Effect of dietary mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris L.) and pine needle powder (Pinus densiflora) on growth performance, serum cholesterol levels, and meat quality in broilers

The effects of dietary mugwort and pine needle powder supplementation on growth performance, serum cholesterol, and meat quality of broilers were evaluated in a 35 days feed trial. 200 one day old broilers were randomly allocated to five dietary treatments (0, 1 and 2% mugwort or 1 and 2% pine needle powder) with four replicate pens of 10 birds per treatment. During the experimental period, growth performance did not differ among treatments (P > 0.05). The additives with mugwort and pine needle showed lower crude fat content of thigh muscle compared with the control (P < 0.05); however, no significant differences were detected for moisture, crude protein and crude ash content of thigh muscle. Compared with the control, total phenol content and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity were significantly increased (P < 0.05) with the inclusion of mugwort and pine needle powder level in the broilers’ diets, whereas pH values decreased (P < 0.05). Serum cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations were significantly decreased (P < 0.05) by the increased mugwort and pine needle powder level in the diet, except for high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol concentrations. For thigh meat color, inclusion of mugwort and pine needle powder decreased L* and b* values and increased a* values in thigh muscle of broilers compared with the controls (P < 0.05). Overall, the present study indicates the beneficial effect of using 1 or 2% mugwort and pine needle powder in reducing serum cholesterol and improving meat quality.Key words: Mugwort, pine needle powder, serum cholesterol, meat quality

A unifying framework for seed sensitivity and its application to subset seeds

We propose a general approach to compute the seed sensitivity, that can be applied to different definitions of seeds. It treats separately three components of the seed sensitivity problem -- a set of target alignments, an associated probability distribution, and a seed model -- that are specified by distinct finite automata. The approach is then applied to a new concept of subset seeds for which we propose an efficient automaton construction. Experimental results confirm that sensitive subset seeds can be efficiently designed using our approach, and can then be used in similarity search producing better results than ordinary spaced seeds

Neutron beam test of CsI crystal for dark matter search

We have studied the response of Tl-doped and Na-doped CsI crystals to nuclear recoils and $\gamma$'s below 10 keV. The response of CsI crystals to nuclear recoil was studied with mono-energetic neutrons produced by the $^3$H(p,n)$^3$He reaction. This was compared to the response to Compton electrons scattered by 662 keV $\gamma$-ray. Pulse shape discrimination between the response to these $\gamma$'s and nuclear recoils was studied, and quality factors were estimated. The quenching factors for nuclear recoils were derived for both CsI(Na) and CsI(Tl) crystals.Comment: 21pages, 14figures, submitted to NIM

Effects of diet composition on growth performance and feed conversion efficiency in Alphitobius diaperinus larvae

Alphitobius diap]erinus has been recommended for mass-production as feed in a rearing facility because of its small size and short biological cycle. This study evaluated the effects of wheat bran and casein or their blend as insect diets on growth performance and feed conversion efficiency of A. diaperinus larvae in the laboratory. Casein and wheat bran were the protein and carbohydrate sources of choice, respectively, for diet preparation. Five experimental diet treatments to be tested were designed as follows: control (100% casein), T1 (75% casein +25% wheat bran), T2 (50% casein +50% wheat bran), T3 (25% casein +70% wheat bran), and T4 (100% wheat bran). A total of 150 new hatched larvae were randomly allotted to one of the five dietary treatments, with three replicates (10 hatched larvae per replicate). The standard colonies were composed of 10 hatched larvae, without distinction of sex, reared in a plastic box (14×8×5 cm) provided with aeration holes on the top. The evaluation of A. diaperinus larvae included growth performance and feed efficiency. Using casein and wheat bran blends for diet had a positive effect on weight gain and feed conversion ratio of A. diaperinus larvae, including an increase in average larval survival and average larval weight. Using casein and wheat blends (75% casein +25% wheat bran or 25% casein +70% wheat bran) as insect-rearing diet will allow effective utilization of the feed for poultry when using the edible portion of mealworms before reaching the pupae stage

Neutrino masses in R-parity violating supersymmetric models

We study neutrino masses and mixing in R-parity violating supersymmetric models with generic soft supersymmetry breaking terms. Neutrinos acquire masses from various sources: Tree level neutrino--neutralino mixing and loop effects proportional to bilinear and/or trilinear R-parity violating parameters. Each of these contributions is controlled by different parameters and have different suppression or enhancement factors which we identified. Within an Abelian horizontal symmetry framework these factors are related and specific predictions can be made. We found that the main contributions to the neutrino masses are from the tree level and the bilinear loops and that the observed neutrino data can be accommodated once mild fine-tuning is allowed.Comment: 18 pages; minor typos corrected. To be published in Physical Review

Cognitive Ability and Cardiovascular Control in Intellectually and Developmentally Disabled People

Earlier, we examined positive effects of hyperoxic air on the cognitive ability of intellectually and developmentally disabled people (IDDP). In this study, correlation between cognitive performance in the visual matching task and heart rate (HR) was investigated under normal air conditions. Eighteen men (mean age 28.7 ± 5.0 year) and 22 women (mean age 35.5 ± 6.9 year) with an assessed disability level of 2.3 ± 0.6 participated. The experiment consisted of three phases, a total of 7 min, including the rest (3 min), control (2 min), and visual matching task 2 min phases. The HR in visual matching task phase increased, compared to those in the rest and control phases. The cognitive ability in the visual matching task correlated with the HR values; the response time showed a negative correlation with HR, while the accuracy rate showed a positive correlation. Thus, adaptive changes in cardiovascular regulation probably related to cognitive efforts and emotional excitation should be considered a noticeable factor influencing brain supply with oxygen in IDDP (similarly to healthy people). The result of this study agrees with the earlier obtained indications that hyperoxic air can positively affect the cognitive performance in IDDP.Раніше ми вивчали позитивні впливи повітря, збагаченого киснем, на когнітивні здатності людей з недостатнім інтелектуальним розвитком (НІР). У нашій роботі ми досліджували кореляцію між показниками когнітивної активності в тесті візуальної відповідності та частотою серцевих скорочень (ЧСС) у таких суб’єктів в умовах дихання нормальним повітрям. У тестах брали участь 18 чоловіків (середній вік 28.7 ± 5.0 року) та 22 жінки (35.5 ± 6.9 року) з оцінкою рівня інтелектуального розвитку 2.3 ± 0.6. Експеримент (загальна тривалість 7 хв) складався з трьох фаз: стан розслаблення (3 хв), контроль (2 хв) та тест візуальної відповідності (2 хв). Величини ЧСС у межах цього тесту порівняно з величинами в умовах розслаблення й контролю зростали. Показники когнітивних здібностей корелювали з величинами ЧСС; кореляція часу відповіді була негативною, а точності відповіді – позитивною. Отже, адаптивні зміни регуляції серцево-судинної системи, мабуть, пов’язані з когнітивними зусиллями та емоційним збудженням, є істотним фактором, який впливає на постачання мозку киснем у людей із НІР (як і у здорових людей). Результати нашої роботи узгоджуються з отриманими раніше свідоцтвами про те, що дихання повітрям, збагаченим киснем, позитивно впливає на когнітивні можливості людей із НІР

Thyroid transcription factor FOXE1 interacts with ETS factor ELK1 to co-regulate TERT

Background: Although FOXE1 was initially recognized for its role in thyroid organogenesis, more recently a strong association has been identified between the FOXE1 locus and thyroid cancer. The role of FOXE1 in adult thyroid, and in particular regarding cancer risk, has not been well established. We hypothesised that discovering key FOXE1 transcriptional partners would in turn identify regulatory pathways relevant to its role in oncogenesis. Results: In a transcription factor-binding array, ELK1 was identified to bind FOXE1. We confirmed this physical association in heterologously transfected cells by IP and mammalian two-hybrid assays. In thyroid tissue, endogenous FOXE1 was shown to bind ELK1, and using ChIP assays these factors bound thyroid-relevant gene promoters TPO and TERT in close proximity to each other. Using a combination of electromobility shift assays, TERT promoter assays and siRNA-silencing, we found that FOXE1 positively regulated TERT expression in a manner dependent upon its association with ELK1. Treating heterologously transfected thyroid cells with MEK inhibitor U0126 inhibited FOXE1-ELK1 interaction, and reduced TERT and TPO promoter activity. Methodology: We investigated FOXE1 interactions within in vitro thyroid cell models and human thyroid tissue using a combination of immunoprecipitation (IP), chromatin IP (ChIP) and gene reporter assays. Conclusions: FOXE1 interacts with ELK1 on thyroid relevant gene promoters, establishing a new regulatory pathway for its role in adult thyroid function. Co-regulation of TERT suggests a mechanism by which allelic variants in/near FOXE1 are associated with thyroid cancer risk

Fermat-linked relations for the Boubaker polynomial sequences via Riordan matrices analysis

The Boubaker polynomials are investigated in this paper. Using Riordan matrices analysis, a sequence of relations outlining the relations with Chebyshev and Fermat polynomials have been obtained. The obtained expressions are a meaningful supply to recent applied physics studies using the Boubaker polynomials expansion scheme (BPES).Comment: 12 pages, LaTe

Activation of the p75 neurotrophin receptor through conformational rearrangement of disulphide-linked receptor dimers

Ligand-mediated dimerization has emerged as a universal mechanism of growth factor receptor activation. Neurotrophins interact with dimers of the p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75(NTR)), but the mechanism of receptor activation has remained elusive. Here, we show that p75(NTR) forms disulphide-linked dimers independently of neurotrophin binding through the highly conserved Cys(257) in its transmembrane domain. Mutation of Cys(257) abolished neurotrophin-dependent receptor activity but did not affect downstream signaling by the p75(NTR)/NgR/Lingo-1 complex in response to MAG, indicating the existence of distinct, ligand-specific activation mechanisms for p75(NTR). FRET experiments revealed a close association of p75(NTR) intracellular domains that was transiently disrupted by conformational changes induced upon NGF binding. Although mutation of Cys(257) did not alter the oligomeric state of p75(NTR), the mutant receptor was no longer able to propagate conformational changes to the cytoplasmic domain upon ligand binding. We propose that neurotrophins activate p75(NTR) by a mechanism involving rearrangement of disulphide-linked receptor subunits

Polar vs. nonpolar InGaN/GaN quantum heterostructures: Opposite quantum confined electroabsorption and carrier dynamics behavior

We present a study of quantum confined electroabsorption and carrier dynamics in polar c-plane and nonpolar a-plane InGaN/GaN quantum heterostructures. We demonstrate red-shifting absorption edge, due to quantum confined Stark effect, in nonpolar InGaN/GaN quantum structures in response to increased electric field, while we show the opposite effect with blue-shifting absorption spectra in polar quantum structures. Moreover, confirmed by time-resolved photoluminescence measurements, we prove that carrier lifetimes increase with increasing electric field for nonpolar structures, whereas the opposite occurs for polar ones