Assessment of triticale varieties for swine feeding performance, late planting

Triticale holds potential as a third grain crop in Iowa. This project studied different cultivars to assess their suitability for production and use as swine feed

Novel Processing of Hydroxyapatite-Zirconia Composites using Nano-Sized Particles

A method to produce composites of hydroxyapatite (HA) with ZrO2 (Y-TZP) additions between 0 and 10 wt % at a low sinter temperature of 750 °C is presented. The method limits the amount of reaction between the HA and ZrO2. A ZrO2 loading level that would improve strength while limiting the decomposition of the HA is studied

Temperature and time-dependent effects of delayed blood processing on oxylipin concentrations in human plasma.

BACKGROUND:Oxidized derivatives of polyunsaturated fatty acids, collectively known as oxylipins, are labile bioactive mediators with diverse roles in human physiology and pathology. Oxylipins are increasingly being measured in plasma collected in clinical studies to investigate biological mechanisms and as pharmacodynamic biomarkers for nutrient-based and drug-based interventions. Whole blood is generally stored either on ice or at room temperature prior to processing. However, the potential impacts of delays in processing, and of temperature prior to processing, on oxylipin concentrations are incompletely understood. OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the effects of delayed processing of blood samples in a timeframe that is typical of a clinical laboratory setting, using typical storage temperatures, on concentrations of representative unesterified oxylipins measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. DESIGN:Whole blood (drawn on three separate occasions from a single person) was collected into 5 mL purple-top potassium-EDTA tubes and stored for 0, 10, 20, 30, 60 or 120 min at room temperature or on wet ice, followed by centrifugation at 4 °C for 10 min with plasma collection. Each sample was run in duplicate, therefore there were six tubes and up to six data points at each time point for each oxylipin at each condition (ice/room temperature). Representative oxylipins derived from arachidonic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, and linoleic acid were quantified by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Longitudinal models were used to estimate differences between temperature groups 2 h after blood draw. RESULTS:We found that most oxylipins measured in human plasma in traditional potassium-EDTA tubes are reasonably stable when stored on ice for up to 2 h prior to processing, with little evidence of auto-oxidation in either condition. By contrast, in whole blood stored at room temperature, substantial time-dependent increases in the 12-lipoxygenase-derived (12-HETE, 14-HDHA) and platelet-derived (thromboxane B2) oxylipins were observed. CONCLUSION:These findings suggest that certain plasma oxylipins can be measured with reasonable accuracy despite delayed processing for up to 2 h when blood is stored on ice prior to centrifugation. 12-Lipoxygenase- and platelet-derived oxylipins may be particularly sensitive to post-collection artifact with delayed processing at room temperature. Future studies are needed to determine impacts of duration and temperature of centrifugation on oxylipin concentrations

Effects of Triticale-Based Diets fed in Deep-Bedded Hoop Barns on Finishing Pig Performance and Pork Quality

Triticale is a synthetic small grain that results from an intergeneric cross between durum wheat and rye. Triticale has shown potential as a feedstuff in swine diets. Producers who may find this to be an attractive crop may also raise swine in an alternative swine production system. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of triticale-based diets on pork quality and finishing pig performance of pigs reared in deep-bedded hoop barns

Effects of Triticale-Based Diets on Finishing Pig Performance and Pork Quality in Deep-Bedded Hoop Barns

Effects of triticale-based diets on finishing pig performance and pork quality in deep-bedded hoop barns were evaluated. Triticale is a synthetic small grain resulting from a cross between durum wheat and rye. The study consisted of four trials: two in winter (November 2003 through March 2004) and two in summer (May 2004 through September 2004) at the ISU Western Research and Demonstration Farm, Castana, IA. Each trial consisted of six pens of ten pigs (five barrows, five gilts) in three smallscale hoop barns (6.0 × 10.8 m). Pens were randomly assigned one dietary treatment: 1) corn-soybean meal control, 2) 40% Trical 815 triticale diet (by weight) or 3) 80% Trical 815 triticale diet (by weight). The 40 and 80% triticale diets had corn and soybean meal added. Animals had ad libitum access to feed and water during the study. Pigs were started on experiment at approximately 72 kg and fed for 49 d. At the end of each trial all pigs were scanned for backfat thickness and loin muscle area. Barrows from one winter and one summer trial were evaluated for meat and fat quality and sensory evaluation of pork. End weights and ADG were greater during the winter than summer (treatment × season interaction P \u3c 0.01) and decreased as triticale inclusion increased (P \u3c 0.001). Feed intake was similar. Pigs fed the control diet had the greatest G:F, those fed the 80% triticale diet had the least, with pigs fed the 40% triticale diet having intermediate G:F. During the summer, pigs fed the control diet had more BF (P \u3c 0.05) than those fed the triticale diets. Also during summer, pigs fed the control diet had the largest loin muscle area (LMA) (47.5 ± 1.72 cm2); pigs fed the 40% triticale diet had intermediate LMA (45.5 ± 1.72 cm2) and those fed the 80% triticale diet had the smallest LMA (43.4 ± 1.73 cm2). Dietary treatment had no effect on carcass weight, BF, LMA, percentage lean of barrows or sensory evaluation or fatty acid profile of loin chops. Ultimate pH was higher (P \u3c 0.001), percentage loin purge was less (P \u3c 0.05) and shear force (kg) was less (P \u3c 0.05) during summer than winter. Total monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) were greater (P \u3c 0.05) and total PUFA in loins were less (P \u3c 0.01) during the winter than summer. Replacing corn with triticale in finishing pig diets in hoops slightly decreased growth performance, but did not affect pork quality. Increasing the amount of triticale in finishing pig diets decreased dietary soybean meal and dicalcium phosphate levels. This may reduce dietary costs. However, pigs fed triticale had 10% less average daily gain and 13% poorer feed conversion at the greater inclusion rate (80% of the diet). This may offset the potentially lower dietary costs. Triticale can be fed to pigs without compromising pork or fat quality. There was no difference in pork eating quality from pigs fed corn-based or triticale-based diets, according to a trained sensory evaluation panel. Further research on triticale-based swine diets is warranted. Triticale-based diets in deep-bedded hoop barns should be evaluated when dietary fat is added, as finishing pig performance may be enhanced. An economic analysis should be conducted on utilization of triticale as a feedstuff in swine diets fed to finishing pigs in deep-bedded hoop barns. From the results of this study, triticale has potential as a feed grain crop in integrated crop and livestock enterprises in the Midwest U. S

The evolution of the natural killer complex; a comparison between mammals using new high-quality genome assemblies and targeted annotation.

Natural killer (NK) cells are a diverse population of lymphocytes with a range of biological roles including essential immune functions. NK cell diversity is in part created by the differential expression of cell surface receptors which modulate activation and function, including multiple subfamilies of C-type lectin receptors encoded within the NK complex (NKC). Little is known about the gene content of the NKC beyond rodent and primate lineages, other than it appears to be extremely variable between mammalian groups. We compared the NKC structure between mammalian species using new high-quality draft genome assemblies for cattle and goat; re-annotated sheep, pig, and horse genome assemblies; and the published human, rat, and mouse lemur NKC. The major NKC genes are largely in the equivalent positions in all eight species, with significant independent expansions and deletions between species, allowing us to propose a model for NKC evolution during mammalian radiation. The ruminant species, cattle and goats, have independently evolved a second KLRC locus flanked by KLRA and KLRJ, and a novel KLRH-like gene has acquired an activating tail. This novel gene has duplicated several times within cattle, while other activating receptor genes have been selectively disrupted. Targeted genome enrichment in cattle identified varying levels of allelic polymorphism between the NKC genes concentrated in the predicted extracellular ligand-binding domains. This novel recombination and allelic polymorphism is consistent with NKC evolution under balancing selection, suggesting that this diversity influences individual immune responses and may impact on differential outcomes of pathogen infection and vaccination

Morphology Of A Hot Prominence Cavity Observed with Hinode/XRT and SDO/AIA

Prominence cavities appear as circularly shaped voids in coronal emission over polarity inversion lines where a prominence channel is straddling the solar limb. The presence of chromospheric material suspended at coronal altitudes is a common but not necessary feature within these cavities. These voids are observed to change shape as a prominence feature rotates around the limb. We use a morphological model projected in cross-sections to fit the cavity emission in Hinode/XRT passbands, and then apply temperature diagnostics to XRT and SDO/AIA data to investigate the thermal structure. We find significant evidence that the prominence cavity is hotter than the corona immediately outside the cavity boundary. This investigation follows upon "Thermal Properties of A Solar Coronal Cavity Observed with the X-ray Telescope on Hinode" by Reeves et al., 2012, ApJ, in press

Triticale—A Possible Third Crop for Iowa

Triticale (trit-ah-kay-lee) is a close relative of wheat that results from pollinating durum wheat with rye pollen, and then using that cross in a breeding program to produce stable, self-replicating varieties. Triticale yield, stress tolerance, and disease resistance are greater than that of wheat. Triticale doesn’t currently possess the grain traits of bread wheat, so its greatest marketing potential is as animal feed

Plasma oxylipins and unesterified precursor fatty acids are altered by DHA supplementation in pregnancy: Can they help predict risk of preterm birth?

Oxidized lipids derived from omega-6 (n-6) and omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids, collectively known as oxylipins, are bioactive signaling molecules that play diverse roles in human health and disease. Supplementation with n-3 docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) during pregnancy has been reported to decrease the risk of preterm birth in singleton pregnancies, which may be due to effects of DHA supplementation on oxylipins or their precursor n-6 and n-3 fatty acids. There is only limited understanding of the levels and trajectory of changes in plasma oxylipins during pregnancy, effects of DHA supplementation on oxylipins and unesterified fatty acids, and whether and how oxylipins and their unesterified precursor fatty acids influence preterm birth. In the present study we used liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to profile oxylipins and their precursor fatty acids in the unesterified pool using plasma samples collected from a subset of pregnant Australian women who participated in the ORIP (Omega-3 fats to Reduce the Incidence of Prematurity) study. ORIP is a large randomized controlled trial testing whether daily supplementation with n-3 DHA can reduce the incidence of early preterm birth compared to control. Plasma was collected at study entry (≈pregnancy week 14) and again at ≈week 24, in a subgroup of 48 ORIP participants-12 cases with spontaneous preterm (<37 weeks) birth and 36 matched controls with spontaneous term (≥40 weeks) birth. In the combined preterm and term pregnancies, we observed that in the control group without DHA supplementation unesterified AA and AA-derived oxylipins 12-HETE, 15-HETE and TXB2 declined between weeks 14-24 of pregnancy. Compared to control, DHA supplementation increased unesterified DHA, EPA, and AA, DHA-derived 4-HDHA, 10-HDHA and 19,20-EpDPA, and AA-derived 12-HETE at 24 weeks. In exploratory analysis independent of DHA supplementation, participants with concentrations above the median for 5-lipoxygenase derivatives of AA (5-HETE, Odds Ratio (OR) 8.2; p = 0.014) or DHA (4-HDHA, OR 8.0; p = 0.015) at 14 weeks, or unesterified AA (OR 5.1; p = 0.038) at 24 weeks had higher risk of spontaneous preterm birth. The hypothesis that 5-lipoxygenase-derived oxylipins and unesterified AA could serve as mechanism-based biomarkers predicting spontaneous preterm birth should be evaluated in larger, adequately powered studies

Ecological IVIS design : using EID to develop a novel in-vehicle information system

New in-vehicle information systems (IVIS) are emerging which purport to encourage more environment friendly or ‘green’ driving. Meanwhile, wider concerns about road safety and in-car distractions remain. The ‘Foot-LITE’ project is an effort to balance these issues, aimed at achieving safer and greener driving through real-time driving information, presented via an in-vehicle interface which facilitates the desired behaviours while avoiding negative consequences. One way of achieving this is to use ecological interface design (EID) techniques. This article presents part of the formative human-centred design process for developing the in-car display through a series of rapid prototyping studies comparing EID against conventional interface design principles. We focus primarily on the visual display, although some development of an ecological auditory display is also presented. The results of feedback from potential users as well as subject matter experts are discussed with respect to implications for future interface design in this field