetric relationship between two or three micro-organisms where cooperation is required for survival. Computationally, in order to avoid numerical artifacts due to symmetries within the discretizing grid, the model was solved using a second order Vectorizable Random Lattices method, which is developed as a finite volume scheme on a random grid.

Modeling cooperating micro-organisms in antibiotic environment.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gilad Book

Full Text Available Recent experiments with the bacteria Paenibacillus vortex reveal a remarkable strategy enabling it to cope with antibiotics by cooperating with a different bacterium-Escherichia coli. While P. vortex is a highly effective swarmer, it is sensitive to the antibiotic ampicillin. On the other hand, E. coli can degrade ampicillin but is non-motile when grown on high agar percentages. The two bacterial species form a shared colony in which E. coli is transported by P. vortex and E. coli detoxifies the ampicillin. The paper presents a simplified model, consisting of coupled reaction-diffusion equations, describing the development of ring patterns in the shared colony. Our results demonstrate some of the possible cooperative movement strategies bacteria utilize in order to survive harsh conditions. In addition, we explore the behavior of mixed colonies under new conditions such as antibiotic gradients, synchronization between colonies and possible dynamics of a 3-species system including P. vortex, E. coli and a carbon producing algae that provides nutrients under illuminated, nutrient poor conditions. The derived model was able to simulate an asymmetric relationship between two or three micro-organisms where cooperation is required for survival. Computationally, in order to avoid numerical artifacts due to symmetries within the discretizing grid, the model was solved using a second order Vectorizable Random Lattices method, which is developed as a finite volume scheme on a random grid.

Aircraft micro-doppler feature extraction from high range resolution profiles

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Berndt, RJ

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The use of high range resolution measurements and the micro-Doppler effect produced by rotating or vibrating parts of a target has been well documented. This paper presents a technique for extracting features related to helicopter rotors...

High-Frequency Fiber-Optic Ultrasonic Sensor Using Air Micro-Bubble for Imaging of Seismic Physical Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Gang, Tingting; Hu, Manli; Rong, Qiangzhou; Qiao, Xueguang; Liang, Lei; Liu, Nan; Tong, Rongxin; Liu, Xiaobo; Bian, Ce

2016-12-14

A micro-fiber-optic Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) is proposed and demonstrated experimentally for ultrasonic imaging of seismic physical models. The device consists of a micro-bubble followed by the end of a single-mode fiber (SMF). The micro-structure is formed by the discharging operation on a short segment of hollow-core fiber (HCF) that is spliced to the SMF. This micro FPI is sensitive to ultrasonic waves (UWs), especially to the high-frequency (up to 10 MHz) UW, thanks to its ultra-thin cavity wall and micro-diameter. A side-band filter technology is employed for the UW interrogation, and then the high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) UW signal is achieved. Eventually the sensor is used for lateral imaging of the physical model by scanning UW detection and two-dimensional signal reconstruction.

21 CFR 107.10 - Nutrient information.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... supplied by 100 kilocalories: Nutrients Unit of measurement Protein Grams. Fat Do. Carbohydrate Do. Water... of milligram alpha-tocopherol equivalents, and sodium, potassium, and chloride content in units of... bases, such as per 100 milliliters or per liter, as prepared for infant consumption. (4) One of the...

Study of novel plasma devices generated by high power lasers coupled with a micro-pulse power technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishida, A; Chen, Z L; Jin, Z; Kondo, K; Nakagawa, M; Kodama, R; Arima, H; Yoneda, H

2008-01-01

The authors have proposed introducing a micro pulse power technology in high power laser plasma experiments to boost up the return current, resulting in efficiently guiding of energetic electrons. High current pulse power generators with a pulse laser trigger system generate high-density plasma that is well conductor. To efficiently guiding by using a micro pulse power, we estimated parameter of a micro pulse power system that is voltage of rise time, current, charging voltage and capacitance

High precision micro-scale Hall Effect characterization method using in-line micro four-point probes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Dirch Hjorth; Hansen, Ole; Lin, Rong

2008-01-01

Accurate characterization of ultra shallow junctions (USJ) is important in order to understand the principles of junction formation and to develop the appropriate implant and annealing technologies. We investigate the capabilities of a new micro-scale Hall effect measurement method where Hall...... effect is measured with collinear micro four-point probes (M4PP). We derive the sensitivity to electrode position errors and describe a position error suppression method to enable rapid reliable Hall effect measurements with just two measurement points. We show with both Monte Carlo simulations...... and experimental measurements, that the repeatability of a micro-scale Hall effect measurement is better than 1 %. We demonstrate the ability to spatially resolve Hall effect on micro-scale by characterization of an USJ with a single laser stripe anneal. The micro sheet resistance variations resulting from...

High nutrient concentration and temperature alleviated formation of large colonies of Microcystis: Evidence from field investigations and laboratory experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Wei; Zhou, Xiaohua; Chen, Huaimin; Gao, Li; Xiao, Man; Li, Ming

2016-09-15

Correlations between Microcystis colony size and environmental factors were investigated in Meiliang Bay and Gonghu Bay of Lake Taihu (China) from 2011 to 2013. Compared with Gonghu Bay, both nutrient concentrations and Microcystis colony sizes were greater in Meiliang Bay. The median colony size (D50: 50% of the total mass of particles smaller than this size) increased from April to August and then decreased until November. In both bays, the average D50 of Microcystis colonies were 500 μm) dominated in summer. The differences in colony size in Meiliang Bay and Gonghu Bay were probably due to horizontal drift driven by the prevailing south wind in summer. Redundancy analysis (RDA) of field data indicated that colony size was negatively related to nutrient concentrations but positively related to air temperature, suggesting that low nutrient concentrations and high air temperature promoted formation of large colonies. To validate the field survey, Microcystis colonies collected from Lake Taihu were cultured at different temperatures (15, 20, 25 and 30 °C) under high and low nutrient concentrations for 9 days. The size of Microcystis colonies significantly decreased when temperature was above 20 °C but had no significant change at 15 °C. The differences in temperature effects on colony formation shown from field and laboratory suggested that the larger colonies in summer were probably due to the longer growth period rather than the higher air temperature and light intensity. In addition, colony size decreased more significantly at high nutrient levels. Therefore, it could be concluded that high nutrient concentration and temperature may alleviate formation of large colonies of Microcystis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Meteorological Distribution System for High Resolution Terrestrial Modeling (MicroMet)

Science.gov (United States)

Liston, G. E.; Elder, K.

2004-12-01

Spatially distributed terrestrial models generally require atmospheric forcing data on horizontal grids that are of higher resolution than available meteorological data. Furthermore, the meteorological data collected may not necessarily represent the area of interest's meteorological variability. To address these deficiencies, computationally efficient and physically realistic methods must be developed to take available meteorological data sets (e.g., meteorological tower observations) and generate high-resolution atmospheric-forcing distributions. This poster describes MicroMet, a quasi-physically-based, but simple meteorological distribution model designed to produce high-resolution (e.g., 5-m to 1-km horizontal grid increments) meteorological data distributions required to run spatially distributed terrestrial models over a wide variety of landscapes. The model produces distributions of the seven fundamental atmospheric forcing variables required to run most terrestrial models: air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, incoming solar radiation, incoming longwave radiation, and precipitation. MicroMet includes a preprocessor that analyzes meteorological station data and identifies and repairs potential data deficiencies. The model uses known relationships between meteorological variables and the surrounding area (primarily topography) to distribute those variables over any given landscape. MicroMet performs two kinds of adjustments to available meteorological data: 1) when there are data at more than one location, at a given time, the data are spatially interpolated over the domain using a Barnes objective analysis scheme, and 2) physical sub-models are applied to each MicroMet variable to improve its realism at a given point in space and time with respect to the terrain. The three, 25-km by 25-km, Cold Land Processes Experiment (CLPX) mesoscale study areas (MSAs: Fraser, North Park, and Rabbit Ears) will be used as example Micro

MicroRNA and protein profiles in invasive versus non-invasive oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma cells in vitro

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Korvala, Johanna, E-mail: johanna.korvala@oulu.fi [Cancer and Translational Medicine Research Unit, University of Oulu, The Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital, Aapistie 5A, 90014 Oulu (Finland); Jee, Kowan [Department of Pathology, University of Turku, Turku University Hospital, Turku (Finland); Department of Pathology, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki (Finland); Porkola, Emmi [Cancer and Translational Medicine Research Unit, University of Oulu, The Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital, Aapistie 5A, 90014 Oulu (Finland); Almangush, Alhadi [Department of Pathology, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki (Finland); Mosakhani, Neda [Department of Pathology, HUSLAB, Helsinki (Finland); Bitu, Carolina [Cancer and Translational Medicine Research Unit, University of Oulu, The Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital, Aapistie 5A, 90014 Oulu (Finland); Cervigne, Nilva K. [Department of Oral Diagnosis, School of Dentistry, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Av. Limeira, 901 – Bairro Areião, CEP: 13414-903 Piracicaba, São Paulo (Brazil); Department of Clinical and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine of Jundiai - FMJ, Jundiai, SP (Brazil); Zandonadi, Flávia S.; Meirelles, Gabriela V.; Leme, Adriana Franco Paes [Laboratório Nacional de Biociências, LNBio, CNPEM, Rua Giuseppe Máximo Scolfaro, 10.000, Polo II de Alta Tecnologia de Campinas, Campinas/SP, P.O.Box 6192, CEP 13083-970 Campinas, São Paulo (Brazil); Coletta, Ricardo D. [Department of Oral Diagnosis, School of Dentistry, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Av. Limeira, 901 – Bairro Areião, CEP: 13414-903 Piracicaba, São Paulo (Brazil); and others

2017-01-01

Complex molecular pathways regulate cancer invasion. This study overviewed proteins and microRNAs (miRNAs) involved in oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) invasion. The human highly aggressive OTSCC cell line HSC-3 was examined in a 3D organotypic human leiomyoma model. Non-invasive and invasive cells were laser-captured and protein expression was analyzed using mass spectrometry-based proteomics and miRNA expression by microarray. In functional studies the 3D invasion assay was replicated after silencing candidate miRNAs, miR-498 and miR-940, in invasive OTSCC cell lines (HSC-3 and SCC-15). Cell migration, proliferation and viability were also studied in the silenced cells. In HSC-3 cells, 67 proteins and 53 miRNAs showed significant fold-changes between non-invasive vs. invasive cells. Pathway enrichment analyses allocated “Focal adhesion” and “ECM-receptor interaction” as most important for invasion. Significantly, in HSC-3 cells, miR-498 silencing decreased the invasion area and miR-940 silencing reduced invasion area and depth. Viability, proliferation and migration weren’t significantly affected. In SCC-15 cells, down-regulation of miR-498 significantly reduced invasion and migration. This study shows HSC-3 specific miRNA and protein expression in invasion, and suggests that miR-498 and miR-940 affect invasion in vitro, the process being more influenced by mir-940 silencing in aggressive HSC-3 cells than in the less invasive SCC-15.

Micro-deformation behavior in micro-compression with high-purity aluminum processed by ECAP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xu Jie

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Ultrafine-grained (UFG materials have a potential for applications in micro-forming since grain size appears to be the dominant factor which determines the limiting size of the geometrical features. In this research, high-purity Al was processed by equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP at room temperature through 1–8 passes. Analysis shows that processing by ECAP produces a UFG structure with a grain size of ~1.3 μm and with microhardness and microstructural homogeneity. Micro-compression testing was carried out with different specimen dimensions using the annealed sample and after ECAP processing through 1–8 passes. The results show the flow stress increases significantly after ECAP processing by comparison with the annealed material. The flow stress generally reaches a maximum value after 2 passes which is consistent with the results of microhardness. The flow stress decreases with decreasing specimen diameter from 4 mm to 1 mm which demonstrates that size effects also exist in the ultrafine-grained materials. However, the deformation mechanism in ultrafine-grained pure Al changes from strain strengthening to softening by dynamic recovery by comparison with the annealed material.

The Drosophila nerfin-1 mRNA requires multiple microRNAs to regulate its spatial and temporal translation dynamics in the developing nervous system.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuzin, Alexander; Kundu, Mukta; Brody, Thomas; Odenwald, Ward F

2007-10-01

The mRNA encoding the Drosophila Zn-finger transcription factor Nerfin-1, required for CNS axon pathfinding events, is subject to post-transcriptional silencing. Although nerfin-1 mRNA is expressed in many neural precursor cells including all early delaminating CNS neuroblasts, the encoded Nerfin-1 protein is detected only in the nuclei of neural precursors that divide just once to generate neurons and then only transiently in nascent neurons. Using a nerfin-1 promoter-controlled reporter transgene, replacement of the nerfin-1 3' UTR with the viral SV-40 3' UTR releases the neuroblast translational block and prolongs reporter protein expression in neurons. Comparative genomics analysis reveals that the nerfin-1 mRNA 3' UTR contains multiple highly conserved sequence blocks that either harbor and/or overlap 21 predicted binding sites for 18 different microRNAs. To determine the functional significance of these microRNA-binding sites and less conserved microRNA target sites, we have studied their ability to block or limit the expression of reporter protein in nerfin-1-expressing cells during embryonic development. Our results indicate that no single microRNA is sufficient to fully inhibit protein expression but rather multiple microRNAs that target different binding sites are required to block ectopic protein expression in neural precursor cells and temporally restrict expression in neurons. Taken together, these results suggest that multiple microRNAs play a cooperative role in the post-transcriptional regulation of nerfin-1 mRNA, and the high degree of microRNA-binding site evolutionary conservation indicates that all members of the Drosophila genus employ a similar strategy to regulate the onset and extinction dynamics of Nerfin-1 expression.

The generation of high-power charge particle micro beams and its interaction with condensed matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vogel, N.; Skvortsov, V.A.

1996-01-01

As has been observed experimentally, the action of a picosecond laser beam on an Al-target in air gives rise to the generation and acceleration of high-power micro electron and ion beams. An original theoretical model for describing the generation and particle acceleration of such micro beams as a result of the micro channeling effect is presented. It was found that extreme states of matter, with compression in the Gbar pressure range, can be produced by such micro beams. (author). 3 figs., 12 refs

Potential of diatom consortium developed by nutrient enrichment for biodiesel production and simultaneous nutrient removal from waste water

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Kiran Marella

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Because of the decreasing fossil fuel supply and increasing greenhouse gas (GHG emissions, microalgae have been identified as a viable and sustainable feedstock for biofuel production. The major effect of the release of wastewater rich in organic compounds has led to the eutrophication of freshwater ecosystems. A combined approach of freshwater diatom cultivation with urban sewage water treatment is a promising solution for nutrient removal and biofuel production. In this study, urban wastewater from eutrophic Hussain Sagar Lake was used to cultivate a diatom algae consortium, and the effects of silica and trace metal enrichment on growth, nutrient removal, and lipid production were evaluated. The nano-silica-based micronutrient mixture Nualgi containing Si, Fe, and metal ions was used to optimize diatom growth. Respectively, N and P reductions of 95.1% and 88.9%, COD and BOD reductions of 91% and 51% with a biomass yield of 122.5 mg L−1 day−1 and lipid productivity of 37 mg L−1 day−1 were observed for cultures grown in waste water using Nualgi. Fatty acid profiles revealed 13 different fatty acids with slight differences in their percentage of dry cell weight (DCW depending on enrichment level. These results demonstrate the potential of diatom algae grown in wastewater to produce feedstock for renewable biodiesel production. Enhanced carbon and excess nutrient utilization makes diatoms ideal candidates for co-processes such as CO2 sequestration, biodiesel production, and wastewater phycoremediation. Keywords: Micro algae, Diatom, Biodiesel, Nualgi, Nutrient removal, Wastewater

Investigation into high-frequency-vibration assisted micro-blanking of pure copper foils

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang Chunju

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The difficulties encountered during the manufacture of microparts are often associated with size effects relating to material, process and tooling. Utilizing acoustoplastic softening, achieved through a high-frequency vibration assisted micro-blanking process, was introduced to improve the surface finish in micro-blanking. A frequency of 1.0 kHz was chosen to activate the longitudinal vibration mode of the horn tip, using a piezoelectric actuator. A square hole with dimensions of 0.5 mm × 0.5 mm was made, successfully, from a commercial rolled T2 copper foil with 100 μm in thickness. It was found that the maximum blanking force could be reduced by 5% through utilizing the high-frequency vibration. Proportion of the smooth, burnished area in the cut cross-section increases with an increase of the plasticity to fracture, under the high-frequency vibration, which suggests that the vibration introduced is helpful for inhibiting evolution of the crack due to its acoustoplastic softening effect. During blanking, roughness of the burnished surface could be reduced by increasing the vibration amplitude of the punch, which played a role as surface polishing. The results obtained suggest that the high-frequency vibration can be adopted in micro-blanking in order to improve quality of the microparts.

Inferring high-confidence human protein-protein interactions

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Yu Xueping

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background As numerous experimental factors drive the acquisition, identification, and interpretation of protein-protein interactions (PPIs, aggregated assemblies of human PPI data invariably contain experiment-dependent noise. Ascertaining the reliability of PPIs collected from these diverse studies and scoring them to infer high-confidence networks is a non-trivial task. Moreover, a large number of PPIs share the same number of reported occurrences, making it impossible to distinguish the reliability of these PPIs and rank-order them. For example, for the data analyzed here, we found that the majority (>83% of currently available human PPIs have been reported only once. Results In this work, we proposed an unsupervised statistical approach to score a set of diverse, experimentally identified PPIs from nine primary databases to create subsets of high-confidence human PPI networks. We evaluated this ranking method by comparing it with other methods and assessing their ability to retrieve protein associations from a number of diverse and independent reference sets. These reference sets contain known biological data that are either directly or indirectly linked to interactions between proteins. We quantified the average effect of using ranked protein interaction data to retrieve this information and showed that, when compared to randomly ranked interaction data sets, the proposed method created a larger enrichment (~134% than either ranking based on the hypergeometric test (~109% or occurrence ranking (~46%. Conclusions From our evaluations, it was clear that ranked interactions were always of value because higher-ranked PPIs had a higher likelihood of retrieving high-confidence experimental data. Reducing the noise inherent in aggregated experimental PPIs via our ranking scheme further increased the accuracy and enrichment of PPIs derived from a number of biologically relevant data sets. These results suggest that using our high

Testing consumer perception of nutrient content claims using conjoint analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Drewnowski, Adam; Moskowitz, Howard; Reisner, Michele; Krieger, Bert

2010-05-01

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposes to establish standardized and mandatory criteria upon which front-of-pack (FOP) nutrition labelling must be based. The present study aimed to estimate the relative contribution of declared amounts of different nutrients to the perception of the overall 'healthfulness' of foods by the consumer. Protein, fibre, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron were nutrients to encourage. Total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, total and added sugar, and sodium were the nutrients to limit. Two content claims per nutrient used the FDA-approved language. An online consumer panel (n 320) exposed to multiple messages (n 48) rated the healthfulness of each hypothetical food product. Utility functions were constructed using conjoint analysis, based on multiple logistic regression and maximum likelihood estimation. Consumer perception of healthfulness was most strongly driven by the declared presence of protein, fibre, calcium and vitamin C and by the declared total absence of saturated fat and sodium. For this adult panel, total and added sugar had lower utilities and contributed less to the perception of healthfulness. There were major differences between women and men. Conjoint analysis can lead to a better understanding of how consumers process information about the full nutrition profile of a product, and is a powerful tool for the testing of nutrient content claims. Such studies can help the FDA develop science-based criteria for nutrient profiling that underlies FOP and shelf labelling.

Analysis of chitosan/tripolyphosphate micro- and nanogel yields is key to understanding their protein uptake performance.

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Cai, Yuhang; Lapitsky, Yakov

2017-05-15

Chitosan/tripolyphosphate (TPP) micro- and nanogels are widely explored as vehicles for protein drug and vaccine delivery. Yet, aside from the consensus that protein uptake into these particles is enhanced by stronger protein/particle binding, factors that control their uptake performance, such as differences in the chitosan, TPP and protein concentrations, remain poorly understood. Here, we show that many of the differences in the reported association efficiencies (AE-values) for protein uptake likely reflect the largely-ignored variability in the particle yield (X Agg ), which is the fraction of the added chitosan that self-assembles into particles and (like the AE) varies with the chitosan, TPP and protein concentrations. Factors affecting X Agg are first systematically explored. The AE is then shown to scale almost linearly with the X Agg (which increases with the TPP and protein-to-chitosan ratios) until all chitosan aggregates into particles. Remarkably, the data collected at variable TPP and protein concentrations collapses onto a single AE∝X Agg curve for each protein type. Further analysis of protein/particle binding reveals this rise in AE with X Agg to reflect: (1) an increase in binding sites within the particles; and (2) a decrease in soluble (non-particulate) chitosan molecules, which form soluble protein/chitosan complexes and compete with the chitosan/TPP particles for the unassociated protein. These findings highlight the need to carefully analyze the effects of formulation parameters on chitosan/TPP particle yields and can likely be extended to other ionically crosslinked colloidal drug carriers. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Micro-Spec: A High Performance Compact Spectrometer for Submillimeter Astronomy

Science.gov (United States)

Hsieh, Wen-Ting; Moseley, Harvey; Stevenson, Thomas; Brown, Ari; Patel, Amil; U-Yen, Kongpop; Ehsan, Negar; Caltado, Giuseppe; Wollock, Edward

2012-01-01

We describe the micro-Spec, an extremely compact high performance spectrometer for the submillimeter and millimeter spectral ranges. We have designed a fully integrated submillimeter spectrometer based on superconducting microstrip technology and fabricated its critical elements. Using low loss transmission lines, we can produce a fully integrated high resolution submillimeter spectrometer on a single four inch Si wafer. A resolution of 500 can readily be achieved with standard fabrication tolerance, higher with phase trimming. All functions of the spectrometer are integrated - light is coupled to the micro strip circuit with a planar antenna, the spectra discrimination is achieved using a synthetic grating, orders are separated using a built-in planar filter, and the light is detected using photon counting Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors (MKID). We will discus the design principle of the instrument, describe its technical advantages, and report the progress on the development of the instrument.

High-precision micro/nano-scale machining system

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Kapoor, Shiv G.; Bourne, Keith Allen; DeVor, Richard E.

2014-08-19

A high precision micro/nanoscale machining system. A multi-axis movement machine provides relative movement along multiple axes between a workpiece and a tool holder. A cutting tool is disposed on a flexible cantilever held by the tool holder, the tool holder being movable to provide at least two of the axes to set the angle and distance of the cutting tool relative to the workpiece. A feedback control system uses measurement of deflection of the cantilever during cutting to maintain a desired cantilever deflection and hence a desired load on the cutting tool.

[Nutrient intake of Chilean older people according to body mass index].

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Durán, Samuel A; Ulloa, Alejandra A; Reyes, Sussanne G

2014-12-01

An adequate consumption of micro and macro nutrients is essential to maintain an adequate health among older people. To compare the consumption of micro- and macronutrients in older people from three Chilean cities, according to their nutritional status. Body mass index (BMI) was assessed and a food consumption tendency survey was applied to 976 non-disabled older people, living in the community. Thinness was defined as a BMI < 23 kg/m². Twenty percent of females and 17% of males had a BMI < 23 kg/m². Participants with a higher BMI had a greater intake of micro- and macronutrients. In females, micronutrient intake was adequate among those with higher BMI, although mean intake of calcium and vitamin B-12 were below recommendations. In males, iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and pantothenic acid intake were below recommendation. Thin older adults, regardless of sex, had a lower intake of calories and micro- and macronutrients. Additionally, an overall low consumption of zinc, calcium, magnesium and vitamin B12 was detected.

High-Salt Intake Suppressed MicroRNA-133a Expression in Dahl SS Rat Myocardium

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Guo, Tong-Shuai; Zhang, Jie; Mu, Jian-Jun; Liu, Fu-Qiang; Yuan, Zu-Yi; Ren, Ke-Yu; Wang, Dan

2014-01-01

Salt-sensitive individuals show earlier and more serious cardiac damage than nonsalt-sensitive ones. Some studies have suggested that microRNA-133a could reduce cardiac hypertrophy and myocardial fibrosis. The current study aims to investigate the different functions of high-salt intake on salt-sensitive (SS) rats and Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats and the involvement of microRNA-133a in these roles. After high-salt intervention, the left ventricular mass (LVW) and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) of the salt-sensitive high salt (SHS) group were obviously higher than those of the salt-sensitive low salt (SLS) group. However, the difference between the Sprague-Dawley high salt (DHS) group and the Sprague-Dawley low salt (DLS) group was not significant. Compared with SLS group, collagen I and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in the heart of SHS group were significantly higher, whereas no statistical difference was observed between the DHS group and the DLS group. Compared with low-salt diet, microRNA-133a in the heart of both strains were significantly decreased, but that in the SHS group decreased more significantly. These results suggest that high salt intervention could down-regulate the expression of myocardial microRNA-133a, which may be one of the mechanisms involved in myocardial fibrosis in salt-sensitive hypertension. PMID:24937684

High-Salt Intake Suppressed MicroRNA-133a Expression in Dahl SS Rat Myocardium

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Tong-Shuai Guo

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Salt-sensitive individuals show earlier and more serious cardiac damage than nonsalt-sensitive ones. Some studies have suggested that microRNA-133a could reduce cardiac hypertrophy and myocardial fibrosis. The current study aims to investigate the different functions of high-salt intake on salt-sensitive (SS rats and Sprague-Dawley (SD rats and the involvement of microRNA-133a in these roles. After high-salt intervention, the left ventricular mass (LVW and left ventricular mass index (LVMI of the salt-sensitive high salt (SHS group were obviously higher than those of the salt-sensitive low salt (SLS group. However, the difference between the Sprague-Dawley high salt (DHS group and the Sprague-Dawley low salt (DLS group was not significant. Compared with SLS group, collagen I and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF in the heart of SHS group were significantly higher, whereas no statistical difference was observed between the DHS group and the DLS group. Compared with low-salt diet, microRNA-133a in the heart of both strains were significantly decreased, but that in the SHS group decreased more significantly. These results suggest that high salt intervention could down-regulate the expression of myocardial microRNA-133a, which may be one of the mechanisms involved in myocardial fibrosis in salt-sensitive hypertension.

Dairy Products as Essential Contributors of (Micro-) Nutrients in Reference Food Patterns: An Outline for Elderly People

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Staveren, van W.A.; Steijns, J.M.; Groot, de C.P.G.M.

2008-01-01

he nutrient richness of dairy products is widely recognized, but mainly low fat or skimmed versions are generally advocated given the proportion of saturated fatty acids in milk fat. The question arises how to appraise this nutrient richness relative to the contribution of the saturated fraction of

Relationships Between Land Use and Stream Nutrient Concentrations in a Highly Urbanized Tropical Region of Brazil: Thresholds and Riparian Zones.

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Tromboni, F; Dodds, W K

2017-07-01

Nutrient enrichment in streams due to land use is increasing globally, reducing water quality and causing eutrophication of downstream fresh and coastal waters. In temperate developed countries, the intensive use of fertilizers in agriculture is a main driver of increasing nutrient concentrations, but high levels and fast rates of urbanization can be a predominant issue in some areas of the developing world. We investigated land use in the highly urbanized tropical State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We collected total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and inorganic nutrient data from 35 independent watersheds distributed across the State and characterized land use at a riparian and entire watershed scales upstream from each sample station, using ArcGIS. We used regression models to explain land use influences on nutrient concentrations and to assess riparian protection relationships to water quality. We found that urban land use was the primary driver of nutrient concentration increases, independent of the scale of analyses and that urban land use was more concentrated in the riparian buffer of streams than in the entire watersheds. We also found significant thresholds that indicated strong increases in nutrient concentrations with modest increases in urbanization reaching maximum nutrient concentrations between 10 and 46% urban cover. These thresholds influenced calculation of reference nutrient concentrations, and ignoring them led to higher estimates of these concentrations. Lack of sewage treatment in concert with urban development in riparian zones apparently leads to the observation that modest increases in urban land use can cause large increases in nutrient concentrations.

Successional dynamics drive tropical forest nutrient limitation

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Chou, C.; Hedin, L. O. O.

2017-12-01

It is increasingly recognized that nutrients such as N and P may significantly constrain the land carbon sink. However, we currently lack a complete understanding of these nutrient cycles in forest ecosystems and how to incorporate them into Earth System Models. We have developed a framework of dynamic forest nutrient limitation, focusing on the role of secondary forest succession and canopy gap disturbances as bottlenecks of high plant nutrient demand and limitation. We used succession biomass data to parameterize a simple ecosystem model and examined the dynamics of nutrient limitation throughout tropical secondary forest succession. Due to the patterns of biomass recovery in secondary tropical forests, we found high nutrient demand from rapid biomass accumulation in the earliest years of succession. Depending on previous land use scenarios, soil nutrient availability may also be low in this time period. Coupled together, this is evidence that there may be high biomass nutrient limitation early in succession, which is partially met by abundant symbiotic nitrogen fixation from certain tree species. We predict a switch from nitrogen limitation in early succession to one of three conditions: (i) phosphorus only, (ii) phosphorus plus nitrogen, or (iii) phosphorus, nitrogen, plus light co-limitation. We will discuss the mechanisms that govern the exact trajectory of limitation as forests build biomass. In addition, we used our model to explore scenarios of tropical secondary forest impermanence and the impacts of these dynamics on ecosystem nutrient limitation. We found that secondary forest impermanence exacerbates nutrient limitation and the need for nitrogen fixation early in succession. Together, these results indicate that biomass recovery dynamics early in succession as well as their connection to nutrient demand and limitation are fundamental for understanding and modeling nutrient limitation of the tropical forest carbon sink.

Feed consumption, nutrient utilization and serum metabolite profile of captive blackbucks (Antelope cervicapra) fed diets varying in crude protein content.

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Das, A; Katole, S; Kumar, A; Gupta, S P; Saini, M; Swarup, D

2012-06-01

A feeding trial was conducted to determine the optimum level of crude protein (CP) in the diet of captive blackbuck (Antelope cervicapra) in which feed consumption and nutrient utilization are maximal. Fifteen blackbucks (BW 25-34 kg) were distributed into three groups of five each in an experiment of 75-days duration including a digestion trial of 5-day collection period. All the animals were offered 200 g of concentrates and fresh maize fodder ad libitum. The overall CP content of the three respective diets was 6.9%, 10.4% and 12.7%. Blood samples were collected on the last day of the experiment. Intake and digestibility of CP increased (p consumption and nutrient intake were not significantly different among the groups. However, digestibilities of most of the nutrients were higher in the 10.4% CP diet than in the 6.9% CP diet. The endogenous loss of nitrogen was similar among the groups. Based on the endogenous losses, minimum N requirement was calculated to be 776 mg/kg BW(0.75) /day, and to meet this requirement, diet must contain at least 8.27% CP. Serum urea nitrogen concentration increased (p consumption and serum metabolite profile of blackbucks. © 2011 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Concept of subsurface micro-sensing; Chika joho no micro sensing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Niitsuma, H [Tohoku University, Sendai (Japan). Faculty of Engineering

1997-05-27

This paper describes concept of subsurface micro-sensing. It is intended to achieve an epoch-making development of subsurface engineerings by developing such technologies as micro measurement of well interior, micro measurement while drilling (MWD), and micro intelligent logging. These technologies are supported by development of micro sensors and micro drilling techniques using micro machine technologies. Micronizing the subsurface sensors makes mass production of sensors with equivalent performance possible, and the production cost can be reduced largely. The sensors can be embedded or used disposably, resulting in increased mobility in measurement and higher performance. Installing multiple number of sensors makes high-accuracy measurement possible, such as array measurement. The sensors can be linked easily with photo-electronics components, realizing remote measurement at low price and high accuracy. Control in micro-drilling and MWD also become possible. Such advantages may also be expected as installing the sensors on the outer side of wells in use and monitoring subsurface information during production. Expectation on them is large as a new paradigm of underground exploration and measurement. 1 fig.

Two-dimensional tracking of a motile micro-organism allowing high-resolution observation with various imaging techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oku, H.; Ogawa, N.; Ishikawa, M.; Hashimoto, K.

2005-01-01

In this article, a micro-organism tracking system using a high-speed vision system is reported. This system two dimensionally tracks a freely swimming micro-organism within the field of an optical microscope by moving a chamber of target micro-organisms based on high-speed visual feedback. The system we developed could track a paramecium using various imaging techniques, including bright-field illumination, dark-field illumination, and differential interference contrast, at magnifications of 5 times and 20 times. A maximum tracking duration of 300 s was demonstrated. Also, the system could track an object with a velocity of up to 35 000 μm/s (175 diameters/s), which is significantly faster than swimming micro-organisms

Morpho-physiological and mineral nutrient characterization of 45 collected Purslane (Portulaca oleracea L. accessions

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Amirul Alam

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This study was carried out to determine, evaluation and characterization of the morphological, physiological as well as mineral nutrient vitiations among all forty five purslane accessions collected from different locations of West Peninsular, Malaysia. Significant differences (p<0.05 were observed for all those traits measured regarding morphological, physiological and mineral composition. Morphological traits viz. plant height varied between 20.06-40.8 cm; number of main branch, 1.4-4.4; number of nodes, 8.4-31; internode distance, 2.1-3.43 cm; stem diameter, 2.12-3.8 mm; number of leaves, 97-1019; leaf area, 1.03-2.21 cm², number of flowers, 14-826.8; root length, 5.09-11.7 cm; fresh weight, 40-280 g; and dry weight varied between 2.71-29.16 g. Among physiological traits, total chlorophyll content varied between 26.2-39.52 (SPAD value, net photosynthesis, 20.8-28.73 µmol CO2/m²/sec; stomatal conductance, 0.02-0.28 cm/sec; transpiration rate, 0.46-2.48 mol/m²/sec; and water vapor deficit varied between 0.51-2.65 mol H2O/m²/sec. Analysis of mineral macro and micro nutrient compositions showed that all accessions contained appreciable amount of essential nutrients. Among the macro nutrient elements; N, P, K, Ca and Mg contents ranged respectively between 31.2-100, 2.51-8.2, 78.4-276, 9.1-62.2 and 8.7-32.55 ppm. Whereas micro nutrient elements; Zn, Fe and Mn ranged respectively between 0.31-1.09; 1.01-13.09 and 0.06-1.32 ppm. This great variability among the purslane accessions may contribute enhancing the genetic improvement of the species for desired traits.

Micro-halocline enabled nutrient recycling may explain extreme Azolla event in the Eocene Arctic Ocean.

Science.gov (United States)

van Kempen, Monique M L; Smolders, Alfons J P; Lamers, Leon P M; Roelofs, Jan G M

2012-01-01

In order to understand the physicochemical mechanisms that could explain the massive growth of Azolla arctica in the Eocene Arctic Ocean, we carried out a laboratory experiment in which we studied the interacting effects of rain and wind on the development of salinity stratification, both in the presence and in the absence of a dense Azolla cover. Additionally, we carried out a mesocosm experiment to get a better understanding of the nutrient cycling within and beneath a dense Azolla cover in both freshwater and brackish water environments. Here we show that Azolla is able to create a windproof, small-scale salinity gradient in brackish waters, which allows for efficient recycling of nutrients. We suggest that this mechanism ensures the maintenance of a large standing biomass in which additional input of nutrients ultimately result in a further expansion of an Azolla cover. As such, it may not only explain the extent of the Azolla event during the Eocene, but also the absence of intact vegetative Azolla remains and the relatively low burial efficiency of organic carbon during this interval.

Micro-halocline enabled nutrient recycling may explain extreme Azolla event in the Eocene Arctic Ocean.

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Monique M L van Kempen

Full Text Available In order to understand the physicochemical mechanisms that could explain the massive growth of Azolla arctica in the Eocene Arctic Ocean, we carried out a laboratory experiment in which we studied the interacting effects of rain and wind on the development of salinity stratification, both in the presence and in the absence of a dense Azolla cover. Additionally, we carried out a mesocosm experiment to get a better understanding of the nutrient cycling within and beneath a dense Azolla cover in both freshwater and brackish water environments. Here we show that Azolla is able to create a windproof, small-scale salinity gradient in brackish waters, which allows for efficient recycling of nutrients. We suggest that this mechanism ensures the maintenance of a large standing biomass in which additional input of nutrients ultimately result in a further expansion of an Azolla cover. As such, it may not only explain the extent of the Azolla event during the Eocene, but also the absence of intact vegetative Azolla remains and the relatively low burial efficiency of organic carbon during this interval.

High-throughput peptide mass fingerprinting and protein macroarray analysis using chemical printing strategies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sloane, A.J.; Duff, J.L.; Hopwood, F.G.; Wilson, N.L.; Smith, P.E.; Hill, C.J.; Packer, N.H.; Williams, K.L.; Gooley, A.A.; Cole, R.A.; Cooley, P.W.; Wallace, D.B.

2001-01-01

We describe a 'chemical printer' that uses piezoelectric pulsing for rapid and accurate microdispensing of picolitre volumes of fluid for proteomic analysis of 'protein macroarrays'. Unlike positive transfer and pin transfer systems, our printer dispenses fluid in a non-contact process that ensures that the fluid source cannot be contaminated by substrate during a printing event. We demonstrate automated delivery of enzyme and matrix solutions for on-membrane protein digestion and subsequent peptide mass fingerprinting (pmf) analysis directly from the membrane surface using matrix-assisted laser-desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS). This approach bypasses the more commonly used multi-step procedures, thereby permitting a more rapid procedure for protein identification. We also highlight the advantage of printing different chemistries onto an individual protein spot for multiple microscale analyses. This ability is particularly useful when detailed characterisation of rare and valuable sample is required. Using a combination of PNGase F and trypsin we have mapped sites of N-glycosylation using on-membrane digestion strategies. We also demonstrate the ability to print multiple serum samples in a micro-ELISA format and rapidly screen a protein macroarray of human blood plasma for pathogen-derived antigens. We anticipate that the 'chemical printer' will be a major component of proteomic platforms for high-throughput protein identification and characterisation with widespread applications in biomedical and diagnostic discovery

Chemical composition, true nutrient digestibility, and true metabolizable energy of novel pet food protein sources using the precision-fed cecectomized rooster assay.

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, P; Utterback, P L; Parsons, C M; Hancock, L; Swanson, K S

2016-08-01

A wide variety of animal protein-based ingredients is commonly used in the pet food products. The raw ingredients and processing procedures used may greatly affect protein quality. Testing the quality of alternative protein sources is necessary and contributes to the sustainability of pet foods. The objective of this study was to test the chemical composition of 8 protein sources intended for use in dog and cat foods (calamari meal, pork peptone, alligator meal, lamb meal, venison meal, chicken meal, and 2 duck meals), and evaluate their true nutrient digestibility and nitrogen-corrected true ME (TMEn) using the precision-fed cecectomized rooster assay. Calamari meal and pork peptone had lower ash (4.4 and 3.6% of DM, respectively) but greater CP (88.1 and 80.5% of DM, respectively) and either greater or similar GE (5.6 and 5.3 kcal/g of DM, respectively) compared with alligator, lamb, venison, chicken, and duck meals (11.8 to 24.5% ash, 58.7 to 65.9% CP, and 4.6 to 5.3 kcal GE/g). Acid-hydrolyzed fat (AHF) was lower in calamari meal (8.7% of DM) compared with the other proteins tested (15.5-22.1% of DM). True nutrient digestibility was variable among the protein sources (52 to 79% of DM, 60 to 83% of OM, 78 to 92% of AHF, and 70 to 89% of GE) with pork peptone having the highest DM, AHF, and GE digestibility and calamari meal having the highest OM digestibility. True indispensable AA digestibility was highest for calamari meal, with all AA having a digestibility greater than 90%. Except for histidine, all indispensable AA had a digestibility over 85% for pork peptone. In contrast, true indispensable AA digestibility was lowest for lamb meal, with histidine having digestibility less than 70% and the other entire indispensable AA having digestibility between 72 and 88%. The TMEn of calamari meal (4.82 kcal/g DM and 86.9% of GE) was greater ( digestibility among protein sources intended for use in dog and cat foods and justifies further in vivo testing of novel

Food for thought: how nutrients regulate root system architecture.

Science.gov (United States)

Shahzad, Zaigham; Amtmann, Anna

2017-10-01

The spatial arrangement of the plant root system (root system architecture, RSA) is very sensitive to edaphic and endogenous signals that report on the nutrient status of soil and plant. Signalling pathways underpinning RSA responses to individual nutrients, particularly nitrate and phosphate, have been unravelled. Researchers have now started to investigate interactive effects between two or more nutrients on RSA. Several proteins enabling crosstalk between signalling pathways have recently been identified. RSA is potentially an important trait for sustainable and/or marginal agriculture. It is generally assumed that RSA responses are adaptive and optimise nutrient uptake in a given environment, but hard evidence for this paradigm is still sparse. Here we summarize recent advances made in these areas of research. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Modeling of high speed micro rotors in moderate flow confinement

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dikmen, E.; van der Hoogt, Peter; Aarts, Ronald G.K.M.; Sas, P.; Bergen, B.

2008-01-01

The recent developments in high speed micro rotating machinery lead to the need for multiphysical modeling of the rotor and the surrounding medium. In this study, thermal and flow induced effects on rotor dynamics of geometries with moderate flow confinement are studied. The structure is modeled via

Cultivating Insect Cells To Produce Recombinant Proteins

Science.gov (United States)

Spaulding, Glenn; Goodwin, Thomas; Prewett, Tacey; Andrews, Angela; Francis, Karen; O'Connor, Kim

1996-01-01

Method of producing recombinant proteins involves growth of insect cells in nutrient solution in cylindrical bioreactor rotating about cylindrical axis, oriented horizontally and infecting cells with viruses into which genes of selected type cloned. Genes in question those encoding production of desired proteins. Horizontal rotating bioreactor preferred for use in method, denoted by acronym "HARV", described in "High-Aspect-Ratio Rotating Cell-Culture Vessel" (MSC-21662).

Control of Saccharomyces cerevisiae catalase T gene (CTT1) expression by nutrient supply via the RAS-cyclic AMP pathway.

Science.gov (United States)

Bissinger, P H; Wieser, R; Hamilton, B; Ruis, H

1989-03-01

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, lack of nutrients triggers a pleiotropic response characterized by accumulation of storage carbohydrates, early G1 arrest, and sporulation of a/alpha diploids. This response is thought to be mediated by RAS proteins, adenylate cyclase, and cyclic AMP (cAMP)-dependent protein kinases. This study shows that expression of the S. cerevisiae gene coding for a cytoplasmic catalase T (CTT1) is controlled by this pathway: it is regulated by the availability of nutrients. Lack of a nitrogen, sulfur, or phosphorus source causes a high-level expression of the gene. Studies with strains with mutations in the RAS-cAMP pathway and supplementation of a rca1 mutant with cAMP show that CTT1 expression is under negative control by a cAMP-dependent protein kinase and that nutrient control of CTT1 gene expression is mediated by this pathway. Strains containing a CTT1-Escherichia coli lacZ fusion gene have been used to isolate mutants with mutations in the pathway. Mutants characterized in this investigation fall into five complementation groups. Both cdc25 and ras2 alleles were identified among these mutants.

Protein Molecular Structures, Protein SubFractions, and Protein Availability Affected by Heat Processing: A Review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, P.

2007-01-01

The utilization and availability of protein depended on the types of protein and their specific susceptibility to enzymatic hydrolysis (inhibitory activities) in the gastrointestine and was highly associated with protein molecular structures. Studying internal protein structure and protein subfraction profiles leaded to an understanding of the components that make up a whole protein. An understanding of the molecular structure of the whole protein was often vital to understanding its digestive behavior and nutritive value in animals. In this review, recently obtained information on protein molecular structural effects of heat processing was reviewed, in relation to protein characteristics affecting digestive behavior and nutrient utilization and availability. The emphasis of this review was on (1) using the newly advanced synchrotron technology (S-FTIR) as a novel approach to reveal protein molecular chemistry affected by heat processing within intact plant tissues; (2) revealing the effects of heat processing on the profile changes of protein subfractions associated with digestive behaviors and kinetics manipulated by heat processing; (3) prediction of the changes of protein availability and supply after heat processing, using the advanced DVE/OEB and NRC-2001 models, and (4) obtaining information on optimal processing conditions of protein as intestinal protein source to achieve target values for potential high net absorbable protein in the small intestine. The information described in this article may give better insight in the mechanisms involved and the intrinsic protein molecular structural changes occurring upon processing.

Determination of essential nutrients in raw milk

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Penphimon Phongphanphanee

2006-03-01

Full Text Available Milk production in Thailand has gradually increased since 1961. Occasional oversupply of raw milk has become one of dairy farmers' major problems. Increasing the consumption of milk by making use of its separated nutrients may offer a solution. This study was to assess the composition of raw milk produced in Thailand, which included fat, protein, lactose, solid-not-fat (SNF and total solid (TS. A large dairy cooperatives in Saraburi Province was selected for the study. About 9% of its total members, constituting 108 farms, were randomly chosen. They consisted of small size (less than 20 cows/farm, medium size (21-100 cows/farm and large size (>100 cows/farm. The majority was medium-size. Raw milk from each farm was sampled at the delivery site of the cooperatives in the morning. Milk data of the 108 farms were compiled at 3 different periods between February and July 2003. The raw milk was analyzed by the Fourier Transform Infrared Analysis (FTIR using MilkoScan FT6000. The results showed the average fat content of 3.50±0.47%, protein of 3.13±0.16%, lactose of 4.59±0.12%, SNF of 8.42±0.20%, and TS of 11.92±0.54%. The samples were superior in all of the nutrients as compared to the standard levels set by the Department of Livestock Development, except for TS. This indicates the possibility of a local production of milk nutrients such as lactose and protein as ingredients for the pharmaceutical and health food industries.

High quality protein microarray using in situ protein purification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fleischmann Robert D

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In the postgenomic era, high throughput protein expression and protein microarray technologies have progressed markedly permitting screening of therapeutic reagents and discovery of novel protein functions. Hexa-histidine is one of the most commonly used fusion tags for protein expression due to its small size and convenient purification via immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography (IMAC. This purification process has been adapted to the protein microarray format, but the quality of in situ His-tagged protein purification on slides has not been systematically evaluated. We established methods to determine the level of purification of such proteins on metal chelate-modified slide surfaces. Optimized in situ purification of His-tagged recombinant proteins has the potential to become the new gold standard for cost-effective generation of high-quality and high-density protein microarrays. Results Two slide surfaces were examined, chelated Cu2+ slides suspended on a polyethylene glycol (PEG coating and chelated Ni2+ slides immobilized on a support without PEG coating. Using PEG-coated chelated Cu2+ slides, consistently higher purities of recombinant proteins were measured. An optimized wash buffer (PBST composed of 10 mM phosphate buffer, 2.7 mM KCl, 140 mM NaCl and 0.05% Tween 20, pH 7.4, further improved protein purity levels. Using Escherichia coli cell lysates expressing 90 recombinant Streptococcus pneumoniae proteins, 73 proteins were successfully immobilized, and 66 proteins were in situ purified with greater than 90% purity. We identified several antigens among the in situ-purified proteins via assays with anti-S. pneumoniae rabbit antibodies and a human patient antiserum, as a demonstration project of large scale microarray-based immunoproteomics profiling. The methodology is compatible with higher throughput formats of in vivo protein expression, eliminates the need for resin-based purification and circumvents

Nutrient transitions are a source of persisters in Escherichia coli biofilms.

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Stephanie M Amato

Full Text Available Chronic and recurrent infections have been attributed to persisters in biofilms, and despite this importance, the mechanisms of persister formation in biofilms remain unclear. The plethora of biofilm characteristics that could give rise to persisters, including slower growth, quorum signaling, oxidative stress, and nutrient heterogeneity, have complicated efforts to delineate formation pathways that generate persisters during biofilm development. Here we sought to specifically determine whether nutrient transitions, which are a common metabolic stress encountered within surface-attached communities, stimulate persister formation in biofilms and if so, to then identify the pathway. To accomplish this, we established an experimental methodology where nutrient availability to biofilm cells could be controlled exogenously, and then used that method to discover that diauxic carbon source transitions stimulated persister formation in Escherichia coli biofilms. Previously, we found that carbon source transitions stimulate persister formation in planktonic E. coli cultures, through a pathway that involved ppGpp and nucleoid-associated proteins, and therefore, tested the functionality of that pathway in biofilms. Biofilm persister formation was also found to be dependent on ppGpp and nucleoid-associated proteins, but the importance of specific proteins and enzymes between biofilm and planktonic lifestyles was significantly different. Data presented here support the increasingly appreciated role of ppGpp as a central mediator of bacterial persistence and demonstrate that nutrient transitions can be a source of persisters in biofilms.

Nutrient transitions are a source of persisters in Escherichia coli biofilms.

Science.gov (United States)

Amato, Stephanie M; Brynildsen, Mark P

2014-01-01

Chronic and recurrent infections have been attributed to persisters in biofilms, and despite this importance, the mechanisms of persister formation in biofilms remain unclear. The plethora of biofilm characteristics that could give rise to persisters, including slower growth, quorum signaling, oxidative stress, and nutrient heterogeneity, have complicated efforts to delineate formation pathways that generate persisters during biofilm development. Here we sought to specifically determine whether nutrient transitions, which are a common metabolic stress encountered within surface-attached communities, stimulate persister formation in biofilms and if so, to then identify the pathway. To accomplish this, we established an experimental methodology where nutrient availability to biofilm cells could be controlled exogenously, and then used that method to discover that diauxic carbon source transitions stimulated persister formation in Escherichia coli biofilms. Previously, we found that carbon source transitions stimulate persister formation in planktonic E. coli cultures, through a pathway that involved ppGpp and nucleoid-associated proteins, and therefore, tested the functionality of that pathway in biofilms. Biofilm persister formation was also found to be dependent on ppGpp and nucleoid-associated proteins, but the importance of specific proteins and enzymes between biofilm and planktonic lifestyles was significantly different. Data presented here support the increasingly appreciated role of ppGpp as a central mediator of bacterial persistence and demonstrate that nutrient transitions can be a source of persisters in biofilms.

Development, validation and application of a micro-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry based method for simultaneous quantification of selected protein biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction in murine plasma.

Science.gov (United States)

Suraj, Joanna; Kurpińska, Anna; Olkowicz, Mariola; Niedzielska-Andres, Ewa; Smolik, Magdalena; Zakrzewska, Agnieszka; Jasztal, Agnieszka; Sitek, Barbara; Chlopicki, Stefan; Walczak, Maria

2018-02-05

The objective of this study was to develop and validate the method based on micro-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (microLC/MS-MRM) for simultaneous determination of adiponectin (ADN), von Willebrand factor (vWF), soluble form of vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (sVCAM-1), soluble form of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (sICAM-1) and syndecan-1 (SDC-1) in mouse plasma. The calibration range was established from 2.5pmol/mL to 5000pmol/mL for ADN; 5pmol/mL to 5000pmol/mL for vWF; 0.375pmol/mL to 250pmol/mL for sVCAM-1 and sICAM-1; and 0.25pmol/mL to 250pmol/mL for SDC-1. The method was applied to measure the plasma concentration of selected proteins in mice fed high-fat diet (HFD), and revealed the pro-thrombotic status by increased concentration of vWF (1.31±0.17 nmol/mL (Control) vs 1.98±0.09 nmol/mL (HFD), p <0.05) and the dysregulation of adipose tissue metabolism by decreased concentration of ADN (0.62±0.08 nmol/mL (Control) vs 0.37±0.06 nmol/mL (HFD), p <0.05). In conclusion, the microLC/MS-MRM-based method allows for reliable measurements of selected protein biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction in mouse plasma. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Monitoring the effects of climate and agriculture intensity on nutrient fluxes in lowland streams: a comparison between temperate Denmark and subtropical Uruguay

Science.gov (United States)

Goyenola, Guillermo; Meerhof, Mariane; Teixeira de Mello, Franco; González-Bergonzoni, Ivan; Graeber, Daniel; Vidal, Nicolas; Mazzeo, Nestor; Ovesen, Niels; Jeppesen, Erik; Thodsen, Hans; Kronvang, Brian

2014-05-01

Climate is changing towards more extreme conditions all over the world. At the same time, land use is becoming more intensive worldwide and particularly in many developing countries, whereas several developed countries are trying to reduce the impacts of intensive agricultural production and lower the excessive nutrient loading and eutrophication symptoms in water bodies. In 2009, we initiated a comparative research project between the subtropical region (Uruguay) and the temperate region (Denmark) to compare the hydrology and nutrient fluxes in paired micro-catchments with extensive production or intensive agriculture. The four selected streams drained catchments of similar size (7 to 19 km2). We have established similarly equipped monitoring stations in the four micro-catchments in spring (November 2009, Uruguay; March 2010, Denmark) to monitor the effects of land use and agriculture intensity on stream hydrology and nutrient concentrations and fluxes under different climate conditions. We have conducted high frequency measurements in the four lowland streams with underwater probes (turbidity, pH, conductivity and oxygen measured every 15 minutes), fortnight grab sampling of water and automatic sampling of composite water samples for nutrient analysis (total and dissolved nitrogen and phosphorus; sampled every four hours and accumulated fortnightly). Moreover, water level and meteorological information (precipitation, air temperature, global radiation, humidity) has been recorded every 10 minutes and instantaneous flow measurements have been conducted at regular intervals, to facilitate the calculation of instantaneous discharge from continuous records of water level (stage-discharge relationships). We will show results of ca. 2 years from this comparative study between Uruguay and Denmark, and the importance of differences in climate and land use will be discussed.

Micro-engineered first wall tungsten armor for high average power laser fusion energy systems

Science.gov (United States)

Sharafat, Shahram; Ghoniem, Nasr M.; Anderson, Michael; Williams, Brian; Blanchard, Jake; Snead, Lance; HAPL Team

2005-12-01

The high average power laser program is developing an inertial fusion energy demonstration power reactor with a solid first wall chamber. The first wall (FW) will be subject to high energy density radiation and high doses of high energy helium implantation. Tungsten has been identified as the candidate material for a FW armor. The fundamental concern is long term thermo-mechanical survivability of the armor against the effects of high temperature pulsed operation and exfoliation due to the retention of implanted helium. Even if a solid tungsten armor coating would survive the high temperature cyclic operation with minimal failure, the high helium implantation and retention would result in unacceptable material loss rates. Micro-engineered materials, such as castellated structures, plasma sprayed nano-porous coatings and refractory foams are suggested as a first wall armor material to address these fundamental concerns. A micro-engineered FW armor would have to be designed with specific geometric features that tolerate high cyclic heating loads and recycle most of the implanted helium without any significant failure. Micro-engineered materials are briefly reviewed. In particular, plasma-sprayed nano-porous tungsten and tungsten foams are assessed for their potential to accommodate inertial fusion specific loads. Tests show that nano-porous plasma spray coatings can be manufactured with high permeability to helium gas, while retaining relatively high thermal conductivities. Tungsten foams where shown to be able to overcome thermo-mechanical loads by cell rotation and deformation. Helium implantation tests have shown, that pulsed implantation and heating releases significant levels of implanted helium. Helium implantation and release from tungsten was modeled using an expanded kinetic rate theory, to include the effects of pulsed implantations and thermal cycles. Although, significant challenges remain micro-engineered materials are shown to constitute potential

Micro-engineered first wall tungsten armor for high average power laser fusion energy systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharafat, Shahram; Ghoniem, Nasr M.; Anderson, Michael; Williams, Brian; Blanchard, Jake; Snead, Lance

2005-01-01

The high average power laser program is developing an inertial fusion energy demonstration power reactor with a solid first wall chamber. The first wall (FW) will be subject to high energy density radiation and high doses of high energy helium implantation. Tungsten has been identified as the candidate material for a FW armor. The fundamental concern is long term thermo-mechanical survivability of the armor against the effects of high temperature pulsed operation and exfoliation due to the retention of implanted helium. Even if a solid tungsten armor coating would survive the high temperature cyclic operation with minimal failure, the high helium implantation and retention would result in unacceptable material loss rates. Micro-engineered materials, such as castellated structures, plasma sprayed nano-porous coatings and refractory foams are suggested as a first wall armor material to address these fundamental concerns. A micro-engineered FW armor would have to be designed with specific geometric features that tolerate high cyclic heating loads and recycle most of the implanted helium without any significant failure. Micro-engineered materials are briefly reviewed. In particular, plasma-sprayed nano-porous tungsten and tungsten foams are assessed for their potential to accommodate inertial fusion specific loads. Tests show that nano-porous plasma spray coatings can be manufactured with high permeability to helium gas, while retaining relatively high thermal conductivities. Tungsten foams where shown to be able to overcome thermo-mechanical loads by cell rotation and deformation. Helium implantation tests have shown, that pulsed implantation and heating releases significant levels of implanted helium. Helium implantation and release from tungsten was modeled using an expanded kinetic rate theory, to include the effects of pulsed implantations and thermal cycles. Although, significant challenges remain micro-engineered materials are shown to constitute potential

Cultivar and Harvest Month Influence the Nutrient Content of Opuntia spp. Cactus Pear Cladode Mucilage Extracts

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Alba du Toit

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Mucilage extracted from cactus pear cladodes is a hydrocolloid gum. It is a novel, natural, low-kilojoule, cost-effective texture-modifying ingredient in functional food products. Yet, the cultivar with the most optimal nutrient content and the preferred harvest times are as yet unknown. For this reason, mucilage from three Opuntia ficus-indica (Algerian, Morado and Gymno-Carpo and one Opuntia robusta (Robusta cultivar were investigated to determine their nutrient content over six months. Nutrients that contribute energy (10.2 kJ/g were low. The mineral content was high (ash 17.7/100 g, particularly calcium (3.0 g/100 g and phosphorous (109.5 mg/kg. Low insoluble acid-detergent fibre (1.4 g/kg and neutral-detergent fibre (2.1 g/kg values indicated that mucilage was mostly soluble fibre. Calcium oxalate crystals were not detected in dried mucilage. Opuntia robusta powders had higher protein, extractable fat and potassium content, while Opuntia ficus-indica mucilage powders had higher polyunsaturated (Linoleic and α-Linolenic acid fat content. O. robusta Robusta mucilage, harvested after the fruit harvest (February had the lowest energy content and the highest mineral and protein content. Mucilage powders were highly soluble, low-kilojoule and mineral-rich. This is a functional ingredient that is produced from an easily cultivated crop, as cactus pears grow in areas with poor soil, extremely high daytime temperatures and limited water supplies.

Immunomodulating microRNAs of mycobacterial infections.

Science.gov (United States)

Bettencourt, Paulo; Pires, David; Anes, Elsa

2016-03-01

MicroRNAs are a class of small non-coding RNAs that have emerged as key regulators of gene expression at the post-transcriptional level by sequence-specific binding to target mRNAs. Some microRNAs block translation, while others promote mRNA degradation, leading to a reduction in protein availability. A single miRNA can potentially regulate the expression of multiple genes and their encoded proteins. Therefore, miRNAs can influence molecular signalling pathways and regulate many biological processes in health and disease. Upon infection, host cells rapidly change their transcriptional programs, including miRNA expression, as a response against the invading microorganism. Not surprisingly, pathogens can also alter the host miRNA profile to their own benefit, which is of major importance to scientists addressing high morbidity and mortality infectious diseases such as tuberculosis. In this review, we present recent findings on the miRNAs regulation of the host response against mycobacterial infections, providing new insights into host-pathogen interactions. Understanding these findings and its implications could reveal new opportunities for designing better diagnostic tools, therapies and more effective vaccines. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Apparent nutrient digestibility and performance of Heterobranchus ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Apparent digestibility coefficients (ADCs) of nutrients is a useful tool for fish diet formulation, which gives the right estimation of growth, thereby reducing waste products. The ADCs of crude protein, energy and dry matter of processed earthworm, Libyodrilus violaceus meal by Heterobranchus longifilis fingerlings ...

High Protein Pasta is Not More Satiating than High Fiber Pasta at a Lunch Meal, Nor Does it Decrease Mid-Afternoon Snacking in Healthy Men and Women.

Science.gov (United States)

Korczak, Renee; Timm, Derek; Ahnen, Rylee; Thomas, William; Slavin, Joanne L

2016-09-01

This study compared satiety after high protein pasta (16 g protein, 6 g fiber), high fiber pasta (11 g protein, 8 g fiber) or control pasta (11 g protein, 6 g fiber) in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover trial. Participants were 36 healthy and men and women from the University of Minnesota campus. Fasted men and women ate calorie controlled, but macronutrient different pastas at 12:00 pm along with 500 mL of water. The primary outcome was satiety assessed by Visual Analogue Scales at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, and 180 min daily after consuming the pastas. Secondary outcomes were calories consumed at an ad libitum snack at 3:00 pm, calories from food intake, gastrointestinal tolerance, and palatability. No differences were found among the pasta treatments for satiety, snacking, or gastrointestinal tolerance. Men ate significantly more calories for the rest of the (P = 0.007) after the high protein pasta versus the high fiber pasta (1701 ± 154 compared with 1083 ± 154) with control pasta being intermediate to the other treatments. No significant differences were found for gastrointestinal tolerance, but the palatability ratings showed the high protein pasta was less tasty (P = 0.03) and less pleasant (P = 0.01) than the other 2 pastas. Satisfaction was positively associated with pleasantness and negatively associated with aftertaste. Our results do not support the idea that high protein or high fiber pasta produces a greater satiety response compared to pasta with lower amounts of either nutrient. It is likely that since pasta is already a very satiating food, the subjects were unable to differentiate between the 3 conditions. © 2016 Institute of Food Technologists®

Artocarpin Induces Apoptosis in Human Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma HSC-1 Cells and Its Cytotoxic Activity Is Dependent on Protein-Nutrient Concentration

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Stephen Chu-Sung Hu

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Artocarpin, a natural prenylated flavonoid, has been shown to have various biological properties. However, its effects on human cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC have not been previously investigated. We set out to determine whether artocarpin has cytotoxic effects on SCC cells and whether its pharmacological activity is dependent on protein-nutrient concentration. Our results showed that treatment of HSC-1 cells (a human cutaneous SCC cell line with artocarpin decreased cell viability and induced cell apoptosis by increasing caspase 3/7 activity. These effects were more pronounced at low fetal bovine serum (FBS concentrations. Artocarpin induced an increase in the level of phospho-p38 and a decrease in the levels of phospho-ERK, phospho-JNK, phospho-Akt, phospho-mTOR, and phospho-S6K. High FBS concentrations in the culture media inhibited and delayed the uptake of artocarpin from the extracellular compartment (culture media into the intracellular compartment, as determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC analysis. In conclusion, artocarpin induces apoptosis in HSC-1 cells through modulation of MAPK and Akt/mTOR pathways. Binding of artocarpin to proteins in the FBS may inhibit cellular uptake and reduce the cytotoxic activity of artocarpin on HSC-1 cells. Therefore, artocarpin may have potential use in the future as a form of treatment for cutaneous SCC.

Alligators and Crocodiles Have High Paracellular Absorption of Nutrients, But Differ in Digestive Morphology and Physiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Tracy, Christopher R; McWhorter, Todd J; Gienger, C M; Starck, J Matthias; Medley, Peter; Manolis, S Charlie; Webb, Grahame J W; Christian, Keith A

2015-12-01

Much of what is known about crocodilian nutrition and growth has come from animals propagated in captivity, but captive animals from the families Crocodilidae and Alligatoridae respond differently to similar diets. Since there are few comparative studies of crocodilian digestive physiology to help explain these differences, we investigated young Alligator mississippiensis and Crocodylus porosus in terms of (1) gross and microscopic morphology of the intestine, (2) activity of the membrane-bound digestive enzymes aminopeptidase-N, maltase, and sucrase, and (3) nutrient absorption by carrier-mediated and paracellular pathways. We also measured gut morphology of animals over a larger range of body sizes. The two species showed different allometry of length and mass of the gut, with A. mississippiensis having a steeper increase in intestinal mass with body size, and C. porosus having a steeper increase in intestinal length with body size. Both species showed similar patterns of magnification of the intestinal surface area, with decreasing magnification from the proximal to distal ends of the intestine. Although A. mississippiensis had significantly greater surface-area magnification overall, a compensating significant difference in gut length between species meant that total surface area of the intestine was not significantly different from that of C. porosus. The species differed in enzyme activities, with A. mississippiensis having significantly greater ability to digest carbohydrates relative to protein than did C. porosus. These differences in enzyme activity may help explain the differences in performance between the crocodilian families when on artificial diets. Both A. mississippiensis and C. porosus showed high absorption of 3-O methyl d-glucose (absorbed via both carrier-mediated and paracellular transport), as expected. Both species also showed surprisingly high levels of l-glucose-uptake (absorbed paracellularly), with fractional absorptions as high as those

Main nutrient patterns and colorectal cancer risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition study.

Science.gov (United States)

Moskal, Aurélie; Freisling, Heinz; Byrnes, Graham; Assi, Nada; Fahey, Michael T; Jenab, Mazda; Ferrari, Pietro; Tjønneland, Anne; Petersen, Kristina En; Dahm, Christina C; Hansen, Camilla Plambeck; Affret, Aurélie; Boutron-Ruault, Marie-Christine; Cadeau, Claire; Kühn, Tilman; Katzke, Verena; Iqbal, Khalid; Boeing, Heiner; Trichopoulou, Antonia; Bamia, Christina; Naska, Androniki; Masala, Giovanna; de Magistris, Maria Santucci; Sieri, Sabina; Tumino, Rosario; Sacerdote, Carlotta; Peeters, Petra H; Bueno-de-Mesquita, Bas H; Engeset, Dagrun; Licaj, Idlir; Skeie, Guri; Ardanaz, Eva; Buckland, Genevieve; Castaño, José M Huerta; Quirós, José R; Amiano, Pilar; Molina-Portillo, Elena; Winkvist, Anna; Myte, Robin; Ericson, Ulrika; Sonestedt, Emily; Perez-Cornago, Aurora; Wareham, Nick; Khaw, Kay-Tee; Huybrechts, Inge; Tsilidis, Konstantinos K; Ward, Heather; Gunter, Marc J; Slimani, Nadia

2016-11-22

Much of the current literature on diet-colorectal cancer (CRC) associations focused on studies of single foods/nutrients, whereas less is known about nutrient patterns. We investigated the association between major nutrient patterns and CRC risk in participants of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. Among 477 312 participants, intakes of 23 nutrients were estimated from validated dietary questionnaires. Using results from a previous principal component (PC) analysis, four major nutrient patterns were identified. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed for the association of each of the four patterns and CRC incidence using multivariate Cox proportional hazards models with adjustment for established CRC risk factors. During an average of 11 years of follow-up, 4517 incident cases of CRC were documented. A nutrient pattern characterised by high intakes of vitamins and minerals was inversely associated with CRC (HR per 1 s.d.=0.94, 95% CI: 0.92-0.98) as was a pattern characterised by total protein, riboflavin, phosphorus and calcium (HR (1 s.d.)=0.96, 95% CI: 0.93-0.99). The remaining two patterns were not significantly associated with CRC risk. Analysing nutrient patterns may improve our understanding of how groups of nutrients relate to CRC.

Effect of different binders and encapsulation techniques in the structure and functional properties of microdiets for fish larvae

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Ana Grenha

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The improvement of micro diets, for fish larvae, has been a major challenge in past years; however some problems remain without a resolution. Besides its tremendous growth rates, at early developmental stages, fish larvae present an immature digestive system and a progressive metamorphic process that suggest special nutritional requirements. It is therefore essential to provide fish larvae with easy and/or quickly metabolized protein sources, like protein hydrolisates, high bioavailable forms of vitamins and trace minerals. The low molecular weight of such compounds, in association to the high surface area of the micro-particles, makes them highly soluble and prone to water leaching losses. These nutrient losses, not only makes these nutrients unavailable to the larvae, but originate an important increase of organic matter in the rearing tanks, leading to detrimental water quality criteria. The development of high-performing micro-particulate diets for fish larvae requires a delicate balance between an adequate quantitative and qualitative nutritional supply and good water stability of the feeds, without compromising the palatability and the digestive breakdown. A series of binders, protein-based (e.g. fish gelatin, wheat gluten, spray-dried plasma and carbohydrate-based (gums, alginates, pectins, starches, dextrin, polyols were incorporated at graded levels (1, 2.5 and 5% in a standard formulation for seabream larvae. Diets were manufactured by a proprietary low-shear extrusion process and afterwards processed to obtain a 200-400 micron fraction. All diets were analyzed for the following criteria: water leaching of nitrogenous compounds, turbidimetry and particle water stability. An additionally approach relied on the use of various encapsulation techniques (spray-drying, fluid-bed drying and vacuum coating to incorporate trace minerals (Zn and Mn and amino acids (taurine, lysine and methionine. Technological results show that the beneficial

Micro-PIXE in plant sciences: Present status and perspectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mesjasz-Przybylowicz, Jolanta; Przybylowicz, Wojciech J.

2002-01-01

Fundamental processes of plant physiology are affected or regulated by mineral nutrients. Hence understanding the mechanisms of nutrient uptake and their functions in plant metabolism is of fundamental importance in both basic and applied plant studies. The present knowledge of ion uptake mechanisms is based mostly on techniques for bulk analysis, including analysis of small (mg-sized) samples but without spatially resolved results. On the other hand, advanced studies of elemental transport at a cellular level are conducted using techniques with high and very high spatial resolution, but with low sensitivity for elemental analysis. Thus the results obtained are usually restricted to macronutrients or elements present in high quantities. There is a high demand for studies of the functions of trace elements. In addition, it is known that, depending on their concentrations, elements can play different roles in plant life. Studies related to elemental deficiency and toxicity, as well as environmental pollution, require accurate, fully quantitative methods with good spatial resolution. Ideally, these studies should be conducted on organs and tissues as far down as the cellular level. This is where micro-PIXE has been applied until present and can in the near future play a much more important role. Progress is subject to closer collaboration between plant biologists and the PIXE community in terms of addressing problems of specimen preparation, refinement of analytical protocols such as quantitative elemental mapping and the interpretation of results

Application of X-ray micro-computed tomography on high-speed cavitating diesel fuel flows

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mitroglou, N.; Lorenzi, M.; Gavaises, M. [City University London, School of Mathematics Computer Science and Engineering, London (United Kingdom); Santini, M. [University of Bergamo, Department of Engineering, Bergamo (Italy)

2016-11-15

The flow inside a purpose built enlarged single-orifice nozzle replica is quantified using time-averaged X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and high-speed shadowgraphy. Results have been obtained at Reynolds and cavitation numbers similar to those of real-size injectors. Good agreement for the cavitation extent inside the orifice is found between the micro-CT and the corresponding temporal mean 2D cavitation image, as captured by the high-speed camera. However, the internal 3D structure of the developing cavitation cloud reveals a hollow vapour cloud ring formed at the hole entrance and extending only at the lower part of the hole due to the asymmetric flow entry. Moreover, the cavitation volume fraction exhibits a significant gradient along the orifice volume. The cavitation number and the needle valve lift seem to be the most influential operating parameters, while the Reynolds number seems to have only small effect for the range of values tested. Overall, the study demonstrates that use of micro-CT can be a reliable tool for cavitation in nozzle orifices operating under nominal steady-state conditions. (orig.)

Application of X-ray micro-computed tomography on high-speed cavitating diesel fuel flows

Science.gov (United States)

Mitroglou, N.; Lorenzi, M.; Santini, M.; Gavaises, M.

2016-11-01

The flow inside a purpose built enlarged single-orifice nozzle replica is quantified using time-averaged X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and high-speed shadowgraphy. Results have been obtained at Reynolds and cavitation numbers similar to those of real-size injectors. Good agreement for the cavitation extent inside the orifice is found between the micro-CT and the corresponding temporal mean 2D cavitation image, as captured by the high-speed camera. However, the internal 3D structure of the developing cavitation cloud reveals a hollow vapour cloud ring formed at the hole entrance and extending only at the lower part of the hole due to the asymmetric flow entry. Moreover, the cavitation volume fraction exhibits a significant gradient along the orifice volume. The cavitation number and the needle valve lift seem to be the most influential operating parameters, while the Reynolds number seems to have only small effect for the range of values tested. Overall, the study demonstrates that use of micro-CT can be a reliable tool for cavitation in nozzle orifices operating under nominal steady-state conditions.

Application of X-ray micro-computed tomography on high-speed cavitating diesel fuel flows

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mitroglou, N.; Lorenzi, M.; Gavaises, M.; Santini, M.

2016-01-01

The flow inside a purpose built enlarged single-orifice nozzle replica is quantified using time-averaged X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and high-speed shadowgraphy. Results have been obtained at Reynolds and cavitation numbers similar to those of real-size injectors. Good agreement for the cavitation extent inside the orifice is found between the micro-CT and the corresponding temporal mean 2D cavitation image, as captured by the high-speed camera. However, the internal 3D structure of the developing cavitation cloud reveals a hollow vapour cloud ring formed at the hole entrance and extending only at the lower part of the hole due to the asymmetric flow entry. Moreover, the cavitation volume fraction exhibits a significant gradient along the orifice volume. The cavitation number and the needle valve lift seem to be the most influential operating parameters, while the Reynolds number seems to have only small effect for the range of values tested. Overall, the study demonstrates that use of micro-CT can be a reliable tool for cavitation in nozzle orifices operating under nominal steady-state conditions. (orig.)

Identification of Nutrient Deficiencies at Calcareous Soils for Maize

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Dedi Nursyamsi

2010-09-01

Full Text Available A pot experiment was conducted to identify nutrient deficiencies at calcareous soils for maize (Zea mays, L. in green house of Indonesian Soil Research Institute using top soil (0-20 cm samples taken from Bogor (Typic Hapludalfs and Blora (Typic Haplustalfs. The experiment used Randomized Completely Block Design, minus one test with 12 treatments and three replications, as well as maize of P21 variety as plant indicator. The results showed that use of N, P, K, Zn, Cu, Fe, and Mn fertilizers increased soil macro nutrients, i.e.: soil total-N, Olsen-P, HCl-P, and HCl-K, as well as soil micro nutrients, i.e.: soil DTPA-Zn, Cu, Fe, and Mn at both tested soils. Use of maize straw compost increased soil organic-C, total-N, HCl-K, and exchangeable Ca at Typic Hapludalfs and increased only soil organic-C and total-N at Typic Haplustalfs. Use of animal manure compost increased soil organic-C, exchangeable Ca and Mg, and CEC. Use of N, P, K, S, Zn, Cu, Fe, and Mn fertilizers increased each plant nutrients uptake at the soils. Use of both organic matters increased plant N, P, K, and Fe uptake at Typic Hapludalfs as well as increased only plant N, P, and K uptake at Typic Haplustalfs. Identification result showed that maize growth suffered from N, P, and K deficiencies at Typic Hapludalfs as well as N and P deficiencies at Typic Haplustalfs. Beside the nutrients, soil organic matter was also found out as limiting factor for maize growth in the soils.

Detecting metastasis of gastric carcinoma using high-resolution micro-CT system: in vivo small animal study

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Junting; Tian, Jie; Liang, Jimin; Li, Xiangsi; Yang, Xiang; Chen, Xiaofeng; Chen, Yi; Zhou, Yuanfang; Wang, Xiaorui

2011-03-01

Immunocytochemical and immunofluorescence staining are used for identifying the characteristics of metastasis in traditional ways. Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) is a useful tool for monitoring and longitudinal imaging of tumor in small animal in vivo. In present study, we evaluated the feasibility of the detection for metastasis of gastric carcinoma by high-resolution micro-CT system with omnipaque accumulative enhancement method in the organs. Firstly, a high-resolution micro-CT ZKKS-MCT-sharp micro-CT was developed by our research group and Guangzhou Zhongke Kaisheng Medical Technology Co., Ltd. Secondly, several gastric carcinoma models were established through inoculating 2x106 BGC-823 gastric carcinoma cells subcutaneously. Thirdly, micro-CT scanning was performed after accumulative enhancement method of intraperitoneal injection of omnipaque contrast agent containing 360 mg iodine with a concentration of 350 mg I/ml. Finally, we obtained high-resolution anatomical information of the metastasis in vivo in a BALB/c NuNu nude mouse, the 3D tumor architecture is revealed in exquisite detail at about 35 μm spatial resolution. In addition, the accurate shape and volume of the micrometastasis as small as 0.78 mm3 can be calculated with our software. Overall, our data suggest that this imaging approach and system could be used to enhance the understanding of tumor proliferation, metastasis and could be the basis for evaluating anti-tumor therapies.

Frequent Canned Food Use is Positively Associated with Nutrient-Dense Food Group Consumption and Higher Nutrient Intakes in US Children and Adults

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kevin B. Comerford

2015-07-01

Full Text Available In addition to fresh foods, many canned foods also provide nutrient-dense dietary options, often at a lower price, with longer storage potential. The aim of this study was to compare nutrient-dense food group intake and nutrient intake between different levels of canned food consumption in the US. Consumption data were collected for this cross-sectional study from 9761 American canned food consumers (aged two years and older from The NPD Group’s National Eating Trends® (NET® database during 2011–2013; and the data were assessed using The NPD Group’s Nutrient Intake Database. Canned food consumers were placed into three groups: Frequent Can Users (≥6 canned items/week; n = 2584, Average Can Users (3–5 canned items/week; n = 4445, and Infrequent Can Users (≤2 canned items/week; n = 2732. The results provide evidence that Frequent Can Users consume more nutrient-dense food groups such as fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and protein-rich foods, and also have higher intakes of 17 essential nutrients including the shortfall nutrients—potassium, calcium and fiber—when compared to Infrequent Can Users. Therefore, in addition to fresh foods, diets higher in nutrient-dense canned food consumption can also offer dietary options which improve nutrient intakes and the overall diet quality of Americans.

High-frequency monitoring reveals nutrient sources and transport processes in an agriculture-dominated lowland water system

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Grift, B. van der; Broers, H.P.; Berendrecht, W.; Rozemeijer, J.; Osté, L.; Griffioen, J.

2016-01-01

Many agriculture-dominated lowland water systems worldwide suffer from eutrophication caused by high nutrient loads. Insight in the hydrochemical functioning of embanked polder catchments is highly relevant for improving the water quality in such areas or for reducing export loads to downstream

Does low-protein diet improve broiler performance under heat stress conditions?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

RL Furlan

2004-06-01

Full Text Available Nutrition for broilers under high temperatures is extremely important for brazilian broiler chicken industry because the amounts of consumed nutrients and environmental temperature have great effects on bird performance and carcass quality. Among diet nutrients, protein has the highest heat increment; thus, during many years, diets with low protein level were recommended in order to reduce heat production in broiler chickens under heat stress. However, reports have shown that low-protein diets have negative effects on broiler performance when environmental temperature is high, because during heat stress, low food intake associated to a low diet protein induce amino acid deficiencies. Other studies have shown that broilers fed low-protein diets increase their energy requirement for maintenance with higher heat production. Thus, with the growth of broiler industry in tropical areas more challenges need to be faced by the farmers. So, both the ambient and nutritional conditions ought to be well managed to avoid negative effects on poultry production once they can affect the metabolism (body heat production under low temperature and body heat dissipation under high temperature with consequence on poultry performance (meat and eggs.

Pea protein concentrate as a substitute for fish meal protein in sea bass diet

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. Badini

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Pea seeds, even if lower in protein than oilseed meals, have been shown to successfully replace moderate amounts of fish meal protein in diets for carnivorous fish species (Kaushik et al., 1993, Gouveia and Davies, 2000. A further processing of such pulses provides concentrated protein products which look very promising as fish meal substitutes in aquafeeds (Thiessen et al., 2003. The aim of the present study was to evaluate nutrient digestibility, growth response, nutrient and energy retention efficiencies and whole body composition of sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax, L. fed complete diets in which a pea protein concentrate (PPC was used to replace graded levels of fish meal protein.

Upregulation of growth signaling and nutrient transporters in cotyledons of early to mid-gestational nutrient restricted ewes

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Yan; Zhu, Mei J.; Uthlaut, Adam B.; Nijland, Mark J.; Nathanielsz, Peter W.; Hess, Bret W.; Ford, Stephen P.

2011-01-01

Multiparous ewes received 100% (control, C, n=13) or 50% (nutrient restricted, NR, n=14) of NRC dietary requirements from d28-d78 of gestation. On d78, 5 C and 6 NR ewes were necropsied. The remaining 8 C and 8 NR ewes were fed to 100% of NRC from d78-d135 and necropsied. Maternal blood was collected at both necropsies and at weekly intervals for assay of glucose, insulin and leptin. Fetal blood was collected at d78 and d135 necropsies for assay of glucose and lipids. Cotyledonary (COT) tissue was evaluated for protein and mRNA expression [fatty acid transporter (FATP)1, FATP4, CD36, glucose transporter (GLUT)1 and GLUT3], mRNA expression only [placenta fatty acid binding protein (FABPpm) and lipoprotein lipase (LPL)], or expression of phosphorylated and total protein forms [AMP kinase (AMPK)α, acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk)1/2, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and protein kinase B (Akt)]. On d78, but not d135, placental and fetal weights were reduced (P ewes. Maternal circulating glucose, insulin and leptin levels were decreased in NR vs. C ewes on d78 (P ewes (P ewes. AMPK, ACC, and Erk1/2 activities were also increased (P ewes on d135. These data demonstrate placental adaptation to maternal NR through increasing nutrient transporter production and growth signaling activity. PMID:21292322

Socioeconomic Indicators Are Independently Associated with Nutrient Intake in French Adults: A DEDIPAC Study

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Wendy Si Hassen

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Studies have suggested differential associations of specific indicators of socioeconomic position (SEP with nutrient intake and a cumulative effect of these indicators on diet. We investigated the independent association of SEP indicators (education, income, occupation with nutrient intake and their effect modification. This cross-sectional analysis included 91,900 French adults from the NutriNet-Santé cohort. Nutrient intake was estimated using three 24-h records. We investigated associations between the three SEP factors and nutrient intake using sex-stratified analysis of covariance, adjusted for age and energy intake, and associations between income and nutrient intake stratified by education and occupation. Low educated participants had higher protein and cholesterol intakes and lower fibre, vitamin C and beta-carotene intakes. Low income individuals had higher complex carbohydrate intakes, and lower magnesium, potassium, folate and vitamin C intakes. Intakes of vitamin D and alcohol were lower in low occupation individuals. Higher income was associated with higher intakes of fibre, protein, magnesium, potassium, beta-carotene, and folate among low educated persons only, highlighting effect modification. Lower SEP, particularly low education, was associated with lower intakes of nutrients required for a healthy diet. Each SEP indicator was associated with specific differences in nutrient intake suggesting that they underpin different social processes.

Nutrient quality of fast food kids meals

Science.gov (United States)

Exposure of children to kids’ meals at fast food restaurants is high; however, the nutrient quality of such meals has not been systematically assessed. We assessed the nutrient quality of fast food meals marketed to young children, i.e., "kids meals". The nutrient quality of kids’ meals was assessed...

Agricola use of compost and vermicomposts of urban wastes: supplying of nutrients to soil and plant; Uso agricola de compost y vermicompost de basuras urbanas: capacidad de cesion de nutrientes al suelo y la plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nogales, R.; Elvira, C.; Benitez, E.; Gallardo-Lara, F. [Dpto. Agroecoliga y Proteccion Vegetal, Estacion Experimental del Zaidin, CSIC (Spain)

1996-06-01

Compost and vermicomposts from town refuse can be considered as a valuable resource for supplying nitrogen, potassium and some micro nutrients to soils and plants. Application of these mature organic materials increase crop yield, although they are less efficient than mineral fertilizers in order to obtain inmediate crops. (Author) 79 refs.

Dimensional measurement of micro parts with high aspect ratio in HIT-UOI

Science.gov (United States)

Dang, Hong; Cui, Jiwen; Feng, Kunpeng; Li, Junying; Zhao, Shiyuan; Zhang, Haoran; Tan, Jiubin

2016-11-01

Micro parts with high aspect ratios have been widely used in different fields including aerospace and defense industries, while the dimensional measurement of these micro parts becomes a challenge in the field of precision measurement and instrument. To deal with this contradiction, several probes for the micro parts precision measurement have been proposed by researchers in Center of Ultra-precision Optoelectronic Instrument (UOI), Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT). In this paper, optical fiber probes with structures of spherical coupling(SC) with double optical fibers, micro focal-length collimation (MFL-collimation) and fiber Bragg grating (FBG) are described in detail. After introducing the sensing principles, both advantages and disadvantages of these probes are analyzed respectively. In order to improve the performances of these probes, several approaches are proposed. A two-dimensional orthogonal path arrangement is propounded to enhance the dimensional measurement ability of MFL-collimation probes, while a high resolution and response speed interrogation method based on differential method is used to improve the accuracy and dynamic characteristics of the FBG probes. The experiments for these special structural fiber probes are given with a focus on the characteristics of these probes, and engineering applications will also be presented to prove the availability of them. In order to improve the accuracy and the instantaneity of the engineering applications, several techniques are used in probe integration. The effectiveness of these fiber probes were therefore verified through both the analysis and experiments.

MicroRadarNet: A network of weather micro radars for the identification of local high resolution precipitation patterns

Science.gov (United States)

Turso, S.; Paolella, S.; Gabella, M.; Perona, G.

2013-01-01

In this paper, MicroRadarNet, a novel micro radar network for continuous, unattended meteorological monitoring is presented. Key aspects and constraints are introduced. Specific design strategies are highlighted, leading to the technological implementations of this wireless, low-cost, low power consumption sensor network. Raw spatial and temporal datasets are processed on-board in real-time, featuring a consistent evaluation of the signals from the sensors and optimizing the data loads to be transmitted. Network servers perform the final post-elaboration steps on the data streams coming from each unit. Final network products are meteorological mappings of weather events, monitored with high spatial and temporal resolution, and lastly served to the end user through any Web browser. This networked approach is shown to imply a sensible reduction of the overall operational costs, including management and maintenance aspects, if compared to the traditional long range monitoring strategy. Adoption of the TITAN storm identification and nowcasting engine is also here evaluated for in-loop integration within the MicroRadarNet data processing chain. A brief description of the engine workflow is provided, to present preliminary feasibility results and performance estimates. The outcomes were not so predictable, taking into account relevant operational differences between a Western Alps micro radar scenario and the long range radar context in the Denver region of Colorado. Finally, positive results from a set of case studies are discussed, motivating further refinements and integration activities.

Macro-and micro-autoradiographic study in comparison with the incorporation of 35S-methionine by various tissue protein in organism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Shoupeng; Mei Shengping; Le Shangcheng

1990-12-01

The purpose of the study was to observe the incorporation level of 35 S-methionine by various tissue protein in organism. By the use of the macro-and micro-autoradiographic technique, the incorporation of 35 S-methionine by the tissues has been utilized as an index of various tissue protein synthesis. On this basis, the further experiments showed that tracer agent 35 S-methionine was dominantly incorporated in the immature cells of bone marrow and the tissue of liver, kidney and spleen. Its incorporation increased gradually with time. From the experimental results it can be concluded that a strong protein biosynthesis metabolism was produced in these tissues. While the tissues have important physiological function in organism, such as heart, lung and skeletal muscle, but the protein biosynthesis in those tissues was at a low level

21 CFR 107.100 - Nutrient specifications.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Nutrient specifications. 107.100 Section 107.100 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) FOOD... Maximum level Protein Grams 1.8 4.5 Fat do 3.3 6.0 Percent calories 30 54 Linoleic acid Milligrams 300...

A high accuracy algorithm of displacement measurement for a micro-positioning stage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiang Zhang

2017-05-01

Full Text Available A high accuracy displacement measurement algorithm for a two degrees of freedom compliant precision micro-positioning stage is proposed based on the computer micro-vision technique. The algorithm consists of an integer-pixel and a subpixel matching procedure. Series of simulations are conducted to verify the proposed method. The results show that the proposed algorithm possesses the advantages of high precision and stability, the resolution can attain to 0.01 pixel theoretically. In addition, the consuming time is reduced about 6.7 times compared with the classical normalized cross correlation algorithm. To validate the practical performance of the proposed algorithm, a laser interferometer measurement system (LIMS is built up. The experimental results demonstrate that the algorithm has better adaptability than that of the LIMS.

Development of a micro flow-through cell for high field NMR spectroscopy.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alam, Todd Michael; McIntyre, Sarah K.

2011-05-01

A highly transportable micro flow-through detection cell for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has been designed, fabricated and tested. This flow-through cell allows for the direct coupling between liquid chromatography (LC) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) resulting in the possibility of hyphenated LC-NMR and GPC-NMR. The advantage of the present flow cell design is that it is independent and unconnected to the detection probe electronics, is compatible with existing commercial high resolution NMR probes, and as such can be easily implemented at any NMR facility. Two different volumes were fabricated corresponding to between {approx}3.8 and 10 {micro}L detection volume. Examples of the performance of the cell on different NMR instruments, and using different NMR detection probes were demonstrated.

Quality control methodology for high-throughput protein-protein interaction screening.

Science.gov (United States)

Vazquez, Alexei; Rual, Jean-François; Venkatesan, Kavitha

2011-01-01

Protein-protein interactions are key to many aspects of the cell, including its cytoskeletal structure, the signaling processes in which it is involved, or its metabolism. Failure to form protein complexes or signaling cascades may sometimes translate into pathologic conditions such as cancer or neurodegenerative diseases. The set of all protein interactions between the proteins encoded by an organism constitutes its protein interaction network, representing a scaffold for biological function. Knowing the protein interaction network of an organism, combined with other sources of biological information, can unravel fundamental biological circuits and may help better understand the molecular basics of human diseases. The protein interaction network of an organism can be mapped by combining data obtained from both low-throughput screens, i.e., "one gene at a time" experiments and high-throughput screens, i.e., screens designed to interrogate large sets of proteins at once. In either case, quality controls are required to deal with the inherent imperfect nature of experimental assays. In this chapter, we discuss experimental and statistical methodologies to quantify error rates in high-throughput protein-protein interactions screens.

Reconstruction and analysis of nutrient-induced phosphorylation networks in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guangyou eDuan

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Elucidating the dynamics of molecular processes in living organisms in response to external perturbations is a central goal in modern systems biology. We investigated the dynamics of protein phosphorylation events in Arabidopsis thaliana exposed to changing nutrient conditions. Phosphopeptide expression levels were detected at five consecutive time points over a time interval of 30 minutes after nutrient resupply following prior starvation. The three tested inorganic, ionic nutrients NH4+, NO3-, PO43- elicited similar phosphosignaling responses that were distinguishable from those invoked by the sugars mannitol, sucrose. When embedded in the protein-protein interaction network of Arabidopsis thaliana, phosphoproteins were found to exhibit a higher degree compared to average proteins. Based on the time-series data, we reconstructed a network of regulatory interactions mediated by phosphorylation. The performance of different network inference methods was evaluated by the observed likelihood of physical interactions within and across different subcellular compartments and based on gene ontology semantic similarity. The dynamic phosphorylation network was then reconstructed using a Pearson correlation method with added directionality based on partial variance differences. The topology of the inferred integrated network corresponds to an information dissemination architecture, in which the phosphorylation signal is passed on to an increasing number of phosphoproteins stratified into an initiation, processing, and effector layer. Specific phosphorylation peptide motifs associated with the distinct layers were identified indicating the action of layer-specific kinases. Despite the limited temporal resolution, combined with information on subcellular location, the available time-series data proved useful for reconstructing the dynamics of the molecular signaling cascade in response to nutrient stress conditions in the plant Arabidopsis thaliana.

Tropical Andean Forests Are Highly Susceptible to Nutrient Inputs—Rapid Effects of Experimental N and P Addition to an Ecuadorian Montane Forest

Science.gov (United States)

Homeier, Jürgen; Hertel, Dietrich; Camenzind, Tessa; Cumbicus, Nixon L.; Maraun, Mark; Martinson, Guntars O.; Poma, L. Nohemy; Rillig, Matthias C.; Sandmann, Dorothee; Scheu, Stefan; Veldkamp, Edzo; Wilcke, Wolfgang; Wullaert, Hans; Leuschner, Christoph

2012-01-01

Tropical regions are facing increasing atmospheric inputs of nutrients, which will have unknown consequences for the structure and functioning of these systems. Here, we show that Neotropical montane rainforests respond rapidly to moderate additions of N (50 kg ha−1 yr−1) and P (10 kg ha−1 yr−1). Monitoring of nutrient fluxes demonstrated that the majority of added nutrients remained in the system, in either soil or vegetation. N and P additions led to not only an increase in foliar N and P concentrations, but also altered soil microbial biomass, standing fine root biomass, stem growth, and litterfall. The different effects suggest that trees are primarily limited by P, whereas some processes—notably aboveground productivity—are limited by both N and P. Highly variable and partly contrasting responses of different tree species suggest marked changes in species composition and diversity of these forests by nutrient inputs in the long term. The unexpectedly fast response of the ecosystem to moderate nutrient additions suggests high vulnerability of tropical montane forests to the expected increase in nutrient inputs. PMID:23071734

Effects of growth rate, cell size, motion, and elemental stoichiometry on nutrient transport kinetics.

Science.gov (United States)

Flynn, Kevin J; Skibinski, David O F; Lindemann, Christian

2018-04-01

Nutrient acquisition is a critical determinant for the competitive advantage for auto- and osmohetero- trophs alike. Nutrient limited growth is commonly described on a whole cell basis through reference to a maximum growth rate (Gmax) and a half-saturation constant (KG). This empirical application of a Michaelis-Menten like description ignores the multiple underlying feedbacks between physiology contributing to growth, cell size, elemental stoichiometry and cell motion. Here we explore these relationships with reference to the kinetics of the nutrient transporter protein, the transporter rate density at the cell surface (TRD; potential transport rate per unit plasma-membrane area), and diffusion gradients. While the half saturation value for the limiting nutrient increases rapidly with cell size, significant mitigation is afforded by cell motion (swimming or sedimentation), and by decreasing the cellular carbon density. There is thus potential for high vacuolation and high sedimentation rates in diatoms to significantly decrease KG and increase species competitive advantage. Our results also suggest that Gmax for larger non-diatom protists may be constrained by rates of nutrient transport. For a given carbon density, cell size and TRD, the value of Gmax/KG remains constant. This implies that species or strains with a lower Gmax might coincidentally have a competitive advantage under nutrient limited conditions as they also express lower values of KG. The ability of cells to modulate the TRD according to their nutritional status, and hence change the instantaneous maximum transport rate, has a very marked effect upon transport and growth kinetics. Analyses and dynamic models that do not consider such modulation will inevitably fail to properly reflect competitive advantage in nutrient acquisition. This has important implications for the accurate representation and predictive capabilities of model applications, in particular in a changing environment.

Synthesis of data from high-frequency nutrient and associated biogeochemical monitoring for the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, northern California

Science.gov (United States)

Downing, Bryan D.; Bergamaschi, Brian A.; Kraus, Tamara E.C.

2017-07-11

Executive SummaryThis report is the second in a series of three reports that provide information about high-frequency (HF) nutrient and biogeochemical monitoring in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta of northern California (Delta). The purpose of this report is to synthesize the data available from a nutrient and water-quality HF (about every 15 minutes) monitoring network operated by the U.S. Geological Survey in the northern Delta. In this report, we describe the network and focus on the purpose of each station. We then present and discuss the available data, at various timescales—first at the monthly, seasonal, and inter-annual timescales, and second, for comparison, at the tidal and event timescales. As expected, we determined that there is substantial variability in nitrate-N concentrations at short timescales within hours, but also significant variability at longer timescales such as months or years. Resolving this variability is made possible by the HF data, with the largest variability caused by storms, tides, and diel biological processes. Given this large temporal variability, calculations of cumulative nutrient fluxes (for example, daily, monthly, or annual loads) is difficult without HF data. For example, in the Cache Slough, calculation of the annual load without the tidal variability resulted in a 30 percent underestimation of the true annual load value. We conclude that HF measurements are important for accurate determination of fluxes and loads in tidal environments, but, more importantly, provide important insights into processes and rates of nutrient cycling.This report, along with the other two reports of this series (Bergamaschi and others, 2017; Kraus, Bergamaschi, and others, 2017), was drafted in cooperation with the Delta Regional Monitoring Program to help scientists, managers, and planners understand how HF data improve our understanding of nutrient sources and sinks, drivers, and effects in the Delta. The first report in the series

Thermal and hydrodynamic studies for micro-channel cooling for large area silicon sensors in high energy physics experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Flaschel, Nils; Ariza, Dario; Diez, Sergio; Gregor, Ingrid-Maria; Tackmann, Kerstin [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany); Gerboles, Marta; Jorda, Xavier; Mas, Roser; Quirion, David; Ullan, Miguel [Centro Nacional de Microelectronica, Barcelona (Spain)

2017-01-15

Micro-channel cooling initially aiming at small-sized high-power integrated circuits is being transferred to the field of high energy physics. Today's prospects of micro-fabricating silicon opens a door to a more direct cooling of detector modules. The challenge in high energy physics is to save material in the detector construction and to cool large areas. In this paper, we are investigating micro-channel cooling as a candidate for a future cooling system for silicon detectors in a generic research and development approach. The work presented in this paper includes the production and the hydrodynamic and thermal testing of a micro-channel equipped prototype optimized to achieve a homogeneous flow distribution. Furthermore, the device was simulated using finite element methods.

Thermal and hydrodynamic studies for micro-channel cooling for large area silicon sensors in high energy physics experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flaschel, Nils; Ariza, Dario; Diez, Sergio; Gregor, Ingrid-Maria; Tackmann, Kerstin; Gerboles, Marta; Jorda, Xavier; Mas, Roser; Quirion, David; Ullan, Miguel

2017-01-01

Micro-channel cooling initially aiming at small-sized high-power integrated circuits is being transferred to the field of high energy physics. Today's prospects of micro-fabricating silicon opens a door to a more direct cooling of detector modules. The challenge in high energy physics is to save material in the detector construction and to cool large areas. In this paper, we are investigating micro-channel cooling as a candidate for a future cooling system for silicon detectors in a generic research and development approach. The work presented in this paper includes the production and the hydrodynamic and thermal testing of a micro-channel equipped prototype optimized to achieve a homogeneous flow distribution. Furthermore, the device was simulated using finite element methods.

APORTE DE NUTRIENTES E BIOMASSA VIA SERRAPILHEIRA EM SISTEMAS AGROFLORESTAIS EM PARATY (RJ

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nina Duarte Silveira

2007-06-01

Full Text Available O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a sustentabilidade ambiental de Sistemas Agroflorestais Regenerativos e Análogos (Safra, utilizando-se como indicadores de sustentabilidade ambiental o aporte de biomassa e nutrientes via serrapilheira de espécies arbóreas plantadas. Este trabalho faz parte das ações do PRODETAB – projeto 039 e foi desenvolvido na Fazenda Goura Vrindávna, Paraty, RJ. Foram plantadas 28 espécies arbóreas de múltiplos usos em três tratamentos agroflorestais, Safra Mínimo (sistema simplificado de enriquecimento de bananal, Safra Absoluto (sistema adensado e diversificado e Safra Modificado (mesma composição do anterior e com adubação do solo. Para a avaliação do aporte de nutrientes via serrapilheira; foram coletadas amostras nos três tratamentos Safras e em dois tratamentos testemunhas (Bananal e Capoeira por meio de coletores de 625 cm2, 15 meses após o plantio. Nas amostras, foram feitas as determinações dos teores e conteúdos de micro e macronutrientes. O Safra Mínimo foi o sistema que depositou maior peso de serrapilheira (32,4 Mg ha-1 e aportou maiores conteúdos de micro e macronutrientes. Com exceção do C e H, o N foi o que apresentou os maiores conteúdos nos cinco tratamentos, e em relação aos micronutrientes, o Fe foi o elemento de maior aporte. A poda da vegetação nos Safras favoreceu a ciclagem de nutrientes e contribuiu para elevação dos conteúdos destes na serrapilheira. Os Safras, sob o aspecto do aporte de nutrientes via serrapilheira, foram os sistemas mais promissores na recomposição dessas funções ecológicas, quando comparados à Capoeira e monocultura de banana.

Regulation of B cell differentiation by intracellular membrane associated proteins and microRNAs: role in the antibody response

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zheng eLou

2015-10-01

Full Text Available B cells are central to adaptive immunity and their functions in antibody responses are exquisitely regulated. As suggested by recent findings, B cell differentiation is mediated by intracellular membrane structures (including endosomes, lysosomes and autophagosomes and protein factors specifically associated with these membranes, including Rab7, Atg5 and Atg7. These factors participate in vesicle formation/trafficking, signal transduction and induction of gene expression to promote antigen presentation, CSR/SHM, and generation/maintenance of plasma cells and memory B cells. Their expression is induced in B cells activated to differentiate and further fine-tuned by immune-modulating microRNAs, which coordinates CSR/SHM, plasma cell differentiation and memory B cell differentiation. These short non-coding RNAs would individually target multiple factors associated with the same intracellular membrane compartments and collaboratively target a single factor in addition to regulate AID and Blimp-1. These, together with regulation of microRNA biogenesis and activities by endosomes and autophagosomes, show that intracellular membranes and microRNAs, two broadly relevant cell constituents, play important roles in balancing gene expression to specify B cell differentiation processes for optimal antibody responses.

MicroRNAs, epigenetics and disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Silahtaroglu, Asli; Stenvang, Jan

2010-01-01

Epigenetics is defined as the heritable chances that affect gene expression without changing the DNA sequence. Epigenetic regulation of gene expression can be through different mechanisms such as DNA methylation, histone modifications and nucleosome positioning. MicroRNAs are short RNA molecules...... which do not code for a protein but have a role in post-transcriptional silencing of multiple target genes by binding to their 3' UTRs (untranslated regions). Both epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation and histone modifications, and the microRNAs are crucial for normal differentiation...... diseases. In the present chapter we will mainly focus on microRNAs and methylation and their implications in human disease, mainly in cancer....

Application of Laser Micro-irradiation for Examination of Single and Double Strand Break Repair in Mammalian Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Holton, Nathaniel W; Andrews, Joel F; Gassman, Natalie R

2017-09-05

Highly coordinated DNA repair pathways exist to detect, excise and replace damaged DNA bases, and coordinate repair of DNA strand breaks. While molecular biology techniques have clarified structure, enzymatic functions, and kinetics of repair proteins, there is still a need to understand how repair is coordinated within the nucleus. Laser micro-irradiation offers a powerful tool for inducing DNA damage and monitoring the recruitment of repair proteins. Induction of DNA damage by laser micro-irradiation can occur with a range of wavelengths, and users can reliably induce single strand breaks, base lesions and double strand breaks with a range of doses. Here, laser micro-irradiation is used to examine repair of single and double strand breaks induced by two common confocal laser wavelengths, 355 nm and 405 nm. Further, proper characterization of the applied laser dose for inducing specific damage mixtures is described, so users can reproducibly perform laser micro-irradiation data acquisition and analysis.

High Dietary Protein Intake and Protein-Related Acid Load on Bone Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Jay J

2017-12-01

Consumption of high-protein diets is increasingly popular due to the benefits of protein on preserving lean mass and controlling appetite and satiety. The paper is to review recent clinical research assessing dietary protein on calcium metabolism and bone health. Epidemiological studies show that long-term, high-protein intake is positively associated with bone mineral density and reduced risk of bone fracture incidence. Short-term interventional studies demonstrate that a high-protein diet does not negatively affect calcium homeostasis. Existing evidence supports that the negative effects of the acid load of protein on urinary calcium excretion are offset by the beneficial skeletal effects of high-protein intake. Future research should focus on the role and the degree of contribution of other dietary and physiological factors, such as intake of fruits and vegetables, in reducing the acid load and further enhancing the anabolic effects of protein on the musculoskeletal system.

SUPPLEMENTARY FEEDING ON THE NUTRIENT BALANCE OF LACTATING DAIRY COW AT CONTRASTING TEMPERATURE REGIMES: ASSESSMENT USING CORNELL NET CARBOHYDRATE AND PROTEIN SYSTEM (CNCPS MODEL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Jayanegara

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Dairy cows often do not receive adequate nutrient supply during their lactation period. This condition caneven be worse if the environmental temperature is not in comfortable range which may occur especially intropical regions. The present research was aimed to simulate the effect of supplementary feeding on nutrientbalance of lactating dairy cow at contrasting temperature regimes using Cornell Net Carbohydrate andProtein System (CNCPS model. Treatments consisted of feeds (R1: Pennisetum purpureum, R2: P.purpureum + concentrate (60:40, R3: P. purpureum + Gliricidia sepium + Leucaena leucocephala(60:20:20, R4: P. purpureum + concentrate + G. sepium + L. leucocephala (60:20:10:10 and environmentaltemperatures (T1: 20 oC, T2: 30 oC. The dairy cow inputs in CNCPS were Holstein breed, body weight of500 kg, feed intake of 15 kg (dry matter basis per day and produced milk 15 kg/day. Based on the CNCPSmodel, there were negative balances of metabolisable energy (ME and metabolisable protein (MP if alactating dairy cow fed only by P. purpureum. The ME balance was worse at higher temperature, while theMP balance was remain unchanged. Addition of concentrate mixture (R2 fulfilled the ME and MPrequirements as well as other nutrients. Addition of leguminous tree leaves (R3 and R4 improved thenutritional status of the lactating cow model compared to R1, but did not better than R2. It was concludedthat supplementary feeding is necessary for improving the nutrient balance of lactating dairy cow, especiallywhen the cow is maintained under uncomfortable environmental temperature.

Highly Tunable Complementary Micro/Submicro-Nanopatterned Surfaces Combining Block Copolymer Self-Assembly and Colloidal Lithography.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Tongxin; Du, Binyang; Huang, Haiying; He, Tianbai

2016-08-31

Two kinds of large-area ordered and highly tunable micro/submicro-nanopatterned surfaces in a complementary manner were successfully fabricated by elaborately combining block copolymer self-assembly and colloidal lithography. Employing a monolayer of polystyrene (PS) colloidal spheres assembled on top as etching mask, polystyrene-block-poly(2-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) or polystyrene-block-poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P4VP) micelle films were patterned into micro/submicro patches by plasma etching, which could be further transferred into micropatterned metal nanoarrays by subsequent metal precursor loading and a second plasma etching. On the other hand, micro/submicro-nanopatterns in a complementary manner were generated via preloading a metal precursor in initial micelle films before the assembly of PS colloidal spheres on top. Both kinds of micro/submicro-nanopatterns showed good fidelity at the micro/submicroscale and nanoscale; meanwhile, they could be flexibly tuned by the sample and processing parameters. Significantly, when the PS colloidal sphere size was reduced to 250 nm, a high-resolution submicro-nanostructured surface with 3-5 metal nanoparticles in each patch or a single-nanoparticle interconnected honeycomb network was achieved. Moreover, by applying gold (Au) nanoparticles as anchoring points, micronanopatterned Au arrays can serve as a flexible template to pattern bovine serum albumin (BSA) molecules. This facile and cost-effective approach may provide a novel platform for fabrication of micropatterned nanoarrays with high tunability and controllability, which are promising in the applications of biological and microelectronic fields.

Quantification of protein interaction kinetics in a micro droplet

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yin, L. L. [Center for Bioelectronics and Biosensors, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287 (United States); College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China); Wang, S. P., E-mail: shaopeng.wang@asu.edu, E-mail: njtao@asu.edu; Shan, X. N.; Tao, N. J., E-mail: shaopeng.wang@asu.edu, E-mail: njtao@asu.edu [Center for Bioelectronics and Biosensors, Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287 (United States); Zhang, S. T. [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044 (China)

2015-11-15

Characterization of protein interactions is essential to the discovery of disease biomarkers, the development of diagnostic assays, and the screening for therapeutic drugs. Conventional flow-through kinetic measurements need relative large amount of sample that is not feasible for precious protein samples. We report a novel method to measure protein interaction kinetics in a single droplet with sub microliter or less volume. A droplet in a humidity-controlled environmental chamber is replacing the microfluidic channels as the reactor for the protein interaction. The binding process is monitored by a surface plasmon resonance imaging (SPRi) system. Association curves are obtained from the average SPR image intensity in the center area of the droplet. The washing step required by conventional flow-through SPR method is eliminated in the droplet method. The association and dissociation rate constants and binding affinity of an antigen-antibody interaction are obtained by global fitting of association curves at different concentrations. The result obtained by this method is accurate as validated by conventional flow-through SPR system. This droplet-based method not only allows kinetic studies for proteins with limited supply but also opens the door for high-throughput protein interaction study in a droplet-based microarray format that enables measurement of many to many interactions on a single chip.

Selection of micro-organisms and fermentation conditions of oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) and palm press fibre (PPF)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mat Rasol Awang; Hassan Hamdani Mutaat; Tamikazu Kume; Hitoshi Ito

1998-01-01

The selection of useful microorganisms was made by trial cultivation of various cellulolytic fungi on EFB and PPF. Several fermentation conditions were performed involving adjusting alkali treatment conditions, pH, changing media composition and preparation technique of solid culture media. Basic the preparation of the solid culture media was made by dissolving inorganic salts together with micro-nutrients and then added to the alkali treated EFB and PPF. In the cultivation of mushrooms, the preparation of solid culture media was adopted from mushroom growers technique. The criteria of a good degradation ability of fungi were evaluated based on the percentage of crude fibre degradation of EFB and PPF by fungi. The nutritional values of the products such as protein was also characterised

Low-cost, high-precision micro-lensed optical fiber providing deep-micrometer to deep-nanometer-level light focusing.

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Sy-Bor; Sundaram, Vijay M; McBride, Daniel; Yang, Yu

2016-04-15

A new type of micro-lensed optical fiber through stacking appropriate high-refractive microspheres at designed locations with respect to the cleaved end of an optical fiber is numerically and experimentally demonstrated. This new type of micro-lensed optical fiber can be precisely constructed with low cost and high speed. Deep micrometer-scale and submicrometer-scale far-field light spots can be achieved when the optical fibers are multimode and single mode, respectively. By placing an appropriate teardrop dielectric nanoscale scatterer at the far-field spot of this new type of micro-lensed optical fiber, a deep-nanometer near-field spot can also be generated with high intensity and minimum joule heating, which is valuable in high-speed, high-resolution, and high-power nanoscale detection compared with traditional near-field optical fibers containing a significant portion of metallic material.

Variances in nutrient content and yield of alfalfa protein concentrate processed with five methods

Science.gov (United States)

The demand for protein is growing with increased populations and world affluence. A sustainable and affordable protein source is needed to support the growing aquaculture industry worldwide. Alfalfa produces high levels of protein and provides numerous environmental services, potentially making it a...

Nutrient uptake dynamics across a gradient of nutrient concentrations and ratios at the landscape scale

Science.gov (United States)

Gibson, Catherine A.; O'Reilly, Catherine M.; Conine, Andrea L.; Lipshutz, Sondra M.

2015-02-01

Understanding interactions between nutrient cycles is essential for recognizing and remediating human impacts on water quality, yet multielemental approaches to studying nutrient cycling in streams are currently rare. Here we utilized a relatively new approach (tracer additions for spiraling curve characterization) to examine uptake dynamics for three essential nutrients across a landscape that varied in absolute and relative nutrient availability. We measured nutrient uptake for soluble reactive phosphorous, ammonium-nitrogen, and nitrate-nitrogen in 16 headwater streams in the Catskill Mountains, New York. Across the landscape, ammonium-nitrogen and soluble reactive phosphorus had shorter uptake lengths and higher uptake velocities than nitrate-nitrogen. Ammonium-nitrogen and soluble reactive phosphorus uptake velocities were tightly correlated, and the slope of the relationship did not differ from one, suggesting strong demand for both nutrients despite the high ambient water column dissolved inorganic nitrogen: soluble reactive phosphorus ratios. Ammonium-nitrogen appeared to be the preferred form of nitrogen despite much higher nitrate-nitrogen concentrations. The uptake rate of nitrate-nitrogen was positively correlated with ambient soluble reactive phosphorus concentration and soluble reactive phosphorus areal uptake rate, suggesting that higher soluble reactive phosphorus concentrations alleviate phosphorus limitation and facilitate nitrate-nitrogen uptake. In addition, these streams retained a large proportion of soluble reactive phosphorus, ammonium-nitrogen, and nitrate-nitrogen supplied by the watershed, demonstrating that these streams are important landscape filters for nutrients. Together, these results (1) indicated phosphorus limitation across the landscape but similarly high demand for ammonium-nitrogen and (2) suggested that nitrate-nitrogen uptake was influenced by variability in soluble reactive phosphorus availability and preference for

A micro-coupling for micro mechanical systems

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Wei; Zhou, Zhixiong; Zhang, Bi; Xiao, Yunya

2016-05-01

The error motions of micro mechanical systems, such as micro-spindles, increase with the increasing of the rotational speed, which not only decreases the rotational accuracy, but also promotes instability and limits the maximum operational speed. One effective way to deal with it is to use micro-flexible couplings between the drive and driven shafts so as to reduce error motions of the driven shaft. But the conventional couplings, such as diaphragm couplings, elastomeric couplings, bellows couplings, and grooved couplings, etc, cannot be directly used because of their large and complicated structures. This study presents a novel micro-coupling that consists of a flexible coupling and a shape memory alloy (SMA)-based clamp for micro mechanical systems. It is monolithic and can be directly machined from a shaft. The study performs design optimization and provides manufacturing considerations, including thermo-mechanical training of the SMA ring for the desired Two-Way-Shape-Memory effect (TWSMe). A prototype micro-coupling and a prototype micro-spindle using the proposed coupling are fabricated and tested. The testing results show that the prototype micro-coupling can bear a torque of above 5 N • mm and an axial force of 8.5 N and be fitted with an SMA ring for clamping action at room temperature (15 °C) and unclamping action below-5 °C. At the same time, the prototype micro-coupling can work at a rotational speed of above 200 kr/min with the application to a high-speed precision micro-spindle. Moreover, the radial runout error of the artifact, as a substitute for the micro-tool, is less than 3 μm while that of turbine shaft is above 7 μm. It can be concluded that the micro-coupling successfully accommodates misalignment errors of the prototype micro-spindle. This research proposes a micro-coupling which is featured with an SMA ring, and it is designed to clamp two shafts, and has smooth transmission, simple assembly, compact structure, zero-maintenance and

A comparative study of nutrient intakes of migrant and Australian children in Western Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Owles, E N

1975-07-26

Little is known about the dietary patterns and nutrient intakes of preschool children in Australia. A study was undertaken in Perth on Australian and migrant children to obtain information on preschool diets. It was found that, although the mean nutrient intakes in both groups were adequate, some individual migrant national groups showed deficiencies of one or more nutrients. Many children were obtaining excessive calories and protein. The consumption of "empty calorie" foods was also high. In order to find different ways to teach good principles and practice of nutrition, the types of media which might influence parents were studied. It was considered that television and, to a lesser degree, radio were media which might exert a considerable effect if they were used to the best advantage. These forms of communication particularly were of potential value, as some migrant parents could not read English and some were illiterate. A positive nutrition education programme to combat commerical food advertising of "empty calorie" foods is recommended.

Aging characteristics of blue InGaN micro-light emitting diodes at an extremely high current density of 3.5 kA cm−2