Effects of Feeding Calcium Salts of Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) to Finishing Steers

Thirty crossbred steers were randomly assigned to three treatment groups and fed corn-based finishing diets (88% concentrate) containing 0, 1.0 or 2.5% conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) for an average of 130 days. Steers fed 2.5% CLA consumed less feed and had lower daily gains than control steers. Carcass weights tended to be reduced, and marbling scores were decreased by feeding 2.5% CLA. There were no significant effects of feeding CLA on dressing percentages, yield grades and backfat measurements. The rounds from each animal were physically separated into tissue components. Rounds from steers fed CLA contained a higher percentage of lean tissue and a lower percentage of fat. Feeding CLA increased concentrations of CLA in lipids from fat and lean in rib steaks and rounds. Increasing CLA in beef had no effects on shelf life, tenderness, juiciness, flavor or flavor intensity of rib steaks. Although results indicated that feeding calcium salts of CLA to beef steers decreased performance, concentrations of CLA in tissues could be increased offering the availability of a leaner, more healthful meat product.

Extraction of the s-wave pi N scattering lengths from data on pionic atoms

For many years a combined analysis of pionic hydrogen and deuterium atoms has been known as a good tool to extract information on the isovector and especially on the isoscalar s-wave pN scattering length. However, given the smallness of the isoscalar scattering length, the analysis becomes useful only if the pion–deuteron scattering length is controlled theoretically to a high accuracy comparable to the experimental precision. To achieve the required few-percent accuracy one needs theoretical control over all isospin-conserving three-body pNN !pNN operators up to one order before the contribution of the dominant unknown (N†N)2pp contact term. This term appears at next-to-next-to-leading order in Weinberg counting. In addition, one needs to include isospin-violating effects in both two-body (pN) and three-body (pNN) operators. In this talk we discuss the results of the recent analysis where these isospin-conserving and -violating effects have been carefully taken into account. Based on this analysis, we present the up-to-date values of the s-wave pN scattering lengths.

Supplementation of conjugated linoleic acid in dairy cows reduces endogenous glucose production during early lactation.

Trans-10,cis-12 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) supplementation causes milk fat depression in dairy cows, but CLA effects on glucose metabolism are not clear. The objective of the study was to investigate glucose metabolism, especially endogenous glucose production (eGP) and glucose oxidation (GOx), as well as hepatic genes involved in endogenous glucose production in Holstein cows supplemented either with 50 g of rumen-protected CLA (9% trans-10,cis-12 and 10% cis-9,trans-11; CLA; n=10) or 50 g of control fat (24% C18:2; Ctrl; n=10) from wk 2 before parturition to wk 9 of lactation. Animal performance data were recorded and blood metabolites and hormones were taken weekly from 2 wk before to 12 wk after parturition. During wk 3 and 9 after parturition, glucose tolerance tests were performed and eGP and GOx were measured by [U-(13)C] glucose infusion. Liver biopsies were taken at the same time to measure total fat and glycogen concentrations and gene expression of pyruvate carboxylase, cytosolic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, glucose-6-phosphatase, and carnitine palmitoyl-transferase 1. Conjugated linoleic acid feeding reduced milk fat, but increased milk lactose output; milk yield was higher starting 5 wk after parturition in CLA-fed cows than in Ctrl-fed cows. Energy balance was more negative during CLA supplementation, and plasma concentrations of glucose were higher immediately after calving in CLA-fed cows. Conjugated linoleic acid supplementation did not affect insulin release during glucose tolerance tests, but reduced eGP in wk 3, and eGP and GOx increased with time after parturition. Hepatic gene expression of cytosolic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase tended to be lower in CLA-fed cows than in Ctrl-fed cows. In spite of lower eGP in CLA-fed cows, lactose output and plasma glucose concentrations were greater in CLA-fed cows than in Ctrl-fed cows. This suggests a CLA-related glucose sparing effect most likely due to lower glucose utilization for milk fat synthesis and probably because of a more efficient whole-body energy utilization in CLA-fed cows.

Annexin A5-Conjugated Polymeric Micelles For Dual SPECT and Optical Detection of Apoptosis

Apoptosis, a form of programmed cell death, is critical to homoeostasis, normal development, and physiology. Dysregulation of apoptosis can lead to the accumulation of unwanted cells, such as occurs in cancer, and the removal of needed cells or disorders of normal tissues, such as heart, neurodegenerative, and autoimmune diseases. Noninvasive detection of apoptosis may play an important role in the evaluation of disease states and response to therapeutic intervention for a variety of diseases. It is desirable to have an imaging method to accurately detect and monitor this process in patients. In this study, we developed annexin A5-conjugated polymeric micellar nanoparticles dual-labeled with a near-infrared fluorescence fluorophores (Cy7) and a radioisotope (111In), named as 111In-labeled annexin A5-CCPM. In vitro studies demonstrated that annexin A5-CCPM could strongly and specifically bind to apoptotic cells. In vivo studies showed that apoptotic tissues could be clearly visualized by both single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and fluorescence molecular tomography (FMT) after intravenous injection of 111In-labeled Annexin A5-CCPM in 6 different apoptosis models. In contrast, there was little signal in respective healthy tissues. All the biodistribution data confirmed imaging results. Moreover, histological analysis revealed that radioactivity count correlated with fluorescence signal from the nanoparticles, and both signals co-localized with the region of apoptosis. In sum, 111In-labeled annexin A5-CCPM allowed visualization of apoptosis by both nuclear and optical imaging techniques. The complementary information acquired with multiple imaging techniques should be advantageous in improving diagnostics and management of patients.

High-resolution dynamic computer simulation analysis of the behavior of sample components with pI values outside the pH gradient established by carrier ampholyte CIEF

The behavior of sample components whose pI values are outside the pH gradient established by 101 hypothetical biprotic carrier ampholytes covering a pH 6-8 range was investigated by computer simulation under constant current conditions with concomitant constant electroosmosis toward the cathode. Data obtained with the sample being applied between zones of carrier ampholytes and on the anodic side of the carrier ampholytes were studied and found to evolve into zone structures comprising three regions between anolyte and catholyte. The focusing region with the pH gradient is bracketed by two isotachopheretic zone structures comprising selected sample and carrier components as isotachophoretic zones. The isotachophoretic structures electrophoretically migrate in opposite direction and their lengths increase with time due to the gradual isotachophoretic decay at the pH gradient edges. Due to electroosmosis, however, the overall pattern is being transported toward the cathode. Sample components whose pI values are outside the established pH gradient are demonstrated to form isotachophoretic zones behind the leading cation of the catholyte (components with pI values larger than 8) and the leading anion of the anolyte (components with pI values smaller than 6). Amphoteric compounds with appropriate pI values or nonamphoteric components can act as isotachophoretic spacer compounds between sample compounds or between the leader and the sample with the highest mobility. The simulation data obtained provide for the first time insight into the dynamics of amphoteric sample components that do not focus within the established pH gradient.

La religione e le leggi più necessarie per ogni israelita

Raimondo Mereine Coen

Storia degli israeliti dai tempi più antichi sino al presente : ad uso scolastico e domestico

di Daniele Ehrmann. Prima versione ital. di S. R. Melli

Formation of supramolecular polymers by chrysene oligomers

Supramolecular assembly of π-conjugated systems is of large interested due to the possibility to use them in electronic devices.[1] Chrysene is a polyaromatic hydrocarbon which has been studied e.g for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs).[2] In continuation of our previous work involving the supramolecular polymerisation of pyrene oligomers [3] an oligomer consisting of three chrysenes linked by phophodiesters was synthesised (Chry3). UV-Vis measurements show that aggregates of Chry3 are formed in aqueous medium. This is illustrated by general hypochromicity, a change in vibronic band intensities and, in particular, the appearance of a red-shifted absorption band in the S0 → S2 transition. The data suggest the formation of J-aggregates. The formation of supramolecular polymers is further studied by temperature-dependent absorption- and fluorescence measurements, and by atomic force microscopy (AFM).

Qineat-emet (Wahrheitseifer) oder: offener Brief an A. Hochmuth als apologetische Entgegung auf seinen in der "Neuzeit" Nr. 18 a. c. gegen d. Werk Pi Senajim geschleuderten Angriff

von Kálmán Weiss

Contrast Formation in Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy of Single π-Conjugated Molecules

We report the contrast formation in the local contact potential difference (LCPD) measured by Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) on single charge-transfer complexes (CTCs) on a NaCl bilayer on Cu(111). At different tip heights, we found quantitatively different LCPD contrasts that characterize different properties of the molecule. In the small distance regime, the tip penetrates the electron density of the molecule, and the contrast is related to the size and topography of the electron shell of the molecule. For larger distances, the LCPD contrast corresponds to the electrostatic field above the molecule. However, in the medium-distance regime, that is, for tip heights similar to the size of the molecule, the nonspherical distribution of π- and σ-electrons often conceals the effect of the partial charges within the molecule. Only for large distances does the LCPD map converge toward the simple field of a dipole for a polar molecule.

Redox control of thermopower and figure of merit in phase-coherent molecular wires

We demonstrate how redox control of intra-molecular quantum interference in phase-coherent molecular wires can be used to enhance the thermopower (Seebeck coefficient) S and thermoelectric figure of merit ZT of single molecules attached to nanogap electrodes. Using first principles theory, we study the thermoelectric properties of a family of nine molecules, which consist of dithiol-terminated oligo (phenylene-ethynylenes) (OPEs) containing various central units. Uniquely, one molecule of this family possesses a conjugated acene-based central backbone attached via triple bonds to terminal sulfur atoms bound to gold electrodes and incorporates a fully conjugated hydroquinonecentral unit. We demonstrate that both S and the electronic contribution Z el T to the figure of merit ZT can be dramatically enhanced by oxidizing the hydroquinone to yield a second molecule, which possesses a cross-conjugated anthraquinone central unit. This enhancement originates from the conversion of the pi-conjugation in the former to cross-conjugation in the latter, which promotes the appearance of a sharp anti-resonance at the Fermi energy. Comparison with thermoelectric properties of the remaining seven conjugated molecules demonstrates that such large values of S and Z el T are unprecedented. We also evaluate the phonon contribution to the thermal conductance, which allows us to compute the full figure of merit ZT = Z el T/(1 + κ p/κ el), where κ p is the phonon contribution to the thermal conductance and κ el is the electronic contribution. For unstructured gold electrodes, κ p/κ el Gt⃒ 1 and therefore strategies to reduce κ p are needed to realize the highest possible figure of merit.

Pi ʿolalim : hebräische Lesefibel

von I. M. Japhet