Water Status and Predictive Models of Moisture Content during Drying of Soybean Dregs Based on LF-NMR.

To explore the drying characteristics of soybean dregs and a nondestructive moisture content test method, in this study, soybean dregs were dried with hot air (80 °C), the moisture content was measured using the drying method, water status was analyzed using low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) and the moisture content prediction models were built and validated. The results revealed that the moisture contents of the soybean dregs were 0.57 and 0.01 g/g(w.b.), respectively, after drying for 5 and 7 h. The effective moisture diffusivity increased with the decrease in moisture content; it ranged from 5.27 × 10-9 to 6.96 × 10-8 m2·s-1. Soybean dregs contained bound water (T21), immobilized water (T22) and free water (T23 and T23'). With the proceeding of drying, all of the relaxation peaks shifted left until a new peak (T23') appeared; then, the structure of soybean dregs changed, and the relaxation peaks reformed, and the peak shifted left again. The peak area may predict the moisture content of soybean dregs, and the gray values of images predict the moisture contents mainly composed of free water or immobilized water. The results may provide a reference for drying of soybean dregs and a new moisture detection method.

Spatial distribution, risk assessment, and source identification of the potentially toxic elements in the water-level fluctuation zone of the Dahuofang Reservoir, Northeast China.

Potentially toxic elements (PTEs), including cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), mercury (Hg), and chromium (Cr), in the water-level fluctuation zone (WLFZ) of the Dahuofang Reservoir were surveyed in regard to their concentrations, spatial distributions, risks, and possible sources. Sediment samples were collected at 12 typical sites located in the WLFZ of the Dahuofang Reservoir. The median values of Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, and Cr all exceeded the soil background values in Liaoning Province. Based on the spatial distributions of these PTEs, the highest enrichment occurred at the R12 site. Cadmium, Cu, and Pb attained the highest contents at R12. The mean geoaccumulation index (Igeo) value of Cd indicated heavy contamination, and that of Pb indicated moderate to heavy contamination, while those of Cu and Zn indicated none to moderate contamination. The negative Igeo values of Cr and Hg indicated the uncontaminated level. According to the potential ecological risk index (RI), Pb posed a moderate risk, while Cd posed a high risk, Zn, Cr, Hg, and Cu posed a low risk. The R12 site exhibited the highest ecological risk. By applying multivariate statistical analysis, two principal components were extracted representing 62.992% of the total variance, and the results showed that the accumulation of Cr, Pb, and Hg might be ascribed to a nearby coal-fired electric power plant. Cadmium, Cu, and Zn were enriched owing to mineral sources, agricultural contamination, and coal combustion.

Inhibition of alpha-hemolysin expression by resveratrol attenuates Staphylococcus aureus virulence.

Staphylococcus aureus is an important zoonotic pathogen that causes a variety of life-threatening diseases. The increasing emergence of drug resistance further complicates the treatment of S. aureus infections. The critical role of alpha-hemolysin (Hla) in virulence renders this toxin an ideal target for the development of anti-infective agents for S. aureus. Here, We found that resveratrol, a natural compound widely found in fruits without antibacterial activity, could effectively inhibit Hla expression via down-regulating the transcription of hla, the gene that encodes Hla, and RNAIII, the effector molecule of the agr system. The addition of resveratrol to a co-culture system of S. aureus and A549 cells significantly alleviated bacteria-mediated cellular injury. Furthermore, treatment with resveratrol effectively protected mice from S. aureus pneumonia. Our results established resveratrol as an effective Hla inhibitor that reduces Hla expression without antimicrobial activity and can be further developed into novel therapeutics against S. aureus infections.

The Application of Expectation and Standard Deviation Calculations in the Evaluation of Dissolved Arsenic in the Pu River, Liaoning Province, Northeastern China.

Water samples were collected from the Pu River in 2017 to research the distribution and accumulation characteristics of dissolved arsenic. We mainly built three types of expectation and standard deviation calculations corresponding to discrete, weighted and continuous random variables. The continuous expectation and standard deviation calculations are defined based on the concentration function and average formula, and the weighted expectation and standard deviation calculations are defined based on the relationship between the concentration and distance. The results indicate that the discrete expectation (1.8351 [Formula: see text]/L) and standard deviation (0.6410 [Formula: see text]/L) describe the average level and the deviation degree, respectively, of dissolved arsenic, and the continuous expectation (1.8684 [Formula: see text]/L) and standard deviation (0.5375 [Formula: see text]/L) mainly describe the average level and the dispersion degree, respectively, of dissolved arsenic after its accumulation. The weighted expectation (1.2997 [Formula: see text]/L) and standard deviation (0.2816 [Formula: see text]/L) reflect the average level and the dispersion degree, respectively, of dissolved arsenic and reveal the quantitative relationship between the concentration of dissolved arsenic and distance. The combination of the three types of expectation and standard deviation calculations and the concentration function may comprehensively describe the distribution and accumulation characteristics of dissolved arsenic, which can provide a theoretical foundation for guiding the reduction of arsenic pollution in the Pu River.

The distribution and enrichment characteristics of copper in soil and Phragmites australis of Liao River estuary wetland.

The aims of the present investigation were to reveal the distribution and enrichment characteristics of copper in soil and Phragmites australis of Liao River estuary wetland. The concentrations of copper in root, stem, leaf, and ear of Phragmites australis as well as in soil were determined to study the absorption capacity of copper by wild Phragmites australis of Liao River estuary wetland. The study was carried out at test pool of the Shenyang Agricultural University, and the experimental materials (soil, irrigating water and Phragmites australis) were derived from Liao River estuary wetland. The concentrations of copper in soil and Phragmites australis were 16.4441 to 49.0209 mg/kg and 0.8621 to 89.5524 mg/kg, respectively. The results indicated that the enrichment coefficients of copper in different tissues of Phragmites australis changed with the growth of Phragmites australis. The results revealed that the enrichment coefficients of copper in the whole Phragmites australis were greater than 1 at each growing stage of the Phragmites australis. The results also showed that the transfer coefficients of Phragmites australis to copper changed with the growth of Phragmites australis. The results revealed that the Phragmites australis had a good removal effect on copper from soil and had some characteristics of copper hyperaccumulator.

Effects of dietary supplementation of postbiotic derived from Bacillus subtilis ACCC 11025 on growth performance, meat yield, meat quality, excreta bacteria, and excreta ammonia emission of broiler chicks.

The primary aim of this study was to explore the impact of dietary supplementation with a postbiotic derived from Bacillus subtilis ACCC 11025 on growth performance, meat yield, meat quality, excreta bacterial populations, and excreta ammonia emissions of broiler chicks. A total of 480 day-old Arbor Acre broiler chicks, initially weighing 52.83 ± 1.38 g, were randomly allocated into 4 distinct groups. Each group was housed in 6 separate cages, each containing 20 birds. The experimental phase spanned 42 d, divided into 2 periods (d 1-21 and d 22-42). Dietary interventions were based on a basal diet, with postbiotic supplementation at levels of 0.000, 0.015, 0.030, or 0.045%. Our findings indicate that dietary supplementation with postbiotic had a positive influence on body weight gain (BWG) and feed efficiency. The most substantial improvements in BWG and feed efficiency were observed in the group of broiler chicks fed a diet containing 0.015% postbiotic. Furthermore, the inclusion of postbiotic in the diet led to an increase in the yield of breast and leg muscles, with a significant difference in meat yields observed between the control group and the group receiving 0.015% postbiotic supplementation. It's noteworthy that dietary manipulation did not exert any discernible impact on the quality of breast and leg muscle samples. Concurrently, we observed an elevation in serum albumin and total protein contents corresponding to the increasing postbiotic dosage in the diet. Additionally, dietary supplementation with postbiotic effectively controlled the emission of ammonia from excreta and reduced the abundance of Salmonella in excreta while enhancing the presence of Lactobacillus bacteria. The group receiving 0.015% postbiotic supplementation displayed the lowest levels of ammonia emission and the highest counts of Lactobacillus bacteria in excreta. In light of these results, we conclude that dietary supplementation with 0.015% postbiotic represents an efficacious strategy for increasing BWG and meat yield of broiler chicks by enhancing feed efficiency as well as mitigating ammonia emissions from excreta by modulating the composition of excreta bacterial communities.

Postbiotic derived from Bacillus subtilis ACCC 11025 improves growth performance, mortality rate, immunity, and tibia health in broiler chicks.

Introduction: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of postbiotics on growth performance, mortality rate, immunity, small intestinal health, tibia characteristics, and hematological parameters of broiler chicks. he postbiotics were derived from Bacillus subtilis ACCC 11025. Methods: A total of 480 day-old Arbor acre broiler chicks (52.83 ± 1.38 g) were used in a 42-day study and were randomly allocated into four groups. Each group comprised 6 replicate cages, each containing 20 birds. Dietary treatments were based on a basal diet, supplemented with postbiotics at concentrations of 0.000%, 0.015%, 0.030%, or 0.045%. Results and discussion: The results demonstrated an improvement in growth performance, antibody titers against avian influenza virus and Newcastle disease virus, serum albumin levels, and serum total protein levels, as well as a reduction in mortality rate among broiler chicks with increasing levels of postbiotic supplementation. The most significant effect were observed in the group receiving 0.015% postbiotics. Furthermore, a dose-dependent enhancement in tibia weight and tibia weight to length ratio, coupled with a reduction in the robusticity index, was noted. The most favorable outcomes for tibia health were observed in the group receiving 0.030% postbiotics. This improvement in tibia health corresponded to a linear increase in serum calcium and inorganic phosphorus contents. In summary, supplementing broiler chicks with 0.015% postbiotics effectively enhances immunity, leading to improved growth performance and reduced mortality rates. Additionally, a postbiotic dose of 0.030% is suitable for optimizing tibia health.

A self-assembled 3D nanoflowers based nano-ELISA platform for the sensitive detection of pyridaben.

Biomimetic methods are invariably employed to synthesize hybrid organic-inorganic multilevel structure nanoflowers with self-assembly processes in aqueous solutions, which is an ideal way to meet the challenges of immobilizing antibodies or enzymes in nanomaterial based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (nano-ELISA). In this study, we developed protein-inorganic hybrid 3D nanoflowers composed of bovine serum albumin (BSA), horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-conjugated goat anti-mouse IgG (IgG-HRP) and copper(Ⅱ) phosphate (BSA-(IgG-HRP)-Cu3(PO4)2) using a self-assembly biomimetic method. The preparation process avoided the use of any organic solvent and protein immobilization did not require covalent modifications. Additionally, the unique hierarchical structure enhances the thermal and storage stability of HRP. The BSA-(IgG-HRP)-Cu3(PO4)2 hybrid 3D nanoflower was then applied to a nano-ELISA platform for pyridaben detection, achieving a 50% inhibition concentration of 3.90 ng mL-1. The nano-ELISA achieved excellent accuracy for pyridaben detection. Such a novel BSA-(IgG-HRP)-Cu3(PO4)2 hybrid 3D nanoflower provide an excellent reagent for small molecule immunoassay.

Advances in organic fluorescent probes for bromide ions, hypobromous acid and related eosinophil peroxidase-A review.

Elemental bromine is among the essential elements for human health. In living organisms, bromide (Br-) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) can be catalyzed by eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) to generate a reactive oxygen species (ROS), hypobromous acid (HOBr), which exhibits properties similar to those of hypochlorous acid (HOCl). Moreover, HOBr possesses strong oxidative and antibacterial properties, which are believed to play an important role in the neutrophil host defense system. However, overexpression or misexpression of HOBr can cause organismal and tissue damage, which is closely related to the development of various diseases. Therefore, an increasing number of studies has demonstrated physiological associations with the conversion of Br- to HOBr. With the development of fluorescence imaging technology, developing fluorescent probes with novel structures and high selectivity to detect changes in Br-, HOBr, and the related enzyme EPO levels in organisms has become very important. This paper summarizes Br-, HOBr, and EPO fluorescent probes reported in recent years, including the design principles, mechanisms, optical properties, and bioapplications. Finally, the application prospects and challenges are also discussed.

Feeding broilers with wheat germ, hops and grape seed extract mixture improves growth performance.

In the study, Wheat germ, Hops and Grape seed extracts were made into a mixture (BX). The BX was supplemented in AA + broilers diets to investigate the effects of BX on broiler growth performance, blood indicators, microbiota, and noxious gas emissions in faeces. Four hundred and eighty 1-day-old AA + male broilers with an average initial body weight (44.82 ± 0.26) were randomly divided into four dietary treatments of six replicates each, with 20 birds per replicate. The experimental groups consisted of a group fed a basal diet and groups fed basal diet supplemented with 0.05%, 0.1%, and 0.2% BX. The trail was 42 days. The results showed that supplementing the dietary with graded levels of BX linearly increased ADG and ADFI from days 22-42 and 1-42. When dietarys supplemented with 0.2% BX significantly increased ADG and ADFI on days 22-42 and 1-42 (p < 0.05). The addition of BX reduced H2S and NH3 emissions in the faeces; the levels of E. coli and Salmonella in the faeces were significantly reduced and the levels of Lactobacillus were increased (p < 0.05). In this trial, when the diet was supplemented with 0.2% BX, faecal levels of E. coli and Salmonella were consistently at their lowest levels and Lactobacillus were at their highest. At the same time, NH3 and H2S emissions from broiler faecal also had been at their lowest levels. Conclusion: Dietary supplementation with a 0.2% BX could improve the growth performance of broilers and also reduced faecal H2S and NH3 emissions, as well as faecal levels of E. coli and Salmonella, and increased levels of Lactobacillus. Thus, BX made by Wheat germ, Hops and Grape seed extract is expected to be an alternative to antibiotics. And based on the results of this trial, the recommended dose for use in on-farm production was 0.2%.

Sodium dichloroisocyanurate: improving broiler health by reducing harmful microbial levels in the waterline.

Sodium dichloroisocyanurate (NaDCC) is commonly used for treating drinking water, industrial water, and wastewater. This study aimed to investigate the potential effects of NaDCC-treated waterline drinking water on the growth of AA+ broilers by reducing microbial levels in the waterline. A total of 480 healthy 1-day-old AA+ broilers (46.77 ± 0.50 g) were selected for the experiment and randomly divided into four groups with six replicates of 20 birds each. The control group received regular drinking water, while the test groups received drinking water with NaDCC concentrations of 10, 30, and 50 mg/L. The test groups consumed the treated water on specific days throughout the 42-day experimental period. Results showed that NaDCC treatment significantly reduced the levels of E. coli, Salmonella, S. aureus and Moulds in the drinking water at the waterline (p < 0.05). Drinking water with NaDCC also led to reduced broiler fecal emissions of NH3 and H2S, as well as reduced counts of E. coli, Salmonella, S. aureus and Moulds (p < 0.05), particularly at 30 mg/L and 50 mg/L concentrations. Broilers consuming NaDCC at 50 mg/L exhibited a significant increase in ADG from days 1-42 (p < 0.05). The levels of E. coli, Salmonella, S. aureus and Moulds in the drinking water at the waterline were significantly and positively correlated with the bacterial count in the feces (p < 0.05, R > 0.6). Additionally, bacterial levels in drinking water and broiler feces were negatively correlated with broiler production performance indicators, including ADG, ADFI, F/G and AWC. In conclusion, NaDCC can indirectly enhance broiler performance by reducing the levels of harmful bacteria in the waterline without affecting normal drinking water. The addition of 30 mg/L or 50 mg/L of NaDCC to the waterline in poultry production can effectively control harmful microorganisms and improve poultry health. Based on the experiment's results, it is recommended to preferentially use 30 mg/L NaDCC in the waterline to reduce farming costs.

Growth performance and cecal microbiota of broiler chicks as affected by drinking water disinfection and/or herbal extract blend supplementation.

Environmental exposures during early life are important for animals' intestinal microbiota composition and their production performance. This experiment investigated the growth performance, hematology parameters, jejunal morphology, and cecal microbiota of broiler chicks as affected by exogenous factors from the aspects of drinking water quality and dietary manipulation. A total of 480-day-old broiler chicks (Arbor acre; 41.59 ± 0.88 g) were randomly assigned into 4 groups (CON, HWGM, CA, CAHWGM). Each group had 6 replicates with 20 birds per replicate. Broiler chicks in CON group were fed with basal diet and drank normal drinking water; in HWGM group were fed with basal diet supplemented with 1.5g/kg herbal extract blend (hops, grape seed, and wheat germ) and drank normal drinking water; in CA group were fed with basal diet and drank sodium dichlorocyanurate (50 mg/L) treated-drinking water; in CAHWGM group were fed with basal diet supplemented with 1.5 g/kg herbal extract blend and drank chlorinated drinking water. The experimental period was 42 d. We found that broiler chicks drank chlorinated drinking water led to an increase in body weight gain and feed efficiency during d 22 to 42 and 1 to 42, as well as a decrease in cecal Dysgonomonas and Providencia abundance. Dietary supplementation of herbal extract blend increased cecal Lactobacillus and Enterococcus abundance, whereas decreased Dysgonomonas abundance. Moreover, we observed that cecal Dysgonomonas abundance synergistically decreased by treating drinking water with sodium dichlorocyanurate and supplementing herbal extract blend to the diet. Therefore, results obtained in this study indicated that providing chlorinated drinking water is an effective strategy to improve the growth performance of broiler chicks by regulating intestinal microbiota. Additionally, dietary supplementation of herbal extract blend alone or combined with chlorinated drinking water is able to regulate cecal microbiota.

Regulating effects of chlorinated drinking water on cecal microbiota of broiler chicks.

In this study, 2 types of drinking water were provided to broiler chicks to evaluate the relationship between the bacterial load of drinking water and cecal microbiota. One type of drinking water was untreated, while the other type was daily treated with sodium dichlorocyanurate (50 mg/L). A total of 240 broiler chicks were divided into 2 groups based on their initial body weight. There were 6 replicates in each group, and each replicate cage contained 20 birds. Each cage was assigned to a different floor of the battery cage. On the final day, water samples were collected from each replicate cage at the opening of the drinking cup height, and one bird was selected from each replicate cage to obtain cecal content samples for measuring microbiota composition using the 16S rRNA technique. We found that drinking water treated with sodium dichlorocyanurate significantly reduced the richness and diversity of microbiota and diminished/disappeared most gram-negative bacteria. Broiler chicks that consumed chlorinated drinking water exhibited changes in the composition of cecal microbiota, with Alistipes serving as the marker species in the cecal content of broiler chicks that consumed untreated water, whereas AF12 served as the marker species in the cecal content of broiler chicks that consumed chlorinated drinking water. Functional prediction using the MetaCyc database and species composition analysis of metabolic pathways showed that changes in 7 metabolic pathways were related to the abundance of Providencia. Therefore, we concluded that chlorinated drinking water reduced the bacterial load in drinking water, thereby altering the cecal microbiota composition and regulating the metabolic activity of broiler chicks.

Effects of dietary supplementation probiotic complex on growth performance, blood parameters, fecal harmful gas, and fecal microbiota in AA+ male broilers.

In this study, Bacillus subtilis, Clostridium butyricum and Enterococcus faecalis were made into a probiotic complex (PC). The PC was supplemented in AA+ male broilers' diets to investigate the effects of PC on broiler growth performance, carcass traits, blood indicators, harmful gas emissions in feces and microbiota. Three hundred and sixty 1-day-old AA+ male broilers with an average initial body weight (data) were randomly divided into 3 dietary treatments of 6 replicates each, with 20 birds per replicate. The control group (T0) was fed a basal diet, while the test groups (T1 and T2) were supplemented with 0.025 and 0.05% PC in the basal diet, respectively. The trail was 42 days. The results showed that the supplementation of 0.05% PC significantly (p < 0.05) improved average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) of broilers from 22 to 42 days and 1-42 days. Compared to the control group, the breast rate was significantly higher in T2, and the thymic index was significantly higher than that in T1 treatment (p < 0.05). The addition of PC had no significant effects on antibody potency in broiler serum (p > 0.05), but significantly increased albumin and total protein content in serum (p < 0.05). The addition of PC reduced H2S and NH3 emissions in the feces; the levels of Escherichia coli and Salmonella in the feces were significantly reduced and the levels of Lactobacillus were increased. And the most significant results were achieved when PC was added at 0.05%. Correlation analysis showed a significant positive correlation (p < 0.05) between the levels of E. coli and Salmonella and the emissions of H2S and NH3. Conclusion: Dietary supplementation with a 0.05% probiotic complex could improve the growth performance of broilers and also reduced fecal H2S and NH3 emissions, as well as fecal levels of E. coli and Salmonella, and increased levels of Lactobacillus. Thus, PC made by Bacillus subtilis, Clostridium butyricum and Enterococcus faecalis is expected to be an alternative to antibiotics. And based on the results of this trial, the recommended dose for use in on-farm production was 0.05%.

Effect of multi-strain probiotics on the performance of AA+ male broilers.

The aim of the experiment was to investigate the effects of a probiotic complex (PC) consisting of Bacillus subtilis, Clostridium butyricum and Enterococcus faecalis on productive performance, carcass traits, immune organ indices, fecal microbiota counts and noxious gas emissions in AA+ male broilers. Three hundred and sixty 1-day-old AA+ male broilers with similar body weight (44.77 ± 0.25) were randomly divided into 3 treatment groups of 6 replicates each, with 20 broilers in each replicate. The experimental groups consisted of a group fed a basal diet and groups fed basal diet supplemented with 0.1 and 0.2% PC. The results showed that the addition of PC had no significant effect (P > 0.05) on growth performance, and carcass traits of AA+ broilers during the experimental period (1-42 days of age). Dietary addition of PC significantly increased the thymus index of AA+ broilers (P < 0.05), reduced the number of E. coli and Salmonella in feces (P < 0.01) and reduced the concentrations of fecal NH3 and H2S emissions (P < 0.01). Furthermore, birds fed 0.2% PC diet had the highest number of fecal Lactobacillus counts. Results indicate that probiotic complex consisting of Bacillus subtilis, Clostridium butyricum and Enterococcus faecalis enhances immune organ development, reduces the number of E. coli and Salmonella in feces, increases the number of Lactobacillus and reduces NH3 and H2S emissions in feces. This trial provides a theoretical basis for the use of probiotic complexes in broiler production.

Effective Method of Estimating the Daily Evapotranspiration of Greenhouse Grapes in the Cold Area of Northeast China.

Evapotranspiration (ET) is an important basis and key link for guiding irrigation. One of the key problems to be solved is how to predict the dynamic change in the daily ET and estimate the total amount of ET in greenhouse through limited instantaneous data. In this paper, it is estimated that the daily scale of evapotranspiration by using four methods, including the evaporative fraction method (EF method), the reference evaporative fraction method (EF' method), the sine method, and the canopy resistance method (r c method), is based on the measured ET data of grapes in a solar greenhouse in Northeast China. The relative root-mean-square pair error (RRMSE) and the efficiency coefficient (ε) are also used to study their applicability in terms of leaf area index, radiation degree, and scale-up time point. In the results, under the condition of different LAI, the simulation accuracies of ET scaled by the four methods ranked as follows (from highest to lowest): the reference evaporative fraction method, the evaporative fraction method, the sine method, and the canopy resistance method. The average RRMSE and ε of the evaporative fraction method with the best simulation accuracy were 7.19-16.46% and 0.61-0.75, respectively. Under different radiation conditions, the simulation accuracies of the four methods ranked as follows (from highest to lowest): the evaporative fraction method, the reference evaporative fraction method, the sine method, and the canopy resistance method. Under different radiation conditions, the RRSME of the four methods ranged from 11.55 to 46.62%, and the maximum of ε was 0.75. The evaporative fraction and reference evaporative fraction methods had the highest simulation accuracy, whereas the reference evaporative fraction method required fewer parameters. We concluded that the reference evaporative fraction method was the best for estimating the daily ET of greenhouse grapes in the cold area of Northeast China.

Effects of Wet Fermented Soybean Dregs on Physical and Mechanical Properties of Pellets of Corn Stover.

Pelleting experiments were carried out in this study to clarify the influence mechanism of wet-fermented soybean dregs on the forming of corn stover. The effects of addition of water or wet fermented soybean dregs on the forming quality of corn stover were comparatively studied under different corn stover particle sizes and compression displacement. The fermented soybean dregs significantly affected the relaxed density, dimensional stability coefficient, and hardness of feed pellets. The relaxed density, dimensional stability coefficient, and hardness of feed pellets increased first and then decreased with the increase of fermented soybean dregs. The forming quality of corn stover added with fermented soybean dregs was higher than that of corn stover added with the same amount of water. The mechanism allowed soybean dregs to strengthen the bonding between corn stover particles and thus improved the quality of feed pellets. A certain amount of water was favorable for corn stover pelleting, but excessive water may decrease the quality of pellets. The comprehensive analysis showed that the addition of 5-10% fermented soybean dregs to the corn stover improved the relaxed density, dimensional stability coefficient, and hardness of feed pellets by 10.76-23.51%, 7.32-15.74%, and 33.39-454.47%, respectively.

Feeding Broiler Chicks with Bacillus subtilis, Clostridium butyricum, and Enterococcus faecalis Mixture Improves Growth Performance and Regulates Cecal Microbiota.

A total of 300 day-old Arbor Acres Plus broiler chicks (mixed sex) was used to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of Bacillus subtilis, Clostridium butyricum, and Enterococcus faecalis mixture (PB) on growth performance, ileal morphology, and cecal microbiota. All birds were randomly assigned into 3 groups based on the initial body weight. There were 5 replicate cages per group and 20 birds per cage. The experimental period was 42 days. Dietary treatments were based on a basal diet and supplemented with 0, 0.05, or 0.10% PB. The results indicated that broiler chicks fed with the diet supplemented with graded levels of PB have quadratically improved their body weight gain and feed intake; the highest value was presented in 0.05% PB-containing group. In addition, villus to crypt ratio linearly increased with the concentration of PB increased in the diet. The alpha diversity linearly increased by PB supplementation, and the highest value was presented in 0.10% PB-containing group. In terms of growth performance, the suitable dose of PB used in the diet was 0.05%. However, ternary plot showed that the harmful bacteria, Escherichia-Shigella, was enriched in 0.05% PB-containing group. In brief, we considered that dietary supplementation of graded levels of PB improved growth performance and regulated cecal microbiota in broiler chicks.

Mulched drip irrigation and biochar application reduce gaseous nitrogen emissions, but increase nitrogen uptake and peanut yield.

Nitrous oxide and ammonia emissions from farmland need to be abated as they directly or indirectly affect climate warming and crop yield. We conducted a two-year field experiment to investigate the effect of biochar applied at two rates (no biochar application vs. biochar applied at 10 t ha-1) on gaseous nitrogen (N) losses (N2O emissions and NH3 volatilization), plant N uptake, residual soil mineral N, and peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) yield under three irrigation regimes: furrow irrigation (FI), drip irrigation (DI), and mulched drip irrigation (MDI). We found that MDI reduced residual (post-harvest) soil mineral N, cumulative N2O emissions, and yield-scaled N2O emissions as compared to FI. Biochar application increased residual soil NO3--N and decreased yield-scaled N2O emissions as compared with the control without biochar application. Under the three irrigation regimes, biochar application decreased cumulative NH3 volatilization and increased plant N uptake and yield compared with the control. Biochar application improved the sustainability of peanut production and could be used to alleviate the environmental damage associated with gaseous N emissions. Where possible, biochar application under MDI in peanut fields is recommended as a management strategy to minimize gaseous N losses.

Photosynthesis, Chlorophyll Fluorescence, and Yield of Peanut in Response to Biochar Application.

The effect of biochar application on photosynthetic traits and yield in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is not well understood. A 2-year field experiment was conducted in Northwest Liaoning, China to evaluate the effect of biochar application [0, 10, 20, and 40 t ha-1 (B0, B10, B20, and B40)] on leaf gas exchange parameters, chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, and yield of peanut. B10 improved photochemical quenching at flowering and pod set and reduced non-photochemical quenching at pod set, relative to B0. B10 and B20 increased actual photochemical efficiency and decreased regulated energy dissipated at pod set, relative to B0. B10 significantly increased net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, and water use efficiency at flowering and pod set, relative to B0. Compared with B0, B10 significantly improved peanut yield (14.6 and 13.7%) and kernel yield (20.2 and 14.4%). Biochar application increased leaf nitrogen content. B10 and B20 significantly increased plant nitrogen accumulation, as compared to B0. The net photosynthetic rate of peanut leaves had a linear correlation with plant nitrogen accumulation and peanut yield. The application of 10 t ha-1 biochar produced the highest peanut yield by enhancing leaf photosynthetic capacity, and is thus a promising strategy for peanut production in Northwest Liaoning, China.