Effect of Bacillus subtilis Natto on Meat Quality and Skatole Content in TOPIGS Pigs

Sheng, Q.K.,Zhou, K.F.,Hu, H.M.,Zhao, H.B.,Zhang, Y.,Ying, W. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2016 Animal Bioscience Vol.29 No.5

This study investigated the effect of Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) natto on meat quality and skatole in TOPIGS pigs. Sixty TOPIGS pigs were randomly assigned to 3 groups (including 5 pens per group, with 4 pigs in each pen) and fed with basic diet (control group), basic diet plus 0.1% B. subtilis natto (B group), and basic diet plus 0.1% B. subtilis natto plus 0.1% B. coagulans (BB group), respectively. All pigs were sacrificed at 100 kg. Growth performance, meat quality, serum parameters and oxidation status in the three groups were assessed and compared. Most parameters regarding growth performance and meat quality were not significantly different among the three groups. However, compared with the control group, meat $pH_{24}$, fat and feces skatole and the content of Escherichia coli (E. Coli), Clostridium, $NH_3$-N were significantly reduced in the B and BB groups, while serum total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein, the levels of liver P450, CYP2A6, and CYP2E1, total antioxidant capability (T-AOC) and glutathione peroxidase and Lactobacilli in feces were significantly increased in the B and BB groups. Further, the combined supplementation of B. subtilis natto and B. coagulans showed more significant effects on the parameters above compared with B. subtilis, and Clostridium, and $NH_3$-N. Our results indicate that the supplementation of pig feed with B. subtilis natto significantly improves meat quality and flavor, while its combination with B. coagulans enhanced these effects.

Enhanced strength and ductility in particulate-reinforced aluminum matrix composites fabricated by flake powder metallurgy

Kai, X.Z.,Li, Z.Q.,Fan, G.L.,Guo, Q.,Xiong, D.B.,Zhang, W.L.,Su, Y.S.,Lu, W.J.,Moon, W.J.,Zhang, D. Elsevier Sequoia 2013 Materials science & engineering. properties, micro Vol.587 No.-

Reinforcement agglomeration always leads to severe stress concentration and porosity, which is detrimental to the deformation ability and mechanical properties of particulate-reinforced metal matrix composites. In this study, uniform distribution of 32vol%B<SUB>4</SUB>C has been achieved in B<SUB>4</SUB>C/Al composite by means of flake powder metallurgy (Flake PM), in which flake Al powder is used as the starting material. The flake Al powder exhibits higher apparent volume than spherical powders of the same mass, and thus can provide more space to accommodate the B<SUB>4</SUB>C particles. Therefore, compared with conventional PM, Flake PM can lead to more uniform distribution of B<SUB>4</SUB>C particles in the composite powder as well as in the consolidated composite. Meanwhile, the flake Al powder has a nano skin of Al<SUB>2</SUB>O<SUB>3</SUB>, which could be fractured and dispersed inside the fine matrix grains during consolidation, and were found to induce a higher normalized strain hardening rate for the composite during deformation. As a result, the Flake PM 32vol%B<SUB>4</SUB>C/Al composite exhibits an ultimate tensile strength of 305MPa and a uniform elongation of 6.6%, 63% stronger and 13% more ductile than its counterpart fabricated by conventional PM.

Sulfonated Poly(arylene sulfide sulfone nitrile) Multiblock Copolymers with Ordered Morphology for Proton Exchange Membranes

Shin, Dong Won,Lee, So Young,Lee, Chang Hyun,Lee, Kwan-Soo,Park, Chi Hoon,McGrath, James E.,Zhang, Mingqiang,Moore, Robert B.,Lingwood, Mark D.,Madsen, Louis A.,Kim, Young Taek,Hwang, Inchul,Lee, Youn American Chemical Society 2013 Macromolecules Vol.46 No.19

<P>Ordered morphologies in disulfonated poly(arylene sulfide sulfone nitrile) (SPSN) copolymers were generated via thermal annealing followed by multiblock copolymer synthesis. While SPSN random copolymers (R-SPSN) showed featureless morphologies, the SPSN multiblock copolymers (B-SPSN) exhibited cocontinuous lamellar morphologies with a center-to-center interdomain size of up to 40 nm. In spite of the well-ordered, interconnected hydrophilic domains, the water self-diffusion coefficient (e.g., <I>D</I> = (0.7–2.0) × 10<SUP>–10</SUP> m<SUP>2</SUP> s<SUP>–1</SUP>) and proton conductivity (e.g., σ = 0.16–0.20 S cm<SUP>–1</SUP> in deionized water at 30 °C) through B-SPSN were lower than those of the corresponding R-SPSN (e.g., <I>D</I> = (3.5–3.9) × 10<SUP>–10</SUP> m<SUP>2</SUP> s<SUP>–1</SUP> and σ = 0.21 S cm<SUP>–1</SUP>) due to the relatively lower water uptake of the B-SPSN after thermal annealing. The reduced water uptake of B-SPSN was beneficial to reduction of peroxide degradation rate. Thermal annealing produced significant gains in morphological ordering and finer control over desired membrane properties for proton conduction applications.</P><P><B>Graphic Abstract</B> <IMG SRC='http://pubs.acs.org/appl/literatum/publisher/achs/journals/content/mamobx/2013/mamobx.2013.46.issue-19/ma400889t/production/images/medium/ma-2013-00889t_0010.gif'></P><P><A href='http://pubs.acs.org/doi/suppl/10.1021/ma400889t'>ACS Electronic Supporting Info</A></P>

Evaluation of mango saponin in broilers: effects on growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality and plasma biochemical indices

Y.N. Zhang,J. Wang,B. Qi,S.G. Wu,H.R. Chen,H.Y. Luo,D.J. Yin,F.J. Lu,H.J. Zhang,G.H. Qi 아세아·태평양축산학회 2017 Animal Bioscience Vol.30 No.8

Objective: The objective of the present study was to determine whether mango saponin (MS) could be used as a feed additive in broiler chicks by evaluating growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality, and plasma biochemical indices. Methods: A total of 216 1-d-old Arbor Acres male broiler chicks were randomly assigned into three dietary treatments supplemented with 0 (control), 0.14% (MS 0.14%), or 0.28% (MS 0.28%) MS. Each treatment had six replicates (cages) with 12 chicks each. The feeding trial lasted for six weeks. Results: Compared with the control, dietary supplemented with 0.14% or 0.28% MS increased average daily weight gain of chicks in the grower (22 to 42 d) and the whole (1 to 42 d) phases, and the final body weight of chicks on d 42 was higher in MS supplemented groups (p<0.05). Lower L45 min* (lightness) and L24 h* values, lower b24 h* (yellowness) value, and higher a45 min* (redness) and a24 h* values of the breast muscle were observed in chicks fed with 0.28% MS on d 42 (p<0.05). The total antioxidant capacity in plasma increased in MS 0.14% group on d 21 (p<0.001). Lower contents of plasma total cholesterol and triglyceride were observed in chicks fed with 0.28% MS on d 21 and d 42, whereas the group supplemented with 0.14% MS only decreased plasma triglyceride content on d 21 (p<0.05). The glucose content in plasma decreased in MS 0.28% group on d 42 (p<0.001). Conclusion: Overall, MS could be used as a feed additive in broiler chicks, and the supplemental level of 0.28% MS in diet could improve growth performance, meat quality, and plasma lipid metabolism in broiler chicks.

Electrical properties and deep traps spectra of a-plane GaN films grown on r-plane sapphire

Polyakov, A.Y.,Smirnov, N.B.,Govorkov, A.V.,Markov, A.V.,Sun, Q.,Zhang, Y.,Yerino, C.D.,Ko, T.S.,Lee, I.H.,Han, J. Elsevier 2010 Materials science & engineering. B, Advanced funct Vol.166 No.3

Electrical properties, deep traps spectra and luminescence spectra were studied for two undoped a-plane GaN (a-GaN) films grown on r-plane sapphire using metalorganic chemical vapor deposition and differing by structural perfection. For sample A, the a-GaN film was directly deposited on AlN buffer. A two-step growth scheme was implemented for sample B, including an initial islanding growth stage and a subsequent enhanced lateral growth. Preliminary detailed X-ray analysis showed that the stacking faults density was 8x10<SUP>5</SUP>cm<SUP>-1</SUP> for sample A and 1.7x10<SUP>5</SUP>cm<SUP>-1</SUP> for sample B. Electrical properties of a-GaN films were largely determined by deep traps with a level near E<SUB>c</SUB> -0.6eV, with other prominent traps having the activation energy of 0.25eV. The Fermi level was pinned by the E<SUB>c</SUB> -0.6eV deep traps for sample A, but shifted to the vicinity of the shallower 0.25eV traps for sample B, most likely due to the reduced density of the 0.6eV traps. This decrease of deep traps density is accompanied by a very pronounced improvement in the overall luminescence intensity. A correlation of the observed improvement in deep traps spectra and luminescence efficiency with the improved crystalline quality of the films is discussed.

A fractional approach to the time-temperature dependence of dynamic viscoelastic behavior

Z. L. Li,Y. Qin,B. Sun,C. L. Jia,W. J. Zhang,B. J. Yan,Q. L. Shi 대한기계학회 2019 JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Vol.33 No.1

Fractional derivative and WLF equation are effective in describing the dynamic behavior and time-temperature effect of viscoelastic damping materials, respectively. These approaches have essentially evolved from the viscoelastic constitutive behavior. Based on such intrinsic relation, a fractional time-temperature superposition principle model (FTTSPM) that integrates the fractional constitutive relation and WLF equation was proposed. The parameters of this model were determined by performing tensile and DMA tests, and the master curves at 5 °C constructed by FTTSPM and WLF equation were compared. The theoretical prediction over the extended frequency span as the master curves was made by using the fractional standard linear solid model (FSLSM) to validate FTTSPM. The numerical results show that FTTSPM conforms to the time-temperature superposition principle. The parameters α and B¢ in this model denote the impact of the material and environment on the shifted factor, respectively. For the storage and loss modulus, the extended frequency obtained by FTTSPM is broader than that obtained by the WLF equation. Moreover, the evaluation of the storage and loss modulus by FTTSPM is much closer to the theoretical prediction compared with that by the WLF equation. Therefore, FTTSPM is a concise and experiment-based approach with a higher precision and greater frequency-extended capacity compared with the WLF equation. However, FTTSPM inevitably faces a vertical shift when non-thermo-rheologically simple materials are considered. The physical mechanism and practical application of FTTSPM will be examined in further research.

Novel architecture of carbon nanotube decorated poly(methyl methacrylate) microbead vapour sensors assembled by spray layer by layer

Feller, J. F.,Lu, J.,Zhang, K.,Kumar, B.,Castro, M.,Gatt, N.,Choi, H. J. Royal Society of Chemistry 2011 Journal of materials chemistry Vol.21 No.12

<P>For the first time vapour sensors were made by assembling multi-wall carbon nanotube (CNT) decorated poly(methyl methacrylate) microbeads (PMMAµB) by spray layer by layer (sLbL). This combination of materials and technique resulted in an original hierarchical architecture with a segregated network of CNT bridging PMMAµB. The chemo-resistive behaviour of these conductive polymer nanocomposite (CPC) sensors was studied in terms of sensitivity and selectivity towards standard volatile organic compounds (VOC), as well as quantitativity and reproducibility of responses <I>A</I><SUB>r</SUB> to methanol, water, toluene and chloroform. Results show that 3D sLbL assembly allows boosting CNT network sensitivity by a factor 2 and selectivity for methanol vapour by a factor of 5. Additionally CNT-PMMAµB sensors gave responses proportional to vapour molecules content that could easily be fitted by the Langmuir–Henry-clustering model. Such sensors are thus expected to be good candidates for implementation in electronic noses.</P> <P>Graphic Abstract</P><P>Vapour sensors with original hierarchical 3D conducting architecture from CNT decorated PMMAµ beads spraying layer by layer. <IMG SRC='http://pubs.rsc.org/services/images/RSCpubs.ePlatform.Service.FreeContent.ImageService.svc/ImageService/image/GA?id=c0jm03779f'> </P>

Control of the surface atomic population of Rh_0.5Pd_0.5 bimetallic nanoparticles supported on CeO₂

Bernardi, F.,Grass, M.E.,Hong, Y.P.,Chang, R.,Jabeen, N.,Zhang, C.,Eichhorn, B.W.,Seo, B.,Alayoglu, S.,Hussain, Z.,Joo, S.H.,Liu, Z. Elsevier Science Publishers 2016 CATALYSIS TODAY - Vol.260 No.-

<P>Rh0.5Pd0.5/CeO2 bimetallic nanoparticles were subjected to reducing and oxidizing atmospheres at different temperatures and characterized by means of the Ambient Pressure X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (AP-XPS). The surface atomic population is calculated for all cases. By using a high temperature pretreatment at 480 degrees C in H-2 atmosphere, it was possible to control the surface atomic population with Pd atoms frozen at the skin layer even in an oxidizing atmosphere, which is not observed without high temperature pre-treatment (Rh atoms at the skin layer). The change of the Rh/Pd surface segregation behavior after the high temperature pre-treatment is attributed to the geometrical factor of Strong Metal Support Interaction (SMSI) effect, i.e., the occurrence of the ceria capping layer around nanoparticles. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.</P>

Four new sesqui-lignans isolated from Acanthopanax senticosus and their diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) inhibitory activity

Li, J.L.,Li, N.,Lee, H.S.,Xing, S.S.,Qi, S.Z.,Tuo, Z.D.,Zhang, L.,Li, B.B.,Chen, J.G.,Cui, L. Elsevier 2016 Fitoterapia Vol.109 No.-

<P>Four new sesqui-lignans, (7R, 7'R, 7 '' S, 8S, 8'S, 8 '' S)-4',5 ''-dihydroxy-3,5,3',4 ''-tetramethoxy-7,9':7',9-diepoxy4,8 ''-oxy-8,8'-sesquineo-lignan-7',9 ''-diol (1), (7R, 7'R, 7 '' S, 8S, 8'S, 8 '' S)-4',3'-dihydroxy-3,5,3',5',4'pentamethoxy-7,9':7',9-diepoxy-4,8'-oxy-8,8'-sesquineo-lignan-7',9'-diol (2), (7R, 7'R, 7'S, 8S, 8'S, 8'S)-3',4'dihydroxy-3,5,4',5 ''-tetramethoxy-7,9':7',9-diepoxy-4,8'-oxy-8,8'-sesquineo-lignan-7',9'-diol (3) and acanthopanax A (7) together with three known compounds (4-6) were isolated from the EtOAc-soluble extract of Acanthopanax senticosus. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic and physicochemical analyses. All the isolates were evaluated for in vitro inhibitory activity against DGAT1 and DGAT2. Among them, compounds 1-6 were found to exhibit selective inhibitory activity on DGAT1 with IC50 values ranging from 61.1 1.3 to 97.7 1.1 111\4 and compound 7 showed selective inhibition of DGAT2 with IC50 value 93.2 1.2. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.</P>

Improvement of lower hybrid current drive systems for high-power and long-pulse operation on EAST

Wang M.,Liu L.,Zhao L.M.,Li M.H.,Ma W.D.,Hu H.C.,Wu Z.G.,Feng J.Q.,Yang Y.,Zhu L.,Chen M.,Zhou T.A.,Jia H.,Zhang J.,Cao L.,Zhang L.,Liang R.R.,Ding B.J.,Zhang X.J.,Shan J.F.,Liu F.K.,Ekedahl A.,Gonich 한국원자력학회 2022 Nuclear Engineering and Technology Vol.54 No.11

Aiming at high-power and long-pulse operation up to 1000 s, some improvements have been made for both 2.45 GHz and 4.6 GHz lower hybrid (LH) systems during the recent 5 years. At first, the guard limiters of the LH antennas with graphite tiles were upgraded to tungsten, the most promising material for plasma facing components in nuclear fusion devices. These new guard limiters can operate at a peak power density of 12.9 MW/m2 . Strong hot spots were usually observed on the old graphite limiters when 4.6 GHz system operated with power >2.0 MW [B. N. Wan et al., Nucl. Fusion 57 (2017) 102019], leading to a reduction of the maximum power capability. With the new limiters, 4.6 GHz LH system, the main current drive (CD) and electron heating tool for EAST, can be operated with power >2.5 MW routinely. Long-pulse operation up to 100 s with 4.6 GHz LH power of 2.4 MW was achieved in 2021 and the maximal temperature on the guard limiters measured by an infrared (IR) camera was about 540 C, much below the permissible value of tungsten material (~1200 C). A discharge with a duration of 1056 s was achieved and the 4.6 GHz LH energy injected into the plasma was up to 1.05 GJ. Secondly, the fully-activemultijunction (FAM) launcher of 2.45 GHz system was upgraded to a passive-active-multijunction (PAM), for which the density of optimum coupling was relatively low (below the cut-off value). Good coupling with reflection coefficient ~3% has been achieved with plasma-antenna distance up to 11 cm for the new PAM. Finally, in order to eliminate the effect of ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRF) wave on 4.6 GHz LH wave coupling, the location of the ICRF launcher was changed to a port that is located 157.5 toroidally from the 4.6 GHz LH system and is not magnetically connected