Effect of Triticale Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles on Ruminal Bacterial Populations as Revealed by Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction

Wu, R.B.,Munns, K.,Li, J.Q.,John, S.J.,Wierenga, K.,Sharma, R.,Mcallister, T.A. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2011 Animal Bioscience Vol.24 No.11

Real time PCR was used in this study to determine the effect of triticale dried distillers grains with solubles (TDDGS) as a replacement for grain or barley silage in finishing diets on the presence of six classical ruminal bacterial species (Succinivibrio dextrinosolvens, Selenomonas ruminantium, Streptococcus bovis, Megasphaera elsdenii, Prevotella ruminicola and Fibrobacter succinogenes) within the rumen contents of feedlot cattle. This study was divided into a step-wise adaptation experiment (112 days) that examined the effects of adaptation to diets containing increasing levels of TDDGS up to 30% (n = 4), a short-term experiment comparing animals (n = 16) fed control, 20%, 25% or 30% TDDGS diets over 28 days, and a rapid transition experiment (56 days) where animals (n = 4) were rapidly switched from a diet containing 30% TDDGS to a barley-based diet with no TDDGS. It was found that feeding TDDGS as replacement for barley grain (control vs. 20% TDDGS) decreased 16S rRNA copy numbers of starch-fermenting S. ruminantium and S. bovis (p<0.001 and p = 0.04, respectively), but did not alter 16S rRNA copy numbers of the other rumen bacteria. Furthermore, feeding TDDGS as a replacement barley silage (20% vs. 25% and 30% TDDGS) increased 16S rRNA copy numbers of S. ruminantium, M. elsdenii and F. succinogenes (p<0.001; p = 0.03 and p<0.001, respectively), but decreased (p<0.001) the 16S rRNA copy number of P. ruminicola. Upon removal of 30% TDDGS and return to the control diet, 16S rRNA copy numbers of S. ruminantium, M. elsdenii and F. succinogenes decreased (p = 0.01; p = 0.03 and p = 0.01, respectively), but S. dextrinosolvens and S. bovis increased (p = 0.04 and p = 0.009, respectively). The results suggest that replacement of TDDGS for grain reduces 16S rRNA copy numbers of starch-fermenting bacteria, whereas substitution for barley silage increases 16S rRNA copy numbers of bacteria involved in fibre digestion and the metabolism of lactic acid. This outcome supports the contention that the fibre in TDDGS is highly fermentable.

Evaluation of VIIRS, GOCI, and MODIS Collection 6 AOD retrievals against ground sunphotometer observations over East Asia

Xiao, Q.,Zhang, H.,Choi, M.,Li, S.,Kondragunta, S.,Kim, J.,Holben, B.,Levy, R. C.,Liu, Y. Copernicus GmbH 2016 Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Vol.16 No.3

<P>Abstract. Persistent high aerosol loadings together with extremely high population densities have raised serious air quality and public health concerns in many urban centers in East Asia. However, ground-based air quality monitoring is relatively limited in this area. Recently, satellite-retrieved Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) at high resolution has become a powerful tool to characterize aerosol patterns in space and time. Using ground AOD observations from the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) and the Distributed Regional Aerosol Gridded Observation Networks (DRAGON)-Asia Campaign, as well as from handheld sunphotometers, we evaluated emerging aerosol products from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) aboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (S-NPP), the Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI) aboard the Communication, Ocean, and Meteorology Satellite (COMS), and Terra and Aqua Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) (Collection 6) in East Asia in 2012 and 2013. In the case study in Beijing, when compared with AOD observations from handheld sunphotometers, 51 % of VIIRS Environmental Data Record (EDR) AOD, 37 % of GOCI AOD, 33 % of VIIRS Intermediate Product (IP) AOD, 26 % of Terra MODIS C6 3 km AOD, and 16 % of Aqua MODIS C6 3 km AOD fell within the reference expected error (EE) envelope (±0.05 ± 0.15 AOD). Comparing against AERONET AOD over the Japan-South Korea region, 64 % of EDR, 37 % of IP, 61 % of GOCI, 39 % of Terra MODIS, and 56 % of Aqua MODIS C6 3 km AOD fell within the EE. In general, satellite aerosol products performed better in tracking the day-to-day variability than tracking the spatial variability at high resolutions. The VIIRS EDR and GOCI products provided the most accurate AOD retrievals, while VIIRS IP and MODIS C6 3 km products had positive biases. </P>

32 EFFECTS OF FUSION/ACTIVATION METHODS ON DEVELOPMENT OF EMBRYOS PRODUCED BY NUCLEAR TRANSFER OF PORCINE FETAL FIBROBLASTS

Cong, P. Q.,Song, E. S.,Kim, E. S.,Li, Z. H.,Yi, Y. J.,Park, C. S. CSIRO Publishing 2007 Reproduction, fertility, and development Vol.19 No.1

<P> Pigs have become increasingly important in the field of biomedical research, and interest has grown in the use of transgenic cloned pigs as potential xenograft donors. The present study were carried out to investigate the effects of intensity of DC pulse, number of DC pulses, and equilibration before fusion/activation on developmental ability of porcine embryos derived from nuclear transfer. Porcine cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were cultured in modified TCM-199 (mTCM-199) medium for 44 h at 38.5�C, 5% CO2 in air. After in vitro maturation (IVM), metaphase II oocytes were selected for enucleation. Porcine fetal fibroblasts were obtained from a porcine fetus on Day 35 of gestation as donor cells. Oocytes were enucleated by removing, with a micropipette, the first polar body along with adjacent cytoplasm containing the metaphase plate; then a donor cell was injected in contact with the cytoplasm of each oocyte. In experiment 1, several different fusion/activation intensities (two DC pulses of 0.4, 0.8, 1.2, 1.6, and 2.0 kV cm-1 for 30 �s) were carried out to investigate the effect on the development of nuclear transfer embryos. In experiment 2, the reconstructed oocytes were fused and activated with 1, 2, or 3 DC pulses of 1.2 kV cm-1 for 30 �s. In experiment 3, reconstructed oocytes were equilibrated in mTCM-199 medium at 38.5�C, 5% CO2 for 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 h. After equilibration, the reconstructed oocytes were fused and activated with one DC pulse of 1.2 kV cm-1 for 30 �s in fusion medium. The reconstructed embryos were transferred into PZM-3 medium containing 0.3% BSA for further culture. The rates of embryo cleavage and development of blastocyst stage were evaluated at 48 h and 6-7 days, respectively. The cell numbers of blastocysts were counted by using Hoechst 33342 epifluorescence staining. Data were analyzed by ANOVA and Duncan </P>

α-Cyperone Alleviates Lung Cell Injury Caused by Staphylococcus aureus via Attenuation of α-Hemolysin Expression

( Luo M ),( J Qiu ),( Y Zhang ),( J Dong ),( H Li ),( B Leng ),( Q Zhang ),( X Dai ),( X Niu ),( S Zhao ),( X Deng ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2012 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.22 No.8

In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of a-cyperone on S. aureus. We used a hemolysin test to examine the hemolytic activity in supernatants of S. aureus cultured with increasing concentrations of a-cyperone. In addition, we evaluated the production of a-hemolysin (Hla) by Western blotting. Real-time RT-PCR was performed to test the expression of hla (the gene encoding Hla) and agr (accessory gene regulator). Furthermore, we investigated the protective effect of a-cyperone on Hla-induced injury of A549 lung cells by live/dead and cytotoxicity assays. We showed that in the presence of subinhibitory concentrations of a-cyperone, Hla production was markedly inhibited. Moreover, a-cyperone protected lung cells from Hla-induced injury. These findings indicate that a-cyperone is a promising inhibitor of Hla production by S. aureus and protects lung cells from this bacterium. Thus, a-cyperone may provide the basis for a new strategy to combat S. aureus pneumonia.

Evolution of self-assembled Ag nanostructures on c-plane sapphire by the systematic control of annealing temperature

Sui, M.,Pandey, P.,Kunwar, S.,Li, M.-Y.,Zhang, Q.,Lee, J. Elsevier 2016 Superlattices and microstructures Vol.100 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>The morphological evolution of various Ag nanostructures on <I>c</I>-plane sapphire is systematically investigated through the solid-state-dewetting by the control of annealing temperature between 200 and 950 °C with the Ag films of 60 and 10 nm. Various configurations of Ag nanostructures including Ag voids, wiggly and round nanoparticles are fabricated with the 60 nm due to the annealing temperature dependent surface diffusion, surface energy minimization and Ag sublimation. As a sharp distinction, highly dense semi-spherical nanoparticles are fabricated with the 10 nm set throughout the temperature range due to a much higher dewetting degree induced by the enhanced surface diffusion with a much thinner film. The reflectance spectra shows a spectral shift along with the size variation, i.e. blue shift with the decreased size and vice versa. The reflectance and Raman spectra reveal a sharp distinction between the two sets along with the strong correlation to the nanostructure morphology.</P> <P><B>Highlights</B></P> <P> <UL> <LI> Various configurations of self-assembled Ag nanostructures on c-plane sapphire. </LI> <LI> Single configuration Ag nanoparticles throughout the range with a thinner film. </LI> <LI> Detailed morphology study by SEM and AFM. </LI> <LI> Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy confirmation of consistent sublimation above 650 °C. </LI> <LI> Reflectance and Raman of various configurations of Ag nanostructures. </LI> </UL> </P>

Monitoring of wind effects on an instrumented low-rise building during severe tropical storm

Li, Q.S.,Hu, S.Y. Techno-Press 2015 Wind and Structures, An International Journal (WAS Vol.20 No.3

A full-scale instrumented low-rise building with gable roof was built at a coastal site with a high incidence of tropical cyclones for monitoring of wind effects on the building during windstorms. This paper presents the field measurements of the wind velocity field around and the wind-induced pressures on the low-rise building during the passage of severe tropical storm Soudelor. Near-ground wind characteristics such as wind speed, wind direction, turbulence intensity, gust factor, turbulence integral length scale and wind velocity spectra were investigated. The wind-induced pressures on the roof of the building were analyzed and discussed. The results revealed that the eave and ridge edges on the roof were subjected to the most severe suction pressures under quartering winds. These suction pressures showed obvious non-Gaussian behavior. The measured results were compared with the provisions of ASCE 7-10 to assess the suitability of the code of practice for the wind-resistant design of low-rise buildings under tropical cyclones. The field study aims to provide useful information that can enhance our understanding of the extreme wind effects on low-rise buildings in an effort to reduce tropical cyclone wind damages to residential buildings.

Classes of exact solutions for several static and dynamic problems of non-uniform beams

Li, Q.S. Techno-Press 2001 Structural Engineering and Mechanics, An Int'l Jou Vol.12 No.1

In this paper, an analytical procedure for solving several static and dynamic problems of non-uniform beams is proposed. It is shown that the governing differential equations for several stability, free vibration and static problems of non-uniform beams can be written in the from of a unified self-conjugate differential equation of the second-order. There are two functions in the unified equation, unlike most previous researches dealing with this problem, one of the functions is selected as an arbitrary expression in this paper, while the other one is expressed as a functional relation with the arbitrary function. Using appropriate functional transformation, the self-conjugate equation is reduced to Bessel's equation or to other solvable ordinary differential equations for several cases that are important in engineering practice. Thus, classes of exact solutions of the self-conjugate equation for several static and dynamic problems are derived. Numerical examples demonstrate that the results calculated by the proposed method and solutions are in good agreement with the corresponding experimental data, and the proposed procedure is a simple, efficient and exact method.

Overexpression of codA gene confers enhanced tolerance to abiotic stresses in alfalfa

Li, H.,Wang, Z.,Ke, Q.,Ji, C.Y.,Jeong, J.C.,Lee, H.S.,Lim, Y.P.,Xu, B.,Deng, X.P.,Kwak, S.S. Gauthier-Villars ; Elsevier Science Ltd 2014 Plant physiology and biochemistry Vol.85 No.-

We generated transgenic alfalfa plants (Medicago sativa L. cv. Xinjiang Daye) expressing a bacterial codA gene in chloroplasts under the control of the SWPA2 promoter (referred to as SC plants) and evaluated the plants under various abiotic stress conditions. Three transgenic plants (SC7, SC8, and SC9) were selected for further characterization based on the strong expression levels of codA in response to methyl viologen (MV)-mediated oxidative stress. SC plants showed enhanced tolerance to NaCl and drought stress on the whole plant level due to induced expression of codA. When plants were subjected to 250 mM NaCl treatment for 2 weeks, SC7 and SC8 plants maintained higher chlorophyll contents and lower malondialdehyde levels than non-transgenic (NT) plants. Under drought stress conditions, all SC plants showed enhanced tolerance to drought stress through maintaining high relative water contents and increased levels of glycinebetaine and proline compared to NT plants. Under normal conditions, SC plants exhibited increased growth due to increased expression of auxin-related IAA genes compared to NT plants. These results suggest that the SC plants generated in this study will be useful for enhanced biomass production on global marginal lands, such as high salinity and arid lands, yielding a sustainable agricultural product.

Controllable seeding of single crystal graphene islands from graphene oxide flakes

Li, Q.,Zhang, C.,Lin, W.,Huang, Z.,Zhang, L.,Li, H.,Chen, X.,Cai, W.,Ruoff, R.S.,Chen, S. Pergamon Press ; Elsevier Science Ltd 2014 Carbon Vol.79 No.-

Graphene oxide (G-O) flakes were used to seed the growth of single crystal graphene islands by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on Cu foil. Such islands have the G-O seed (which converts to a 'reduced graphene oxide' (rG-O) seed due to the CVD growth conditions used) roughly in the center of the islands. The lateral growth of such single crystal graphene islands was studied by carbon isotope labeling and Raman spectroscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy and selected area electron diffraction. By changing the concentration of G-O in the aqueous dispersion used to deposit the G-O flakes onto the Cu foil by dip-coating, the size of the seeded graphene islands could be precisely controlled on the Cu foil. The crystal orientation of the single crystal graphene islands was found to be identical to that of the G-O seeds.

Investigation of the effects of free-stream turbulence on wind-induced responses of tall building by Large Eddy Simulation

Li, Q.S.,Hu, G.,Yan, Bo-Wen Techno-Press 2014 Wind and Structures, An International Journal (WAS Vol.18 No.6

In this study, a square rectangular tall building is considered to investigate the effects of turbulence integral length scale and turbulence intensity on the along-wind responses, across-wind responses and torsional responses of the tall building by Large Eddy Simulation (LES). A recently proposed inflow turbulence generator called the discretizing and synthesizing random flow generation (DSRFG) approach is applied to simulate turbulent flow fields. It has been proved that the approach is able to generate a fluctuating turbulent flow field satisfying any given spectrum, desired turbulence intensity and wind speed profiles. Five profiles of turbulence integral length scale and turbulence intensity are respectively generated for the inflow fields by the DSRFG approach for investigating the effects of turbulence integral length scale and turbulence intensity on the wind-induced responses of the tall building. The computational results indicate that turbulence integral length scale does not have significant effect on the along-wind (displacement, velocity and acceleration) responses, across-wind displacement and velocity responses, while the across-wind acceleration and torsional responses vary without a clear rule with the parameter. On the other hand, the along-wind, across-wind and torsional responses increase with the growth of turbulence intensity.