Effects of Combining Feed Grade Urea and a Slow-release Urea Product on Characteristics of Digestion, Microbial Protein Synthesis and Digestible Energy in Steers Fed Diets with Different Starch:ADF Ratios

Lopez-Soto, M.A.,Rivera-Mendez, C.R.,Aguilar-Hernandez, J.A.,Barreras, A.,Calderon-Cortes, J.F.,Plascencia, A.,Davila-Ramos, H.,Estrada-Angulo, A.,Valdes-Garcia, Y.S. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2014 Animal Bioscience Vol.27 No.2

As a result of the cost of grains, the replacement of grains by co-products (i.e. DDGS) in feedlot diets is a common practice. This change produces diets that contain a lower amount of starch and greater amount of fibre. Hypothetically, combining feed grade urea (U) with slow release urea (Optigen) in this type of diet should elicit a better synchrony between starch (high-rate of digestion) and fibre (low-rate of digestion) promoting a better microbial protein synthesis and ruminal digestion with increasing the digestible energy of the diet. Four cannulated Holstein steers ($213{\pm}4$ kg) were used in a $4{\times}4$ Latin square design to examine the combination of Optigen and U in a finishing diet containing different starch:acid detergent fibre ratios (S:F) on the characteristics of digestive function. Three S:F ratios (3.0, 4.5, and 6.0) were tested using a combination of U (0.80%) and Optigen (1.0%). Additionally, a treatment of 4.5 S:F ratio with urea (0.80% in ration) as the sole source of non-protein nitrogen was used to compare the effect of urea combination at same S:F ratio. The S:F ratio of the diet was manipulated by replacing the corn grain by dried distillers grain with solubles and roughage. Urea combination did not affect ruminal pH. The S:F ratio did not affect ruminal pH at 0 and 2 h post-feeding but, at 4 and 6 h, the ruminal pH decreased as the S:F ratio increased (linear, p<0.05). Ruminal digestion of OM, starch and feed N were not affected by urea combination or S:F ratio. The urea combination did not affect ADF ruminal digestion. ADF ruminal digestion decreased linearly (p = 0.02) as the S:F ratio increased. Compared to the urea treatment (p<0.05) and within the urea combination treatment (quadratic, p<0.01), the flow of microbial nitrogen (MN) to the small intestine and ruminal microbial efficiency were greater for the urea combination at a S:F ratio of 4.5. Irrespective of the S:F ratio, the urea combination improved (2.8%, p = 0.02) postruminal N digestion. As S:F ratio increased, OM digestion increased, but ADF total tract digestion decreased. The combination of urea at 4.5 S:F improved (2%, p = 0.04) the digestible energy (DE) more than expected. Combining urea and Optigen resulted in positive effects on the MN flow and DE of the diet, but apparently these advantages are observed only when there is a certain proportion of starch:ADF in the diet.

Effects of Combining Feed Grade Urea and a Slow-release Urea Product on Performance, Dietary Energetics and Carcass Characteristics of Feedlot Lambs Fed Finishing Diets with Different Starch to Acid Detergent Fiber Ratios

Estrada-Angulo, A.,Lopez-Soto, M.A.,Rivera-Mendez, C.R.,Castro, B.I.,Rios, F.G.,Davila-Ramos, H.,Barreras, A.,Urias-Estrada, J.D.,Zinn, R.A.,Plascencia, A. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2016 Animal Bioscience Vol.29 No.12

Recent findings have shown that microbial nitrogen flow and digestible energy of diets are increased when urea is combined with a slow-release urea (SRU) in diets with a starch to acid detergent fibre ratio (S:F) 4:1. This affect is attributable to enhanced synchrony between ruminal N availability for microbial growth and carbohydrate degradation. To verify the magnitude of this effects on lamb performance, an experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of combining urea and a SRU in diets containing S:F ratios of 3:1, 4:1, or 5:1 on performance, dietary energetics and carcass characteristics of finishing lambs. For that, 40 Pelibuey${\times}$Katahdin lambs ($36.65{\pm}3kg$) were assigned to one of five weight groupings in 20 pens (5 repetition/treatments). The S:F ratio in the diet was manipulated by partially replacing the corn grain and dried distiller's grain with solubles by forage (wheat straw) and soybean meal to reach S:F ratios of 3:1, 4:1 or 5:1. An additional treatment of 4:1 S:F ratio with 0.8% urea as the sole source of non-protein nitrogen was used as a reference for comparing the effect of urea combination vs. conventional urea at the same S:F ratio. There were no treatment effects on dry matter intake (DMI). Compared the urea combination vs urea at the same S:F ratio, urea combination increased (p<0.01) average daily gain (ADG, 18.3%), gain for feed (G:F, 9.5%), and apparent energy retention per unit DMI (8.2%). Irrespective of the S:F ratio, the urea combination improved the observed-to-expected dietary ratio and apparent retention per unit DMI was maximal (quadratic effect, $p{\leq}0.03$) at an S:F ratio of 4:1, while the conventional urea treatment did not modify the observed-to-expected net energy ratio nor the apparent retention per unit DMI at 4:1 S:F ratio. Urea combination group tended (3.8%, p = 0.08) to have heavier carcasses with no effects on the rest of carcass characteristics. As S:F ratio increased, ADG, G:F, dietary net energy, carcass weight, dressing percentage and longissimus thoracis (LM) area increased linearly ($p{\leq}0.02$). Combining urea and a slow-release urea product results in positive effects on growth performance and dietary energetics, but the best responses are apparently observed when there is a certain proportion (S:F ratio = 4:1) of starch to acid detergent fibre in the diet.

Histone deacetylase 11: A novel epigenetic regulator of myeloid derived suppressor cell expansion and function

Sahakian, E.,Powers, J.J.,Chen, J.,Deng, S.L.,Cheng, F.,Distler, A.,Woods, D.M.,Rock-Klotz, J.,Sodre, A.L.,Youn, J.I.,Woan, K.V.,Villagra, A.,Gabrilovich, D.,Sotomayor, E.M.,Pinilla-Ibarz, J. Pergamon Press 2015 Molecular immunology Vol.63 No.2

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), a heterogeneous population of cells capable of suppressing anti-tumor T cell function in the tumor microenvironment, represent an imposing obstacle in the development of cancer immunotherapeutics. Thus, identifying elements essential to the development and perpetuation of these cells will undoubtedly improve our ability to circumvent their suppressive impact. HDAC11 has emerged as a key regulator of IL-10 gene expression in myeloid cells, suggesting that this may represent an important targetable axis through which to dampen MDSC formation. Using a murine transgenic reporter model system where eGFP expression is controlled by the HDAC11 promoter (Tg-HDAC11-eGFP), we provide evidence that HDAC11 appears to function as a negative regulator of MDSC expansion/function in vivo. MDSCs isolated from EL4 tumor-bearing Tg-HDAC11-eGFP display high expression of eGFP, indicative of HDAC11 transcriptional activation at steady state. In striking contrast, immature myeloid cells in tumor-bearing mice display a diminished eGFP expression, implying that the transition of IMC to MDSC's require a decrease in the expression of HDAC11, where we postulate that it acts as a gate-keeper of myeloid differentiation. Indeed, tumor-bearing HDAC11-knockout mice (HDAC11-KO) demonstrate a more suppressive MDSC population as compared to wild-type (WT) tumor-bearing control. Notably, the HDAC11-KO tumor-bearing mice exhibit enhanced tumor growth kinetics when compare to the WT control mice. Thus, through a better understanding of this previously unknown role of HDAC11 in MDSC expansion and function, rational development of targeted epigenetic modifiers may allow us to thwart a powerful barrier to efficacious immunotherapies.

Measurement of the forward-backward asymmetry of top-quark and antiquark pairs using the full CDF Run II data set

Aaltonen, T.,Amerio, S.,Amidei, D.,Anastassov, A.,Annovi, A.,Antos, J.,Apollinari, G.,Appel, J. A.,Arisawa, T.,Artikov, A.,Asaadi, J.,Ashmanskas, W.,Auerbach, B.,Aurisano, A.,Azfar, F.,Badgett, W.,Bae American Physical Society 2016 Physical review. D Vol.93 No.11

<P>We measure the forward-backward asymmetry of the production of top-quark and antiquark pairs in proton-antiproton collisions at center-of-mass energy root s = 1.96 TeV using the full data set collected by the Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF) in Tevatron Run II corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9.1 fb(-1). The asymmetry is characterized by the rapidity difference between top quarks and antiquarks (Delta y) and measured in the final state with two charged leptons (electrons and muons). The inclusive asymmetry, corrected to the entire phase space at parton level, is measured to be A(FB)(t (t) over bar) = 0.12 +/- 0.13, consistent with the expectations from the standard model (SM) and previous CDF results in the final state with a single charged lepton. The combination of the CDF measurements of the inclusive A(FB)(t (t) over bar) in both final states yields A(FB)(t (t) over bar) 0.160 +/- 0.045, which is consistent with the SM predictions. We also measure the differential asymmetry as a function of Delta y. A linear fit to A(FB)(t (t) over bar) (vertical bar Delta y vertical bar),assuming zero asymmetry at Delta y = 0, yields a slope of alpha = 0.14 +/- 0.15, consistent with the SM prediction and the previous CDF determination in the final state with a single charged lepton. The combined slope of A(FB)(t (t) over bar) (vertical bar Delta y vertical bar) the two final states is alpha = 0.227 +/- 0.057, which is 2.0 sigma larger than the SM prediction.</P>

Search for a heavy resonance decaying into a Z boson and a vector boson in the ν ν ¯ q q ¯ $$ \nu \overline{\nu}\mathrm{q}\overline{\mathrm{q}} $$ final state

Sirunyan, A. M.,Tumasyan, A.,Adam, W.,Ambrogi, F.,Asilar, E.,Bergauer, T.,Brandstetter, J.,Brondolin, E.,Dragicevic, M.,Erö,, J.,Escalante Del Valle, A.,Flechl, M.,Friedl, M.,Frü,hwirth, R.,Gh Institute of Physics Pub 2018 The journal of high energy physics Vol.2018 No.7

<P>A search is presented for a heavy resonance decaying into either a pair of Z bosons or a Z boson and a W boson (ZZ or WZ), with a Z boson decaying into a pair of neutrinos and the other boson decaying hadronically into two collimated quarks that are reconstructed as a highly energetic large-cone jet. The search is performed using the data collected with the CMS detector at the CERN LHC during 2016 in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb(-1). No excess is observed in data with regard to background expectations. Results are interpreted in scenarios of physics beyond the standard model. Limits at 95% confidence level on production cross sections are set at 0.9 fb (63 fb) for spin-1 W' bosons, included in the heavy vector triplet model, with mass 4.0 TeV (1.0 TeV), and at 0.5 fb (40 fb) for spin-2 bulk gravitons with mass 4.0 TeV (1.0 TeV). Lower limits are set on the masses of W' bosons in the context of two versions of the heavy vector triplet model of 3.1 TeV and 3.4 TeV, respectively.</P>

Search for a heavy resonance decaying to a pair of vector bosons in the lepton plus merged jet final state at s = 13 $$ \sqrt{s}=13 $$ TeV

Sirunyan, A. M.,Tumasyan, A.,Adam, W.,Ambrogi, F.,Asilar, E.,Bergauer, T.,Brandstetter, J.,Brondolin, E.,Dragicevic, M.,Erö,, J.,Escalante Del Valle, A.,Flechl, M.,Friedl, M.,Frü,hwirth, R.,Gh Institute of Physics Pub 2018 The journal of high energy physics Vol.2018 No.5

<P>A search for a new heavy particle decaying to a pair of vector bosons (WW or WZ) is presented using data from the CMS detector corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb(-1) collected in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV in 2016. One of the bosons is required to be a W boson decaying to e nu or mu nu, while the other boson is required to be reconstructed as a single massive jet with substructure compatible with that of a highly-energetic quark pair from a W or Z boson decay. The search is performed in the resonance mass range between 1.0 and 4.4 TeV. The largest deviation from the background-only hypothesis is observed for a mass near 1.4 TeV and corresponds to a local significance of 2.5 standard deviations. The result is interpreted as an upper bound on the resonance production cross section. Comparing the excluded cross section values and the expectations from theoretical calculations in the bulk graviton and heavy vector triplet models, spin-2 WW resonances with mass smaller than 1.07 TeV and spin-1 WZ resonances lighter than 3.05 TeV, respectively, are excluded at 95% confidence level.</P>

Toward compact and ultra-intense laser-based soft x-ray lasers

Sebban, S,Depresseux, A,Oliva, E,Gautier, J,Tissandier, F,Nejdl, J,Kozlova, M,Maynard, G,Goddet, J P,Tafzi, A,Lifschitz, A,Kim, H T,Jacquemot, S,Rousseau, P,Zeitoun, P,Rousse, A IOP 2018 Plasma physics and controlled fusion Vol.60 No.1

<P>We report here recent work on an optical field ionized (OFI), high-order harmonic-seeded EUV laser. The amplifying medium is a plasma of nickel-like krypton obtained by OFI when focusing a 1 J, 30 fs, circularly-polarized, infrared pulse into a krypton-filled gas cell or krypton gas jet. The lasing transition is the 3d<SUP>9</SUP>4d (<I>J</I>?=?0)?→?3d<SUP>9</SUP>4p (<I>J</I>?=?1) transition of Ni-like krypton ions at 32.8 nm and is pumped by collisions with hot electrons. The gain dynamics was probed by seeding the amplifier with a high-order harmonic pulse at different delays. The gain duration monotonically decreased from 7 ps to an unprecedented shortness of 450 fs full width at half-maximum as the amplification peak rose from 150 to 1200 with an increase of the plasma density from 3?×?10<SUP>18</SUP> to 1.2?×?10<SUP>20</SUP> cm<SUP>−3</SUP>. The integrated energy of the EUV laser pulse was also measured, and found to be around 2 <I>μ</I>J. It is to be noted that in the ASE mode, longer amplifiers were achieved (up to 2 cm), yielding EUV outputs up to 14 <I>μ</I>J.</P>

REVISITING THE MICROLENSING EVENT OGLE 2012-BLG-0026: A SOLAR MASS STAR WITH TWO COLD GIANT PLANETS

Beaulieu, J.-P.,Bennett, D. P.,Batista, V.,Fukui, A.,Marquette, J.-B.,Brillant, S.,Cole, A. A.,Rogers, L. A.,Sumi, T.,Abe, F.,Bhattacharya, A.,Koshimoto, N.,Suzuki, D.,Tristram, P. J.,Han, C.,Gould, A American Astronomical Society 2016 The Astrophysical Journal Vol.824 No.2

<P>Two cold gas giant planets orbiting a G-type main-sequence star in the galactic disk were previously discovered in the high-magnification microlensing event OGLE-2012-BLG-0026. Here, we present revised host star flux measurements and a refined model for the two-planet system using additional light curve data. We performed high angular resolution adaptive optics imaging with the Keck and Subaru telescopes at two epochs while the source star was still amplified. We detected the lens flux, H = 16.39 +/- 0.08. The lens, a disk star, is brighter than predicted from the modeling in the original study. We revisited the light curve modeling using additional photometric data from the B&C telescope in New Zealand and CTIO 1.3 m H-band light curve. We then include the Keck and Subaru adaptive optic observation constraints. The system is composed of a similar to 4-9 Gyr lens star of M-lens = 1.06 +/- 0.05 M circle dot at a distance of D-lens = 4.0 +/- 0.3 kpc, orbited by two giant planets of 0.145 +/- 0.008 M-Jup and 0.86 +/- 0.06 M-Jup, with projected separations of 4.0 +/- 0.5 au and 4.8 +/- 0.7 au, respectively. Because the lens is brighter than the source star by 16 +/- 8% in H, with no other blend within one arcsec, it will be possible to estimate its metallicity using subsequent IR spectroscopy with 8-10 m class telescopes. By adding a constraint on the metallicity it will be possible to refine the age of the system.</P>

OGLE-2012-BLG-0563Lb: A SATURN-MASS PLANET AROUND AN M DWARF WITH THE MASS CONSTRAINED BY<i>SUBARU</i>AO IMAGING

Fukui, A.,Gould, A.,Sumi, T.,Bennett, D. P.,Bond, I. A.,Han, C.,Suzuki, D.,Beaulieu, J.-P.,Batista, V.,Udalski, A.,Street, R. A.,Tsapras, Y.,Hundertmark, M.,Abe, F.,Bhattacharya, A.,Freeman, M.,Itow, IOP Publishing 2015 The Astrophysical journal Vol.809 No.1

<P>We report the discovery of a microlensing exoplanet OGLE-2012-BLG-0563Lb with the planet-star mass ratio of similar to 1 x 10(-3). Intensive photometric observations of a high-magnification microlensing event allow us to detect a clear signal of the planet. Although no parallax signal is detected in the light curve, we instead succeed at detecting the flux from the host star in high-resolution JHK'-band images obtained by the Subaru/AO188 and Infrared Camera and Spectrograph instruments, allowing us to constrain the absolute physical parameters of the planetary system. With the help of spectroscopic information about the source star obtained during the high-magnification state by Bensby et al., we find that the lens system is located at 1.3(-0.8)(+0.6) kpc from us, and consists of an M dwarf (0.34(-0.20)(+0.12)M(circle dot)) orbited by a Saturn-mass planet (0.39(-0.23)(+0.14)M(Jup)) at the projected separation of 0.74(-0.42)(+0.26)AU (close model) or 4.3(-2.5)(+1.5)AU (wide model). The probability of contamination in the host star's flux, which would reduce the masses by a factor of up to three, is estimated to be 17%. This possibility can be tested by future high-resolution imaging. We also estimate the (J - K-s) and (H - K-s) colors of the host star, which are marginally consistent with a low metallicity mid-to-early M dwarf, although further observations are required for the metallicity to be conclusive. This is the fifth sub-Jupiter-mass (0.2 < m(p)/M-Jup < 1) microlensing planet around an M dwarf with the mass well constrained. The relatively rich harvest of sub-Jupiters around M dwarfs is contrasted with a possible paucity of similar to 1-2 Jupiter-mass planets around the same type of star, which can be explained by the planetary formation process in the core-accretion scheme.</P>

Search for a new scalar resonance decaying to a pair of Z bosons in proton-proton collisions at s = 13 $$ sqrt{s}=13 $$ TeV

Sirunyan, A. M.,Tumasyan, A.,Adam, W.,Ambrogi, F.,Asilar, E.,Bergauer, T.,Brandstetter, J.,Brondolin, E.,Dragicevic, M.,Erö,, J.,Escalante Del Valle, A.,Flechl, M.,Friedl, M.,Frü,hwirth, R.,Gh Institute of Physics Pub 2018 The journal of high energy physics Vol.2018 No.6

<P>A search for a new scalar resonance decaying to a pair of Z bosons is performed in the mass range from 130 GeV to 3TeV, and for various width scenarios. The analysis is based on proton-proton collisions recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC in 2016, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb(-1) at a center-of-mass energy of 13TeV. The Z boson pair decays are reconstructed using the 4l, 2l2q, and 2l2 nu final states, where l = e or mu. Both gluon fusion and electroweak production of the scalar resonance are considered, with a free parameter describing their relative cross sections. A dedicated categorization of events, based on the kinematic properties of associated jets, and matrix element techniques are employed for an optimal signal and background separation. A description of the interference between signal and background amplitudes for a resonance of an arbitrary width is included. No significant excess of events with respect to the standard model expectation is observed and limits are set on the product of the cross section for a new scalar boson and the branching fraction for its decay to ZZ for a large range of masses and widths.</P>