Characterization of the porcine differentially expressed PDK4 gene and association with meat quality

To investigate the differential expression of genes in the skeletal muscle between Yorkshire and Chinese indigenous breed Meishan pigs, suppression subtractive hybridization was carried out and many genes were proved to be expressed significantly different in the two breeds. One gene highly expressed in Meishan but lowly expressed in Yorkshire specific library, shared strong homology with human pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (PDK4). Using semi-quantity and quantity PCR, We confirmed its differential expression between the two breeds. Temporal and spatial expression analysis indicated that porcine PDK4 gene is highly expressed in skeletal muscle and the highest in neonatal pigs. Complete cDNA cloning and sequence analysis revealed that porcine PDK4 gene contains an open reading frame of 1,221 bp. The deduced amino acid sequence showed conservation in evolution. A G/A mutation in intron 9 was identified and association analysis showed that it was significantly associated with intramuscular fat, muscle water content.

100 Gb/s uncooled WDM system using conventional WDM components and advanced receiver signal processing

We demonstrate an uncooled WDM system using standard WDM components and receiver signal processing, with a different number of receivers to transmitters, to allow wide temperature drift of the transmitter lasers. A 100 Gb/s 8-wavelength demonstrator has been developed, which proves the feasibility of the approach over 25 km of SMF. © 2012 Optical Society of America.

Anisotropy preserving DTI processing

Statistical analysis of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data requires a computational framework that is both numerically tractable (to account for the high dimensional nature of the data) and geometric (to account for the nonlinear nature of diffusion tensors). Building upon earlier studies exploiting a Riemannian framework to address these challenges, the present paper proposes a novel metric and an accompanying computational framework for DTI data processing. The proposed approach grounds the signal processing operations in interpolating curves. Well-chosen interpolating curves are shown to provide a computational framework that is at the same time tractable and information relevant for DTI processing. In addition, and in contrast to earlier methods, it provides an interpolation method which preserves anisotropy, a central information carried by diffusion tensor data. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York.

Meat and bone meal replacement in diets for juvenile gibel carp (Carassius auratus gibelio): effects on growth performance, phosphorus and nitrogen loading

A 11-week growth trial was conducted in a flow-through system with juvenile gibel carp Carassius auratus gibelio to evaluate the effects of gradual replacement of fish meal (FM) by meat and bone meal (MBM) on growth performance, phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) loading. Six isonitrogenous (crude protein: 410 g kg(-1)) and isoenergetic (gross energy: 18 kJ g(-1)) diets were formulated. FM was used as the control protein. In the other five diets, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100% FM protein was substituted with MBM20, MBM40, MBM60, MBM80, MBM100, respectively. Total P content in the diets ranged from 16.0 to 28.3 g kg(-1) and the available P was 5.0-6.6 g kg(-1). The results showed that the best growth was achieved with fish fed on the control diet and MBM20. Final body weight, weight gain, feed efficiency, protein retention efficiency and energy retention efficiency decreased with increased dietary MBM. No significant differences were found in the feeding rate and hepatosomatic index between the groups. Apparent digestibility coefficient (ADC) of dry matter, protein and P decreased with increase in dietary MBM, while there were no significant differences in the ADC of energy. P and N retention decreased linearly while P and N loading increased linearly with the increased dietary MBM levels. No significant differences were observed in the activity of alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase, as well as pyruvate kinase in liver or in serum. Total superoxide dismutase activity in MBM20 was significantly higher than that of MBM100.

Effect of replacement of dietary fish meal by meat and bone meal and poultry by-product meal on growth and feed utilization of gibel carp, Carassius auratus gibelio

Triplicate groups of gibel carp Carassius auratus gibelio (initial body weight: 5.25 +/- 0.02 g) were fed for 8 weeks at 20-25 degreesC on five isonitrogenous (crude protein: 400 g kg(-1)) and isoenergetic diets (gross energy: 17 kJ g(-1)). Meat and bone meal (MBM) or poultry by-product meal (PBM) were used to replace fish meal at different levels of protein. The control diet contained fish meal as the sole protein source. In the other four diets, 150 or 500 g kg(-1) of fish meal protein was substituted by MBM (MBM15, MBM50) or PBM (PBM15, PBM50). The results showed that feeding rate for the MBM50 group was significantly higher than for other groups except the PBM50 group (P < 0.05). Growth rate in the MBM15 group was significantly higher than that in the control (P < 0.05), while there was no significant difference in growth between the control and other groups (P > 0.05). Feed efficiency and protein efficiency ratio in MBM50 was significantly lower while that in MBM15 was significantly higher (P < 0.05). Replacement of fish meal by MBM at 500 g kg(-1) protein significantly decreased apparent dry matter digestibility (ADC(D)) and gross energy (ADC(E)) while apparent protein digestibility (ADC(P)) was significantly decreased by the replacement of MBM or PBM (P < 0.05). The results suggest that MBM and PBM could replace up to 500 g kg(-1) of fish meal protein in diets for gibel carp without negative effects on growth while 150 g kg(-1) replacement by MBM protein improved feed utilization.

Effect of replacement of fish meal by meat and bone meal and poultry by-product meal in diets on the growth and immune response of Macrobrachium nipponense

The potential use of poultry by-product meal (PBM) and meat and bone meal (MBM) as alternative dietary protein sources for juvenile Macrobrachium nipponense was studied by a 70-day growth trial. Triplicate groups of M. nipponense (initial body weight: 0.37 g) were fed at 20.7-22.4 degreesC on each of the five isoenergetic and isonitrogenous diets (protein content about 38%) with different replacement of fish meal by MBM or PBM. The control diet used white fish meal as the sole protein source, the other four diets were prepared with 15% or 50% fish meal protein substituted by either MBM (MBM15, MBM50) or PBM (PBM15, PBM50). The results showed that replacement of fish meal by MBM in diets did not affect growth performance of M. nipponense (P > 0.05), while specific growth rate in PBM15 was significantly higher than that in other groups (P < 0.05). Survival rates of shrimp fed with MBM15 diet were significantly higher than that in other groups (P < 0.05). No significant differences in immunological parameters, including total haemocyte count (THC), phenoloxidase activity (PO) and respiratory burst (O-2(-)), were observed between the shrimps that were fed five experimental diets, and all determined immunological parameters in control groups were slightly higher than those in replacement groups. In conclusion, either MBM or PBM investigated could replace up to 50% fish meal protein in diets for M. nipponense. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of a feeding stimulant on feeding adaptation of gibel carp Carassius auratus gibelio (Bloch), fed diets with replacement of fish meal by meat and bone meal

The objectives of the study were to investigate the effect of a feeding stimulant on feeding adaptation of gibel carp (Carassius auratus gibelio Bloch) fed diets with replacement of fish meal by meat and bone meal (MBM), and whether or not the juvenile gibel carp could adapt to higher MBM level in the diet. Juvenile and adult gibel carp were tested. Two and one replacement levels were used for juvenile and adult fish respectively. Each group of diets was set as two types with or without a unique rare earth oxide: Y2O3, Yb2O3, La2O3, Sm2O3, Nd2O3 or Gd2O3 (only the first four rare earth oxides were used in adult diets) for four adaptation periods of 3, 7, 14 and 28 days respectively. After mixing, an equal mixture of all six diets for juvenile or four diets for adult was offered in excess for 2 days. During the last 2 days of each experiment, no feed was offered and faeces from each tank were collected. Feeding preference was expressed as relative feed intake of each diet, which was estimated based on the relative concentration of each marker in the faeces. Given some adaptation period, such as 3-28 days, the effects of MBM and squid extract inclusion on the preference to each diet were reduced. After 28 days adaptation, the preferences between groups were not significantly different.

Effect of several feeding stimulants on diet preference by juvenile gibel carp (Carassius auratus gibelio), fed diets with or without partial replacement of fish meal by meat and bone meal

The objectives of this work were to study the effects of several feeding stimulants on gibel carp fed diets with or without replacement of fish meal by meat and bone meal (MBM). The feeding stimulants tested were betaine, glycine, L-lysine, L-methionine, L-phenylalanine, and a commercial squid extract. Three inclusion levels were tested for each stimulant (0.18, 0.5%, and 1% for betaine and 0.1, 0.25 and 0.5% for the other stimulants). Two basal diets (40% crude protein) were used. one with 26% fish meal (FM), and the other with 21% fish meal and 6% MBM, Betaine at 0.1% in the fish meal group and at 0.5% in the meat and bone meal group was used in all experiments for comparison among stimulants. In the experiment on each stimulant, six tanks of fish were equally divided into two groups, one fed the FM diet, and the other fed the MBM diet. After 7 days' adaptation to the basal diet, in which the fish were fed to satiation twice a day, the fish were fed for another 7 days an equal mixture of diets containing varying levels of stimulants. Each diet contained a unique rare earth oxide as inert marker (Y2O3, Yb2O3, La2O3, Sm2O3 or Nd2O3). During the last 3 days of the experiment, faeces from each tank were collected. Preference for each diet was estimated based on the relative concentration of each marker in the faeces. Gibel carp fed the FM diet had higher intake than those fed the MBM diet, but the difference was significant only in the experiments on betaine, glycine and L-methionine. None of the feeding stimulants tested showed feeding enhancing effects in FM diets. All feeding stimulants showed feeding enhancing effects in MBM diets. and the optimum inclusion level was 0.5% for betaine, 0.1% for glycine, 0.25% for L-lysine, 0.1% for L-methionine. 0.25% For L-phenylalanine. and 0.1% for squid extract. The squid extract had the strongest stimulating effect among all the stimulants tested. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Gut contents of bighead carp (Aristichthys nobilis) and the processing and digestion of algal cells in the alimentary canal

Bighead carp is one of the most important freshwater filter-feeding fish of Chinese aquaculture. In recent decades, there have been a number of contradictory conclusions on the digestibility of algae by bighead carp based on the results from gut contents and digestive enzyme analysis or radiolabelled isotope techniques. Phytoplankton in the gut contents of bighead carp (cultured in a large net cage in Lake Donghu) were studied during March-May. In biomass, the dominant phytoplankters in the fore-gut contents were the centric diatom Cyclotella (average 54.5%, range 33.8-74.3%) and the dinoflagellate Cryptomonas (average 22.8%, range 6.8-55.8%). Phytoplankton in water samples were generally present in proportionate amounts in samples from the fore-guts of bighead carp. The size of most phytoplankton present in the intestine of bighead carp was between 8 and 20 mum in length. Bighead carp was also able to collect particles (as small as 5-6 mum) much smaller than their filtering net meshes, suggesting the importance of mucus in collecting small particles, Examination of the change in the integrity of Cyclotella on passage through the esophagus of bighead carp indicated that disruption of the algal cell walls is principally by the pharyngeal teeth, explaining the previous contradictory conclusions. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Quantum information processing with superconducting qubits in a microwave field

We investigate the quantum dynamics of a Cooper-pair box with a superconducting loop in the presence of a nonclassical microwave field. We demonstrate the existence of Rabi oscillations for both single- and multiphoton processes and, moreover, we propose a new quantum computing scheme (including one-bit and conditional two-bit gates) based on Josephson qubits coupled through microwaves.

Structural properties of polycrystalline silicon films formed by pulsed rapid thermal processing

A novel pulsed rapid thermal processing (PRTP) method has been used for realizing solid-phese crystallization of amorphous silicon films prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposit ion. The microstructure and surface morphology of the crystallized films were investigated using x-ray diffraction and atomic Force microscopy. The results indicate that PRTP is a suitable post-crystallization technique for fabricating large-area polycrystalline silicon films with good structural quality, such as large grain size, small lattice microstrain and smooth surface morphology on low-cost glass substrates.

Rapid thermal annealing processing of GaN epilayer on sapphire(0 0 0 1)

The effect of rapid thermal annealing (RTA) in a Nz ambient up to 900 degrees C has been investigated for GaN films grown on sapphire(0 0 0 1) substrates. Raman spectra, X-ray diffractometry and Hall-effect studies were performed for this purpose. The Raman spectra show the presence of the E-2 (high) mode and a shift in the wave number of this mode with respect to the annealing processing. This result suggests the presence and relaxation of residual stress due to thermal expansion misfit in the films which are confirmed by X-ray measurements and the structure quality of GaN epilayer was improved. Furthermore, the electron mobility increased at room temperature with respect to decrease of background electron concentration after RTA. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Processing network models of energy/environment systems

Processing networks are a variant of the standard linear programming network model which are especially useful for optimizing industrial energy/environment systems. Modelling advantages include an intuitive diagrammatic representation and the ability to incorporate all forms of energy and pollutants in a single integrated linear network model. Added advantages include increased speed of solution and algorithms supporting formulation. The paper explores their use in modelling the energy and pollution control systems in large industrial plants. The pollution control options in an ethylene production plant are analyzed as an example. PROFLOW, a computer tool for the formulation, analysis, and solution of processing network models, is introduced.

yet another meta-language for programming language processing

The formal specification language LFC was designed to support formal specification acquisition. However, it is yet suited to be used as a meta-language for specifying programming language processing. This paper introduces LFC as a meta-language, and compares it with ASF+SDF, an algebraic specification formalism that can also be used to programming languages.