Effect of wild ginseng on the laying performance, egg quality, cytokine expression, ginsenoside concentration, and microflora quantity of laying hens

The experiment was carried out to study the effect of Korean wild ginseng adventitious root supplementation on the laying performance, egg quality, cytokine expression, ginsenoside concentration, and microflora quantity of Institut de selection Animale (ISA) brown laying hens at 24 weeks old. A total of 90 laying hens were subjected to a completely randomized design at three treatments, five repetitions and six laying hens per replicate. The experiments were divided by diets into the basic feed (CON), basic feed + 0.1% wild ginseng (WG1), and basic feed + 0.5% wild ginseng (WG2). The feeding trial was carried out over a duration of 12 weeks after an initial acclimation period of 2 weeks. Feeds and water were administered ad libitum in mash form, and light was available for 16 hours per day. At the end of study, hen-day egg production (HDEP), average egg weight (AEW), and egg mass (EM) were increased (p <0.05) in WG2 at week 12. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) was decreased (p < 0.05) in WG2 at week 12. The ginsenoside content in egg yolk was increased (p <0.05) in laying hens in the WG2 treatment at week 12. Relative expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) was reduced (p < 0.05) in the WG supplemented diets at week 12. The fecal microflora quantity of Lactobacillus was increased (p < 0.05) in WG2 at week 8 to week 12, and Escherichia coli (E. coli) was significantly decreased (p < 0.05) in the WG2 at week 12. We concluded that the result observed in the HDEP, AEW, EM and FCR was due to an increase in ginsenoside content, leading to an improvement in the TNF-α, and fecal microflora quantity such as Lactobacillus and E. coli in the WG2 supplemented diets. We therefore recommend the use of WG at application level 0.5% per basal diet for optimum laying performance in layer hens

Synthesis and Physicochemical Properties of Ionic Liquids: 1-Alkenyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium Tetrafluoroborates

1-Alkenyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ionic liquids having an olefinic substituent were synthesized and characterized. Among them, [AMMIm]BF4 with an allyl group showed lower viscosity, higher ionic conductivity, and a wider electrochemical window compared with its analogue having a saturated alkyl substituent. An EDLC with [AMMIm]BF4 showed better performance than that with [PMMIm]BF4, too.This work was supported by the Division of Advanced Batteries in NGE Program (Project No. 10016439) and by KOSEF through the Research Center for Energy Conversion and Storage. We also gratefully acknowledge the financial support by the BK 21 Project funded by the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development of Korea

Synthesis and Properties of Ionic Liquids:Imidazolium Tetrafluoroborates with Unsaturated Side Chains

Imidazolium tetrafluoroborate ionic liquids having unsaturated aliphatic side chains were synthesized and characterized. Most of them are liquid at room temperature and all of them are stable up to 300 oC. Some imidazolium tetrafluoroborates with an allylic side chain showed much wider voltage windows on the platinum electrode, better conductivities, and lower viscosities compared with the corresponding ionic liquids containing the saturated side chains.This work was supported by the Division of Advanced Batteries in NGE Program (Project No. 10016439) and by KOSEF through the Research Center for Energy Conversion and Storage

Room temperature ionic liquid-based electrolytes as an alternative to carbonate-based electrolytes

The issue of the safety of Li-ion batteries is becoming more critical with the increase in their size for applications in large energy storage devices, such as hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), and energy storage systems (ESSs) for smart grids. The thermal runaway of Li-ion batteries is considered to be caused by their flammable components, such as the volatile carbonate solvents of electrolytes. Room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) have recently received much attention because of their characteristics of non-flammability and non-volatility. In addition, RTILs show high ionic conductivity and a wide electrochemical stability window. Therefore, RTIL-based electrolytes are considered one of the most promising candidates to improve the safety of Na-ion, as well as Li-ion batteries; indeed, RTIL-based electrolytes have shown excellent improvements in terms of thermal stability and electrochemical performance. This review provides a comprehensive overview of selected RTIL materials, including their physicochemical and electrochemical properties. Moreover, we discuss the failure mechanisms of certain RTIL-based electrolytes with various electrodes to suggest alternative strategies for improving their electrochemical performance

Automated in-line sampling and analysis of trace elements in surface waters with voltammetric detection

Instrumentation and methods are described for collecting surface sea water using pumping with subsequent in-line analysis by stripping voltammetry or chronopotentiometry. The review is illustrated with data for estuarine copper and nickel, and the distribution of nickel in Liverpool Bay

The targeted anti-Salmonella bacteriophage attenuated the inflammatory response of laying hens challenged with Salmonella Gallinarum

ABSTRACT: Fowl typhoid is a severe disease caused by Salmonella Gallinarum with considerable mortality and morbidity in laying hen farms. The current study has focused on controlling the infection in laying hens using anti-Salmonella spp. bacteriophage. The treatments included, PC, without challenge; NC, S. Gallinarum challenged (SGC); B5, 5 mg bacteriophage/kg + SGC; B10, 10 mg bacteriophage/kg + SGC. The Salmonella shedding, inflammatory responses, and gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, toll-like receptor (TLR), and heat shock protein (HSP) in the jejunum, liver, and thigh muscle were tested in laying hens. Supplementation of bacteriophage reduced the abundance of S. Gallinarum in the excreta at d 3, 7, and 14. The abundance of S. Gallinarum was lower in the B10 than the B5 at d 7. Supplementation of bacteriophage decreased the abundance of S. Gallinarum in the oviduct, spleen, and cecum at d 14. The laying hens in the NC group showed an increased relative spleen weight compared with the PC and B10 treatments. Among the SGC treatments, the NC treatment showed higher gene expressions of IL-4 compared with the B5, higher gene expressions of interferon (IFNγ), TLR4, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) compared with the B5 and B10, and higher gene expressions of HSP27 compared with the B10 in the jejunum. Dietary supplementation of B10 decreased the mRNA expressions of TLR4 and TNF-α compared with the B5 treatment in the jejunum. The NC treatment showed the highest gene expressions of HSP27, TLR4, and TNF-α in the liver. Dietary supplementation of B10 showed lower mRNA expressions of HSP27 compared with the B5 treatment in the liver. Moreover, the IFNγ and HSP27 were upregulated in the NC treatment compared with the B5 and B10 in the muscle. In conclusion, it can be suggested that bacteriophage is an effective supplement to control S. Gallinarum infection in laying hens and possibly lower horizontal contaminations in laying hen flocks

Reinforcement of binder adhesion for nickel-rich layered oxide in lithium-ion batteries using perfluorinated molecular surface modification

Ni-rich layered oxides are considered the most promising candidates for cathode materials for use in electric vehicles because of their high energy density and low cost. However, the cyclability of Ni-rich layered oxide needs to be improved because it suffers from contact loss by microcracks owing to the large anisotropic volume changes during cycling. Furthermore, its unstable surface, which releases lithium impurities by water contamination, must also be mitigated. To improve the adhesive force with a polyvinyl fluoride (PVdF) binder as well as the air-stability, a self-assembled monolayer of 1H,1H-2H,2H-perfluorodecyltriethoxysilane (PFDTES) is introduced onto the surface of Ni-rich layered oxide cathode powder. A molecular functional monolayer with fluorocarbons on Ni-rich layered oxide powder is delivered to achieve an ~ 13 angstrom thin homogeneous molecular-level functional coating at a negligible weight ratio. The functionalized surface improves the adhesion between PVdF and cathode powder by FMIDLINE HORIZONTAL ELLIPSISF interaction, relieving the electrode detachment. As a result, cycling failure mode is remarkably mitigated. The fluorinated hydrophobic surface alleviates water contamination, thereby reducing lithium impurities.N

Metabolic Responses of Dietary Fiber during Heat Stress: Effects on Reproductive Performance and Stress Level of Gestating Sows

Heat stress is an important issue, and the addition of fiber to the diet is an option in modifying intestinal health. This study evaluated the effect of acid detergent fiber (ADF) levels on reproductive performance, intestinal integrity, and metabolism of gestating sows, and its carry-over effect on the lactation period during heat stress. The diets included 4.3% (Low fiber; LF), 5.4% (Medium fiber; MF), and 6.5% (High fiber; HF) ADF. Sows fed the HF diet showed a lower respiratory rate, hair cortisol concentration, and farrowing duration compared with the LF treatment. The HF diet increased the pyruvate, citrate cycle, glyoxylate, dicarboxylate, and thiamine metabolism compared with the MF. The concentration of acetate and total short-chain fatty acids were increased in the sows fed the HF diet. The gene expression of glucose transporter 3 and glucose transporter 4 was increased in the HF treatment. The gene expression of heat shock protein 70 was decreased in the HF treatment. The HF diet during gestation increased feed intake, constipation index, piglet weight, and litter weight compared with the LF. Sows in the LF treatment showed the greatest digestibility of crude protein and the lowest digestibility of ADF. In conclusion, a 6.5% ADF level is recommended for gestating sows during heat stress

Na⁺/Vacancy Disordered P2-Na_0.67Co_1–<i>x</i>Ti<i>_x</i>O₂: High-Energy and High-Power Cathode Materials for Sodium Ion Batteries

Although sodium ion batteries (NIBs) have gained wide interest, their poor energy density poses a serious challenge for their practical applications. Therefore, high-energy-density cathode materials are required for NIBs to enable the utilization of a large amount of reversible Na ions. This study presents a P2-type Na_0.67Co_1–<i>x</i>Ti<i>_x</i>O₂ (<i>x</i> < 0.2) cathode with an extended potential range higher than 4.4 V to present a high specific capacity of 166 mAh g^–1. A group of P2-type cathodes containing various amounts of Ti is prepared using a facile synthetic method. These cathodes show different behaviors of the Na⁺/vacancy ordering. Na_0.67CoO₂ suffers severe capacity loss at high voltages due to irreversible structure changes causing serious polarization, while the Ti-substituted cathodes have long credible cycleability as well as high energy. In particular, Na_0.67Co_0.90Ti_0.10O₂ exhibits excellent capacity retention (115 mAh g^–1) even after 100 cycles, whereas Na_0.67CoO₂ exhibits negligible capacity retention (<10 mAh g^–1) at 4.5 V cutoff conditions. Na_0.67Co_0.90Ti_0.10O₂ also exhibits outstanding rate capabilities of 108 mAh g^–1 at a current density of 1000 mA g^–1 (7.4 C). Increased sodium diffusion kinetics from mitigated Na⁺/vacancy ordering, which allows high Na⁺ utilization, are investigated to find in detail the mechanism of the improvement by combining systematic analyses comprising TEM, in situ XRD, and electrochemical methods