Response of growing goslings to dietary supplementation with methionine and betaine.

An experiment with a 2 × 3 factorial design with two concentrations of dietary betaine (0 and 600 mg/kg) and three dietary concentrations of methionine (0, 600 and 1200 mg/kg) was conducted using goslings to estimate growth, nutrient utilisation and digestibility of amino acids from 21 to 70 d of age. Three hundred geese were randomised at 18 d of age into 6 groups with 5 replicates per treatment and 10 geese per replicate. Increasing dietary concentrations of methionine gave a linear increase in body weight and average daily gain. The coefficient of crude fat retention increased as dietary methionine increased and there was a significant non-linear response to increasing dietary methionine. Similarly, increasing supplemental methionine gave linear increases in the digestibility of methionine and cysteine. The results of this study indicated that optimal dietary supplementation of methionine could increase growth performance and methionine and cysteine utilisation in growing goslings. Betaine supplementation had no apparent sparing effect on methionine needs for growth performance, but did improve the apparent cysteine digestibility.

Comparative analysis of phylogenetic relationships, morphologies, and pathogenicities among Curvularia lunata isolates from maize in China.

To understand the effects of disease-resistant maize varieties and new cropping systems on the population of Curvularia lunata, 52 isolates of C. lunata were collected in China from 2011 to 2013. The isolates were analyzed in terms of phylogenetic relationships, morphology, and pathogenicity. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the 52 isolates clustered into 2 distinct clusters with further subdivisions, suggesting the emergence of new genetic divergence within C. lunata. Results of morphology and pathogenicity analyses demonstrated that there were significant differences among these isolates: 27 isolates were classified as fast growing, 5 as slow growing, and 20 as moderate growing. Three isolates had white-colored colonies, 13 had yellowish green-colored colonies, and the remaining isolates had dark green-colored colonies. Furthermore, conidiation rates were assessed: 30 isolates were characterized as having low conidiation rates, 15 as having medium conidiation rates, and the remaining 7 isolates as having high conidiation rates. Eleven of the isolates appeared to be strongly pathogenic against maize, 15 isolates proved to be weakly pathogenic against maize, and the remaining isolates were regarded to be moderately pathogenic. Interestingly, correlation analysis demonstrated a negative correlation between the growth rate and the pathogenicity of the isolates, while a positive correlation was observed between the conidiation rate and the pathogenicity. No correlation was observed between the colony color and the pathogenicity of the isolates.

Morphological effects of the nanostructured ceria support on the activity and stability of CuO/CeO2 catalysts for the water-gas shift reaction.

Three CuO/CeO2 catalyst with different morphologies of ceria, namely nanospheres, nanorods and nanocubes, were synthesized and used to catalyze the water-gas shift (WGS) reaction. The reactivity tests showed that the Cu supported on the ceria nanospheres exhibited both the highest activity and superior stability when compared with the nanocube and nanorod ceria catalysts. Operando X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) and diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (DRIFTS) methods were used to characterize these catalysts in their working state. High resolution electron microscopy (HRTEM, STEM) was used to look at the local atomic structure and nano-scale morphology. Our results show that the morphology of the ceria support, which can involve different crystal faces and concentrations of defects and imperfections, has a critical impact on the catalytic properties and influences: (1) the dispersion of CuO in the as-synthesized catalyst; (2) the particle size of metallic Cu upon reduction during the WGS reaction, (3) the stability of the metallic Cu upon variations of temperature, and (4) the dissociation of water on the ceria support. The nanosphere ceria catalyst showed an excellent water dissociation capability, the best dispersion of Cu and a strong Cu-Ce interaction, therefore delivering the best performance among the three WGS catalysts. The metallic Cu, which is the active species during the WGS reaction, was more stabilized on the nanospheres than on the nanorods and nanocubes and thus led to a better stability of the nanosphere catalyst than the other two architectures. Each catalyst exhibited a distinctive line-shape in the 800-1600 cm(-1) region of the DRIFTS spectra, pointing to the existence of different types of carbonate or carboxylate species as surface intermediates for the WGS.

Pharmacokinetics of difloxacin in olive flounder Paralichthys olivaceus at two water temperatures.

In this study, the pharmacokinetics profiles of difloxacin in the olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) were investigated following intravenous and oral administration (10 mg/kg BW) at 14 and 22 °C water temperatures. Plasma and tissue samples (muscle, liver, and kidney) were analyzed using an HPLC method. The results showed that the plasma concentration-time data for difloxacin were described commendably by two-compartment open model at the two water temperatures. The absorption half-life (t(1/2ka)) of difloxacin after oral administration were 2.08 and 1.10 h at 14 and 22 °C, respectively; whereas the elimination half-life (t(1/2ß)) was 4.41 and 2.38 h, respectively. The muscle concentration of 1.35 ± 0.19 µg/g was observed at 9 h at 14 °C, and 2.11 ± 0.33 µg/g at 6 h at 22 °C, respectively. For liver, the peak concentration of difloxacin 2.43 ± 0.30 µg/g occurred at 6 h at 14 °C, which was lower than the 3.34 ± 0.24 µg/g peak that occurred at 4 h at 22 °C. The calculated bioavailability of difloxacin was 68.07% at 22 °C, which was higher than the 53.43% calculated for 14 °C. After intravenous administration, the t(1/2ß) were 4.79 and 2.81 h at 14 and 22 °C, respectively. The results indicate that the peak concentrations in muscle and liver at 14 °C are approximately half of those achieved at 22 °C. However, the C(max) in kidney at 14 and 22 °C were similar. The Vd values were 1.20 and 1.75 L/kg at 14 and 22 °C, respectively. These data indicated that both temperature and drug administration had significant effects on the elimination of difloxacin, and lower temperature or oral administration resulted in lower elimination.

Sputum microscopy results at two and three months predict outcome of tuberculosis treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the importance of monitoring sputum conversion as an early treatment indicator of treatment success. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of sputum conversion in a cohort of 'cured' tuberculosis patients. RESULTS: Of 65 (95%) patients whose sputum converted in the third month of treatment, 62 were cured; only 21 of 35 (60%) patients whose sputum was still positive at the end of three months of treatment were ultimately cured. CONCLUSION: Sputum conversion during the third month of treatment is an important predictor of treatment success; failure to convert predicts treatment failure.

[Effects of 3 Chinese medical prescriptions on alkaline reflux gastritis in rats].

The experimental alkaline reflux gastritis in rats was established after 9 weeks of anastomosis between stomach and jejunum. The experiment shows that xiangsha liujunzi decoction, xiaochaihu decoction and dahuang gancao decoction all help to inhibit edema, hyperamia and extravasted blood, as well as depress inflammatory infiltration and hyperplasia. The number of intestinal metaplasia in the group treated with xiangsha liujunzi decoction is decreased. All the three prescriptions are not able to lower the contents of bile acid in the stomach.

[Study on the mass spectrometry of natural products. XI. The MIKES of fast atom bombardment mass spectra of sodium adduct ions of phenylpropanoid glycosides].

The fast atom bombardment (FAB) mass spectra and mass-selected ion kinetic energy spectra [MIKES] of sodium adduct ions [M + Na]+ of six phenylpropanoid glycosides have been studied. An intense sodium adduct appeared in their FAB mass spectra, which was more abundant than the corresponding protonated molecular ion [M + H]+ and may give more definite information about molecular weight of the sample. The MIKES of these [M + Na]+ ions provided a convenient way for sugar sequence analysis of such glycosides.

Fast atom bombardment and collisional activation mass spectrometry in the structural analysis of steroidal oligoglycosides.

Fast atom bombardment (FAB) followed by collisional activation (CA) mass spectrometry was used for structural analysis of steroidal oligoglycosides, containing two to four sugar units. In the molecular ion region of the FAB mass spectra of these underivatized natural products, intense protonated molecular ions were observed. The collisional activation spectra of these mass selected ions yield more sequence information than FAB mass spectra and are not contaminated with interfering peaks originating from impurities or matrix.