Microsatellite-based Genetic Diversity and Evolutionary Relationships of Six Dog Breeds

Ye, J.-H.,Ren, D.-R.,Xie, A.-F.,Wu, X.-P.,Xu, L.,Fu, P.-F.,Zhao, H.-A.,Yang, Qianyong Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2009 Animal Bioscience Vol.22 No.8

The Tibetan Mastiff is one of the most archaic, ferocious and the largest dogs in the world. The Kunming dog is the chief working-dog breed in China. In this study, ten microsatellite loci were used to assess the genetic diversity and evolutionary relationships in six dog breeds, including Tibetan Mastiff, Kunming dog, Belgian Malinois, Labrador Retriever, English Springer Spaniel, and German Shepherd. The highest genetic diversity was exhibited by the Tibetan Mastiff, indicating useful protection and little inbreeding in the modern Tibetan Mastiff. Higher genetic diversity was observed in European breeds, supporting the hypotheses that breeders outcross their pure breed dogs occasionally to avoid deleterious effects in Europe. Evolutionary relationships showed that English Springer Spaniel and Labrador Retriever were clustered together, then with the Tibetan Mastiff, consistent with previous cluster results. German Shepherd and Kunming dog were grouped together, coinciding with the breeding history of Kunming dog. It is the first time that Tibetan Mastiff and Kunming dog have been analyzed with microsatellites.

Magnetic stripe melting at the spin reorientation transition inFe∕Ni∕Cu(001)

Won, C.,Wu, Y. Z.,Choi, J.,Kim, W.,Scholl, A.,Doran, A.,Owens, T.,Wu, J.,Jin, X. F.,Zhao, H. W.,Qiu, Z. Q. American Physical Society 2005 Physical review. B, Condensed matter and materials Vol.71 No.22

Measurement of the Target-Normal Single-Spin Asymmetry in Deep-Inelastic Scattering from the Reaction He3↑(e,e′)X

Katich, J.,Qian, X.,Zhao, Y. X.,Allada, K.,Aniol, K.,Annand, J. R. M.,Averett, T.,Benmokhtar, F.,Bertozzi, W.,Bradshaw, P. C.,Bosted, P.,Camsonne, A.,Canan, M.,Cates, G. D.,Chen, C.,Chen, J.-P.,Chen, American Physical Society 2014 Physical Review Letters Vol.113 No.2

<P>We report the first measurement of the target-normal single-spin asymmetry in deep-inelastic scattering from the inclusive reaction 3)He()(e,e')X on a polarized (3)He gas target. Assuming time-reversal invariance, this asymmetry is strictly zero in the Born approximation but can be nonzero if two-photon-exchange contributions are included. The experiment, conducted at Jefferson Lab using a 5.89 GeV electron beam, covers a range of 1.7<W<2.9??GeV, 1.0<Q(2)<4.0??GeV(2) and 0.16<x<0.65. Neutron asymmetries were extracted using the effective nucleon polarization and measured proton-to-(3)He cross-section ratios. The measured neutron asymmetries are negative with an average value of (-1.090.38)10(-2) for invariant mass W>2??GeV, which is nonzero at the 2.89σ level. Our measured asymmetry agrees both in sign and magnitude with a two-photon-exchange model prediction that uses input from the Sivers transverse momentum distribution obtained from semi-inclusive deep-inelastic scattering.</P>

Cytokine mRNA Expression in the Small Intestine of Weanling Pigs Fed Diets Supplemented with Specialized Protein or Peptide Sources

Zhao, J.,Harper, A.F.,Webb, K.E. Jr.,Kuehn, L.A.,Gilbert, E.,Xiao, X.,Wong, E.A. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2008 Animal Bioscience Vol.21 No.12

Cytokines play a central role in the mucosal immune response and are involved in regulation of nutrient absorption, metabolism and animal growth. This study investigated the effect of diet manipulation with specialized protein or peptide sources on expression of cytokine (IL-1, IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-${\alpha}$) mRNA abundance in different intestinal regions and at different ages post-weaning in piglets. A total of 48 (17 days of age, $6.16{\pm}0.34kg\;BW$) weanling pigs were fed either a corn-soy/whey protein basal diet, the basal diet supplemented with spray-dried plasma protein (SDPP), or the basal diet supplemented with $Peptiva^{(R)}$, a hydrolyzed marine plant protein. A fourth treatment group was fed the SDPP diet, but the feed intake level was limited (SDPP-LF). Pigs were killed at 3 and 10 d, and intestinal cytokine mRNA was measured by real-time PCR using the relative quantification method. The SDPP-LF group exhibited an increased TNF-${\alpha}$ mRNA abundance compared with the ad libitum SDPP group (p<0.05). The TNF-${\alpha}$ and IL-10 mRNA abundance increased from the proximal to distal part of the intestine, and the mRNA abundance was greater (p<0.01) in the distal intestine as compared with the proximal and middle intestine. The cytokines IL-1-${\beta}$, IL-10 and TNF-${\alpha}$ mRNA abundance also increased from d3 to d10 postweaning (p<0.01). In summary, restricted feeding increased the TNF-${\alpha}$ mRNA abundance in the small intestine, however neither SDPP nor peptide supplementation affected cytokine mRNA expression. Abundance of mRNA for most cytokines examined in this study increased with age post-weaning, suggesting that during 10 d after weaning the mucosal immune system is still under development.

Effects of Feeding Purified Zearalenone Contaminated Diets with or without Clay Enterosorbent on Growth, Nutrient Availability, and Genital Organs in Post-weaning Female Pigs

Jiang, S.Z.,Yang, Z.B.,Yang, W.R.,Yao, B.Q.,Zhao, H.,Liu, F.X.,Chen, C.C.,Chi, F. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2010 Animal Bioscience Vol.23 No.1

The effects of different levels of natural clay enterosorbent on the growth, nutrient availability, and genital organs of post-weaning female pigs fed with an addition of zearalenone (ZEA) were investigated in the study. A total of thirty-five post-weaning gilts ($L{\times}Y{\times}D$) with an average body weight of 12.36${\pm}$1.46 kg were used in the test. The gilts were raised individually in metabolism cages and fed a corn-soybean meal-whey basal diet with an addition of 0 or 1 mg/kg of ZEA for 24 d with four levels of natural clay enterosorbent added in the feed. The treatments were: i) control; ii) control+2.5 g/kg clay; iii) control+1 mg/kg ZEA; iv) control+1 mg/kg ZEA+1.25 g/kg clay; v) control+1 mg/kg ZEA+2.5 g/kg clay; vi) control+1 mg/kg ZEA+5.0 g/kg clay; vii) control+1 mg/kg ZEA +10 g/kg clay. Pigs fed diets contaminated with additional purified ZEA had significantly reduced apparent digestibility of crude protein (CP), gross energy (GE) and apparent metabolic rate of GE (ME/GE, p<0.05) without changes of net protein utilization (NPU, p>0.05). Final body weight, average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), vulva length, vulva width, vulva area, relative weights of genital organ and proliferative changes of the ovary tissues in gilts fed ZEA-contaminated diet were increased (p<0.05) compared to the gilts fed the control diet. Addition of natural clay enterosorbent in the ZEA-contaminated diet showed a positive protection effect on ZEA feeding, and the protection was increased linearly or quadratically as clay content increased. However, in pigs fed a diet with clay alone at 2.5 g/kg level there was no significant impact (p>0.05) on all the parameters as compared to the control. It is suggested that feeding ZEA at about 1.0 mg/kg for 24 days might result in a deleterious effect in pigs, and addition of 5 or 10 g clay enterosorbent per kg diet can effectively neutralize the detrimental effects of the ZEA feeding.

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

Effects of Rice Straw Particle Size on Chewing Activity, Feed Intake, Rumen Fermentation and Digestion in Goats

Zhao, X.G.,Wang, M.,Tan, Z.L.,Tang, S.X.,Sun, Z.H.,Zhou, C.S.,Han, X.F. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2009 Animal Bioscience Vol.22 No.9

Effects of particle size and physical effective fibre (peNDF) of rice straw in diets on chewing activities, feed intake, flow, site and extent of digestion and rumen fermentation in goats were investigated. A 4${\times}$4 Latin square design was employed using 4 mature Liuyang black goats fitted with permanent ruminal, duodenal, and terminal ileal fistulae. During each of the 4 periods, goats were offered 1 of 4 diets that were similar in nutritional content but varied in particle sizes and peNDF through alteration of the theoretical cut length of rice straw (10, 20, 40, and 80 mm, respectively). Dietary peNDF contents were determined using a sieve for particle separation above 8 mm, and were 17.4, 20.9, 22.5 and 25.4%, respectively. Results showed that increasing the particle size and peNDF significantly (p<0.05) increased the time spent on rumination and chewing activities, duodenal starch digestibility and ruminal pH, and decreased ruminal starch digestibility and $NH_{3}$-N concentration. Intake and total tract digestibility of nutrients (i.e. dry matter, organic matter, and starch) and ruminal fermentation were not affected by the dietary particle size and peNDF. Increased particle size and peNDF did not affect ruminal fibre digestibility, but had a great impact on the intestinal and total tract fibre digestibility. The study suggested that rice straw particle size or dietary peNDF was the important influential factor for chewing activity, intestinal fibre and starch digestibility, and ruminal pH, but had minimal impact on feed intake, duodenal and ileal flow, ruminal and total tract digestibility, and ruminal fermentation.

Effects of Coated Compound Proteases on Apparent Total Tract Digestibility of Nutrients and Apparent Ileal Digestibility of Amino Acids for Pigs

Pan, L.,Zhao, P.F.,Yang, Z.Y.,Long, S.F.,Wang, H.L.,Tian, Q.Y.,Xu, Y.T.,Xu, X.,Zhang, Z.H.,Piao, X.S. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2016 Animal Bioscience Vol.29 No.12

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate effects of coated compound proteases (CC protease) on apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nitrogen (N) and energy, and apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of amino acids (AA) and nutrients in diets for pigs. In Exp. 1, 12 crossbred barrows (initial body weight: $20.79{\pm}1.94kg$) were housed in individual metabolism crates and allotted into 2 treatments with 6 piglets per treatment according to weight in a randomized complete block design. The 2 diets were corn-soybean meal basal diets with (0.2 g/kg) or without CC protease supplementation. The CC protease supplementation increased (p<0.05) the digestible and metabolizable N and energy values and the digestibility and retention rate of N in the diet. The ATTD of energy and nutrients had been improved (p<0.05) in the diet supplemented with CC protease. In Exp. 2, 12 crossbred barrows (initial body weight: $20.79{\pm}1.94kg$), fitted with T-cannulas at the distal ileum, were blocked by body weight into 2 groups with 6 pigs each. The diets were the same as those in Exp. 1. The CC protease increased (p<0.05) the AID of crude protein and some essential AA including arginine, isoleucine and leucine. The AID and ATTD of energy and nutrients had been improved (p<0.05) by supplemental CC protease, but the hindgut digestibility of nutrients was unaffected. Overall, the CC protease improved the ATTD of N and energy and AID of some indispensible AA and nutrients in the corn-soybean meal diet for pigs. Therefore, the CC protease supplement could improve the utilization of protein in the corn-soybean meal diet and thus contribute to lower N excretion to the environment.

Substitution of Wheat for Corn in Beef Cattle Diets: Digestibility, Digestive Enzyme Activities, Serum Metabolite Contents and Ruminal Fermentation

Liu, Y.F.,Zhao, H.B.,Liu, X.M.,You, W.,Cheng, H.J.,Wan, F.C.,Liu, G.F.,Tan, X.W.,Song, E.L.,Zhang, X.L. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2016 Animal Bioscience Vol.29 No.10

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of diets containing different amounts of wheat, as a partial or whole substitute for corn, on digestibility, digestive enzyme activities, serum metabolite contents and ruminal fermentation in beef cattle. Four Limousin${\times}$LuXi crossbred cattle with a body weight ($400{\pm}10kg$), fitted with permanent ruminal, proximal duodenal and terminal ileal cannulas, were used in a $4{\times}4$ Latin square design with four treatments: Control (100% corn), 33% wheat (33% substitution for corn), 67% wheat (67% substitution for corn), and 100% wheat (100% substitution for corn) on a dry matter basis. The results showed that replacing corn with increasing amounts of wheat increased the apparent digestibility values of dry matter, organic matter, and crude protein (p<0.05). While the apparent digestibility of acid detergent fiber and neutral detergent fiber were lower with increasing amounts of wheat. Digestive enzyme activities of lipase, protease and amylase in the duodenum were higher with increasing wheat amounts (p<0.05), and showed similar results to those for the enzymes in the ileum except for amylase. Increased substitution of wheat for corn increased the serum alanine aminotransferase concentration (p<0.05). Ruminal pH was not different between those given only corn and those given 33% wheat. Increasing the substitution of wheat for corn increased the molar proportion of acetate and tended to increase the acetate-to-propionate ratio. Cattle fed 100% wheat tended to have the lowest ruminal $NH_3-N$ concentration compared with control (p<0.05), whereas no differences were observed among the cattle fed 33% and 67% wheat. These findings indicate that wheat can be effectively used to replace corn in moderate amounts to meet the energy and fiber requirements of beef cattle.

Single-minded 1 Gene Mapping and Its Variants Association with Growth, Carcass Composition and Meat Quality Traits in the Pig

Zhao, X.F.,Xu, N.Y.,Chen, Z.,Wang, Q.,Guo, X.L. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2008 Animal Bioscience Vol.21 No.7

Single-minded 1 gene (SIM1) is a homolog of Drosophila SIM1 gene which plays a key role in the midline cell lineage of the central nervous system and is implicated in the regulation of feeding behavior and obesity in the human and mouse. In this study, porcine SIM1 gene was firstly mapped to chromosome 1p13 using radiation hybrid (RH) mapping and two polymorphisms were detected at position 607 (A/G) in SIM1 intron7 and position 780 (C/T) in SIM1 exon8. The last substitution was genotyped in a 364 F2 animal-population and an association analysis of these genotypes was performed with growth, carcass and meat quality traits by the statistical animal model. The results showed the significant influence of the SIM1 genotype on growth (p<0.05): live weight at birth, later period of growth and average daily gain; and effects on carcass composition (p<0.05): weight of head and buck kneed foreleg, backfat depth, loin eye area, carcass leaf fat and ham fat weights; and traits related to intramuscular fat content (p<0.05).