Effects of condensed tannins from Leucaena on methane reduction, rumen fermentation and populations of methaogens and protozoa in vitro

Different levels of purified condensed tannins (CT) extracted from Leucaena leucocephala hybrid-Rendang (LLR) were investigated for their effects on CH4 production, rumen fermentation parameters such as pH, dry matter (DM) degradability, N disappearance and volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations, as well as on populations of rumen methanogenic archaea and protozoa in vitro. Purified CT concentrations of 0 (control), 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 mg, and 500 mg of oven dried guinea grass (Panicum maximum) with 40 ml of buffered rumen fluid were incubated for 24 h using an in vitro gas production procedure. Total gas (ml/g DM) decreased at a decreasing rate (linear P < 0.01; quadratic P < 0.05) with increased levels of CT inclusion. CH4 production (ml/g DM) decreased at a decreasing rate (linear P < 0.01; quadratic P < 0.01) with increasing levels of CT. Total VFA concentration (mmol/L) decreased at a decreasing rate (linear P < 0.01; quadratic P < 0.01) with increasing CT inclusions. In vitro DM degradation and N disappearance declined linearly (P < 0.01) with increasing levels of CT. Estimates of rumen methanogenic archaea and protozoa populations using microbiological methods and real-time PCR assay showed linear reductions in total methanogens (P < 0.01) and total protozoa (P < 0.01) with increasing levels of CT. Methanogens in the order Methanobacteriales also declined, but with quadratic and cubic aspects. Results suggest that CT from LLR at a relatively low level of 15 mg of CT/500 mg DM reduce CH4 production by 47%, with only 7% reduction in degradation of feed DM. However, higher CT inclusions, while further reducing CH4 emissions, have substantive negative effects on DM digestibility

Effect of condensed tannins on bovine rumen protist diversity based on 18S rRNA gene sequences

Molecular diversity of protists from bovine rumen fluid incubated with condensed tannins of Leucaena leucocephala hybrid-Rendang at 20 mg/500 mg dry matter (treatment) or without condensed tannins (control) was investigated using 18S rRNA gene library. Clones from the control library were distributed within nine genera, but clones from the condensed tannin treatment clone library were related to only six genera. Diversity estimators such as abundance-based coverage estimation and Chao1 showed significant differences between the two libraries, although no differences were found based on Shannon–Weaver index and Libshuff

Relationship between maximal incremental and high-intensity interval exercise performance in elite athletes

This descriptive study aimed to explore the physiological factors that determine tolerance to exertion during high-intensity interval effort. Forty-seven young women (15–28 years old) were enrolled: 23 athletes from Taiwan national or national reserve teams and 24 moderately active females. Each participant underwent a maximal incremental INC (modified Bruce protocol) cardiopulmonary exercise test on the first day and high-intensity interval testing (HIIT) on the second day, both performed on a treadmill. The HIIT protocol involved alternation between 1-min effort at 120% of the maximal speed, at the same slope reached at the end of the INC, and 1-min rest until volitional exhaustion. Gas exchange, heart rate (HR), and muscle oxygenation at the right vastus lateralis, measured by near-infrared spectroscopy, were continuously recorded. The number of repetitions completed (Rlim) by each participant was considered the HIIT tolerance index. The results showed a large difference in the Rlim (range, 2.6–12.0 repetitions) among the participants. Stepwise linear regression revealed that the variance in the Rlim within the cohort was related to the recovery rates of oxygen consumption (), HR at the second minute after INC, and muscle tissue saturation index at exhaustion (R = 0.644). In addition, age was linearly correlated with Rlim (adjusted R = −0.518, p \u3c 0.0001). In conclusion, the recovery rates for and HR after the incremental test, and muscle saturation index at exhaustion, were the major physiological factors related to HIIT performance. These findings provide insights into the role of the recovery phase after maximal INC exercise testing. Future research investigating a combination of INC and HIIT testing to determine training-induced performance improvement is warranted

Serologic Status for Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Virus, Taiwan

We studied preexisting immunity to pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus in persons in Taiwan. A total of 18 (36%) of 50 elderly adults in Taiwan born before 1935 had protective antibodies against currently circulating pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus. Seasonal influenza vaccines induced antibodies that did not protect against pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus

Developing the Effective Method of Spectral Harmonic Energy Ratio to Analyze the Arterial Pulse Spectrum

In this article, we analyze the arterial pulse in the spectral domain. A parameter, the spectral harmonic energy ratio (SHER), is developed to assess the features of the overly decreased spectral energy in the fourth to sixth harmonic for palpitation patients. Compared with normal subjects, the statistical results reveal that the mean value of SHER in the patient group (57.7 ± 27.9) is significantly higher than that of the normal group (39.7 ± 20.9) (P-value = .0066 < .01). This means that the total energy in the fourth to sixth harmonic of palpitation patients is significantly less than it is in normal subjects. In other words, the spectral distribution of the arterial pulse gradually decreases for normal subjects while it decreases abruptly in higher-order harmonics (the fourth, fifth and sixth harmonics) for palpitation patients. Hence, SHER is an effective method to distinguish the two groups in the spectral domain. Also, we can thus know that a “gradual decrease” might mean a “balanced” state, whereas an “abrupt decrease” might mean an “unbalanced” state in blood circulation and pulse diagnosis. By SHER, we can determine the ratio of energy distribution in different harmonic bands, and this method gives us a novel viewpoint from which to comprehend and quantify the spectral harmonic distribution of circulation information conveyed by the arterial pulse. These concepts can be further applied to improve the clinical diagnosis not only in Western medicine but also in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)

Reference Architecture for Collaborative Design

Issues and themes of Collaborative Design (CD) addressed by research done so far are so extensive that when running a project of collaborative design, people may lack directions or guidelines to support the whole picture. Hence, developing reference architecture for CD is important and necessary in the academic and the empirical fields. Reference architecture provides the systematic, elementary skeleton and can be extended and adapted to diverse, changing environments. It also provides a comprehensive framework and enables practices implemented more thoroughly and easily. The reference architecture developed in this re-search is formed along three dimensions: decision aspect, design stage, and collaboration scope. There are five elements in the dimension of decision aspect: (1) participant, (2) product, (3) process, (4) organization, and (5) information. The dimension of design stage includes three stages: (1) planning and concepting, (2) system-level design and detail design, and (3) testing and prototyping. The dimension of collaboration scope includes three types of collaboration: (1) cross-functional, (2) cross-company, and (3) cross-industry. Because of the three reference dimensions, a cubic architecture is developed. The cubic reference architecture helps decision-makers in dealing with implementing a CD project or activity. It also serves as a guideline for CD system developers or people involved in the design collaboration to figure out their own responsibility functions and their relations with other members. Demonstration of how to use the reference architecture in developing design collaboration activities and specifying the details for cross-company CD is also provided in this research

Cyclooxygenase-2 enhances α2β1 integrin expression and cell migration via EP1 dependent signaling pathway in human chondrosarcoma cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, the inducible isoform of prostaglandin (PG) synthase, has been implicated in tumor metastasis. Interaction of COX-2 with its specific EP receptors on the surface of cancer cells has been reported to induce cancer invasion. However, the effects of COX-2 on migration activity in human chondrosarcoma cells are mostly unknown. In this study, we examined whether COX-2 and EP interaction are involved in metastasis of human chondrosarcoma.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We found that over-expression of COX-2 or exogenous PGE₂increased the migration of human chondrosarcoma cells. We also found that human chondrosarcoma tissues and chondrosarcoma cell lines had significant expression of the COX-2 which was higher than that in normal cartilage. By using pharmacological inhibitors or activators or genetic inhibition by the EP receptors, we discovered that the EP1 receptor but not other PGE receptors is involved in PGE₂-mediated cell migration and α2β1 integrin expression. Furthermore, we found that human chondrosarcoma tissues expressed a higher level of EP1 receptor than normal cartilage. PGE₂-mediated migration and integrin up-regulation were attenuated by phospholipase C (PLC), protein kinase C (PKC) and c-Src inhibitor. Activation of the PLCβ, PKCα, c-Src and NF-κB signaling pathway after PGE₂treatment was demonstrated, and PGE₂-induced expression of integrin and migration activity were inhibited by the specific inhibitor, siRNA and mutants of PLC, PKC, c-Src and NF-κB cascades.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results indicated that PGE₂enhances the migration of chondrosarcoma cells by increasing α2β1 integrin expression through the EP1/PLC/PKCα/c-Src/NF-κB signal transduction pathway.</p

Radial Pressure Pulse and Heart Rate Variability in Heat- and Cold-Stressed Humans

This study aims to explore the effects of heat and cold stress on the radial pressure pulse (RPP) and heart rate variability (HRV). The subjects immersed their left hand into 45°C and 7°C water for 2 minutes. Sixty healthy subjects (age 25 ± 4 yr; 29 men and 31 women) were enrolled in this study. All subjects underwent the supine temperature measurements of the bilateral forearms, brachial arterial blood pressure, HRV and RPP with a pulse analyzer in normothermic conditions, and thermal stresses. The power spectral low-frequency (LF) and high-frequency (HF) components of HRV decreased in the heat test and increased in the cold test. The heat stress significantly reduced radial augmentation index (AIr) (P < .05), but the cold stress significantly increased AIr (P < .01). The spectral energy of RPP did not show any statistical difference in 0 ~ 10 Hz region under both conditions, but in the region of 10 ~ 50 Hz, there was a significant increase (P < .01) in the heat test and a significant decrease in the cold test (P < .01). The changes in AIr induced by heat and cold stress were significantly negatively correlated with the spectral energy in the region of 10 ~ 50 Hz (SE10−50 Hz) but not in the region of 0 ~ 10 Hz (SE0−10 Hz). The results demonstrated that the SE10−50 Hz, which only possessed a small percentage in total pulse energy, presented more physiological characteristics than the SE0−10 Hz under the thermal stresses