Specific mutations in the genes of MC1R and TYR have an important influence on the determination of pheomelanin pigmentation in Korean native chickens.

OBJECTIVE: The TYR (Tyrosinase) and MC1R (Melanocortin 1 receptor) genes are recognized as important genes involved in plumage pigmentation in Korean native chickens. Specifically, most color patterns in chicken result from differential expression of the TYR gene. In this study, the co-segregation of the pigmentation and sequence of the TYR and MC1R genes was investigated through intercrosses between red (R1q1), red with black and black plumage color types of native Korean chickens. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using DNA, RNA, and tissue by plumage color of each Korean native chickens, the role of major genes in pigmentation of pheomelanin was evaluated. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, sequencing, western blot, and immunohistochemical were performed to determine the effect of TYR and MC1R genes on plumage pigmentation in Korean native chickens. RESULTS: The KCO line (Korean chicken Ogol: Black-line) with an EEC _ genotype exhibited black feathers, whereas red and red mixed with black chicken with EeC genotype exhibited white feathers. There were notable differences between the base sequences of MC1R and TYR in three Korean chicken breeds, with the highest variation in TYR. Perhaps this is the key characteristics of Korean chicken. Further, we analyzed the expression patterns of MC1R and TYR genes in each type of Korea native chicken and observed that TYR expression was high in feather follicle (R1q2) of KCO tissue. However, native red (Korean chicken red) and native red with black (Korean chicken red dark) chickens have increased TYR expression in the tissue. However, the expression of MC1R was much different from that of TYR. CONCLUSION: In this study, our results suggest that the differences in position and TYR expression levels exert more influence on plumage pigmentation in native Korean chicken breeds than changes in MC1R expression levels.

Developing Equations for Converting Digestible Energy to Metabolizable Energy for Korean Hanwoo Beef Cattle.

This study was performed to update and generate prediction equations for converting digestible energy (DE) to metabolizable energy (ME) for Korean Hanwoo beef cattle, taking into consideration the gender (male and female) and body weights (BW above and below 350 kg) of the animals. The data consisted of 141 measurements from respiratory chambers with a wide range of diets and energy intake levels. A simple linear regression of the overall unadjusted data suggested a strong relationship between the DE and ME (Mcal/kg DM): ME = 0.8722 × DE + 0.0016 (coefficient of determination (R2) = 0.946, root mean square error (RMSE) = 0.107, p < 0.001 for intercept and slope). Mixed-model regression analyses to adjust for the effects of the experiment from which the data were obtained similarly showed a strong linear relationship between the DE and ME (Mcal/kg of DM): ME = 0.9215 × DE - 0.1434 (R2 = 0.999, RMSE = 0.004, p < 0.001 for the intercept and slope). The DE was strongly related to the ME for both genders: ME = 0.8621 × DE + 0.0808 (R2 = 0.9600, RMSE = 0.083, p < 0.001 for the intercept and slope) and ME = 0.7785 × DE + 0.1546 (R2 = 0.971, RMSE = 0.070, p < 0.001 for the intercept and slope) for male and female Hanwoo cattle, respectively. By BW, the simple linear regression similarly showed a strong relationship between the DE and ME for Hanwoo above and below 350 kg BW: ME = 0.9833 × DE - 0.2760 (R2 = 0.991, RMSE = 0.055, p < 0.001 for the intercept and slope) and ME = 0.72975 × DE + 0.38744 (R2 = 0.913, RMSE = 0.100, p < 0.001 for the intercept and slope), respectively. A multiple regression using the DE and dietary factors as independent variables did not improve the accuracy of the ME prediction (ME = 1.149 × DE - 0.045 × crude protein + 0.011 × neutral detergent fibre - 0.027 × acid detergent fibre + 0.683).

In Vitro Screening of East Asian Plant Extracts for Potential Use in Reducing Ruminal Methane Production.

Indiscriminate use of antibiotics can result in antibiotic residues in animal products; thus, plant compounds may be better alternative sources for mitigating methane (CH4) production. An in vitro screening experiment was conducted to evaluate the potential application of 152 dry methanolic or ethanolic extracts from 137 plant species distributed in East Asian countries as anti-methanogenic additives in ruminant feed. The experimental material consisted of 200 mg total mixed ration, 20 mg plant extract, and 30 mL diluted ruminal fluid-buffer mixture in 60 mL serum bottles that were sealed with rubber stoppers and incubated at 39 °C for 24 h. Among the tested extracts, eight extracts decreased CH4 production by >20%, compared to the corresponding controls: stems of Vitex negundo var. incisa, stems of Amelanchier asiatica, fruit of Reynoutria sachalinensis, seeds of Tribulus terrestris, seeds of Pharbitis nil, leaves of Alnus japonica, stem and bark of Carpinus tschonoskii, and stems of Acer truncatum. A confirmation assay of the eight plant extracts at a dosage of 10 mg with four replications repeated on 3 different days revealed that the extracts decreased CH4 concentration in the total gas (7-15%) and total CH4 production (17-37%), compared to the control. This is the first report to identify the anti-methanogenic activities of eight potential plant extracts. All extracts decreased ammonia (NH3-N) concentrations. Negative effects on total gas and volatile fatty acid (VFA) production were also noted for all extracts that were rich in hydrolysable tannins and total saponins or fatty acids. The underlying modes of action differed among plants: extracts from P. nil, V. negundo var. incisa, A. asiatica, and R. sachalinensis resulted in a decrease in total methanogen or the protozoan population (p < 0.05) but extracts from other plants did not. Furthermore, extracts from P. nil decreased the population of total protozoa and increased the proportion of propionate among VFAs (p < 0.05). Identifying bioactive compounds in seeds of P. nil by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis revealed enrichment of linoleic acid (18:2). Overall, seeds of P. nil could be a possible alternative to ionophores or oil seeds to mitigate ruminal CH4 production.

Fully Copper-Exchanged High-Silica LTA Zeolites as Unrivaled Hydrothermally Stable NH3 -SCR Catalysts.

Diesel engine technology is still the most effective solution to meet tighter CO2 regulations in the mobility and transport sector. In implementation of fuel-efficient diesel engines, the poor thermal durability of lean nitrogen oxides (NOx ) aftertreatment systems remains as one major technical hurdle. Divalent copper ions when fully exchanged into high-silica LTA zeolites are demonstrated to exhibit excellent activity maintenance for NOx reduction with NH3 under vehicle simulated conditions even after hydrothermal aging at 900 °C, a critical temperature that the current commercial Cu-SSZ-13 catalyst cannot overcome owing to thermal deactivation. Detailed structural characterizations confirm the presence of Cu2+ ions only at the center of single 6-rings that act not only as a catalytically active center, but also as a dealumination suppressor. The overall results render the copper-exchanged LTA zeolite attractive as a viable substitute for Cu-SSZ-13.

A combinatorial chemistry method for fast screening of perovskite-based NO oxidation catalyst.

A fast parallel screening method based on combinatorial chemistry (combichem) has been developed and applied in the screening tests of perovskite-based oxide (PBO) catalysts for NO oxidation to hit a promising PBO formulation for the oxidation of NO to NO2. This new method involves three consecutive steps: oxidation of NO to NO2 over a PBO catalyst, adsorption of NOx onto the PBO and K2O/Al2O3, and colorimetric assay of the NOx adsorbed thereon. The combichem experimental data have been used for determining the oxidation activity of NO over PBO catalysts as well as three critical parameters, such as the adsorption efficiency of K2O/Al2O3 for NO2 (α) and NO (ß), and the time-average fraction of NO included in the NOx feed stream (ξ). The results demonstrated that the amounts of NO2 produced over PBO catalysts by the combichem method under transient conditions correlate well with those from a conventional packed-bed reactor under steady-state conditions. Among the PBO formulations examined, La0.5Ag0.5MnO3 has been identified as the best chemical formulation for oxidation of NO to NO2 by the present combichem method and also confirmed by the conventional packed-bed reactor tests. The superior efficiency of the combichem method for high-throughput catalyst screening test validated in this study is particularly suitable for saving the time and resources required in developing a new formulation of PBO catalyst whose chemical composition may have an enormous number of possible variations.

Advanced hybrid supercapacitor based on a mesoporous niobium pentoxide/carbon as high-performance anode.

Recently, hybrid supercapacitors (HSCs), which combine the use of battery and supercapacitor, have been extensively studied in order to satisfy increasing demands for large energy density and high power capability in energy-storage devices. For this purpose, the requirement for anode materials that provide enhanced charge storage sites (high capacity) and accommodate fast charge transport (high rate capability) has increased. Herein, therefore, a preparation of nanocomposite as anode material is presented and an advanced HSC using it is thoroughly analyzed. The HSC comprises a mesoporous Nb2O5/carbon (m-Nb2O5-C) nanocomposite anode synthesized by a simple one-pot method using a block copolymer assisted self-assembly and commercial activated carbon (MSP-20) cathode under organic electrolyte. The m-Nb2O5-C anode provides high specific capacity with outstanding rate performance and cyclability, mainly stemming from its enhanced pseudocapacitive behavior through introduction of a carbon-coated mesostructure within a voltage range from 3.0 to 1.1 V (vs Li/Li(+)). The HSC using the m-Nb2O5-C anode and MSP-20 cathode exhibits excellent energy and power densities (74 W h kg(-1) and 18,510 W kg(-1)), with advanced cycle life (capacity retention: ∼90% at 1000 mA g(-1) after 1000 cycles) within potential range from 1.0 to 3.5 V. In particular, we note that the highest power density (18,510 W kg(-1)) of HSC is achieved at 15 W h kg(-1), which is the highest level among similar HSC systems previously reported. With further study, the HSCs developed in this work could be a next-generation energy-storage device, bridging the performance gap between conventional batteries and supercapacitors.

Combination of photocatalysis and HC/SCR for improved activity and durability of DeNOx catalysts.

A photocatalytic HC/SCR system has been developed and its high deNOx performance (54.0-98.6% NOx conversion) at low temperatures (150-250 °C) demonstrated by using a representative diesel fuel hydrocarbon (dodecane) as the reductant over a hybrid SCR system of a photocatalytic reactor (PCR) and a dual-bed HC/SCR reactor. The PCR generates highly active oxidants such as O3 and NO2 from O2 and NO in the feed stream, followed by the subsequent formation of highly efficient reductants such as oxygenated hydrocarbon (OHC), NH3, and organo-nitrogen compounds. These reductants are the key components for enhancing the low temperature deNOx performance of the dual-bed HC/SCR system containing Ag/Al2O3 and CuCoY in the front and rear bed of the reactor, respectively. The OHCs are particularly effective for both NOx reduction and NH3 formation over the Ag/Al2O3 catalyst, while NH3 and organo-nitrogen compounds are effective for NOx reduction over the CuCoY catalyst. The hybrid HC/SCR system assisted by photocatalysis has shown an overall deNOx performance comparable to that of the NH3/SCR, demonstrating its potential as a promising alternative to the current urea/SCR and LNT technologies. Superior durability of HC/SCR catalysts against coking by HCs has also been demonstrated by a PCR-assisted regeneration scheme for deactivating catalysts.

Tetrahedral atom ordering in a zeolite framework: a key factor affecting its physicochemical properties.

Three gallosilicate natrolites with closely similar chemical composition but differing in the distribution of Si and Ga over crystallographically different tetrahedral sites (T-sites) show striking differences in their cation exchange performance. The ability to exchange Na(+) by the larger alkali metal cations decreases upon increasing the size of the cation, as expected, but also with the degree of T-atom ordering. To seek an insight into this phenomenon, the crystal structures of 11 different zeolites, which show variations in degree of T-atom ordering, nature of countercation, and hydration state, have been refined using synchrotron diffraction data. While the three as-made sodium materials were characterized to have a low, medium, and high degree of ordering, respectively, their pore sizes are close to the size of the bare Na(+) cation and much smaller than that of the larger alkali cations, which are nonetheless exchanged into the materials, each one at a different level. Interestingly, large differences are also manifested when the Na(+) back-exchange is performed on the dehydrated K(+) forms, with crystallographic pore sizes too small even to allow the passage of Na(+). Although the thermodynamic data point to small differences in the enthalpy of the Na(+)/K(+) exchange in the three materials, comparison of the "static" crystallographic pore sizes and the diameter of the exchanged cations lead us to conclude that during the exchange process these zeolites undergo significant deformations that dynamically open the pores, allowing cation traffic even for Cs(+) in the case of the most disordered material. In addition to the very large topological flexibility typical of the natrolite framework, we propose as a hypothesis that there is an additional flexibility mechanism that decreases the rigidity of the natrolite chain itself and is dependent on preferential siting of Si or Ga on crystallographically different T-sites.

Induction of cytokines and nitric oxide in murine macrophages stimulated with enzymatically digested lactobacillus strains.

Based on observations that lactic acid bacteria have the ability to activate macrophages, we assessed the potential effects of eight different Lactobacillus strains treated with gastrointestinal enzymes on the production of nitric oxide and various cytokines in macrophages. RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cells were cultured with either precipitates or supernatants of Lactobacillus strains digested with pepsin followed by pancreatin. The increased production of nitric oxide and interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-6, IL-12 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha were observed when cultured with precipitates, and this effect was largely strain-dependent. In contrast, the exposure of RAW 264.7 cells to supernatants produced weaker or nearly undetectable effects in comparison to the effects of exposure to precipitates. The induction of nitric oxide appeared to be unaffected. These results demonstrate that nitric oxide and cytokines were effectively induced when the bacterial precipitate was treated with macrophages. The results of the present study also indicate that Lactobacillus strains treated with digestive enzymes are capable of stimulating the production of nitric oxide and cytokines in macrophages, which may modulate the gastrointestinal immune function of the host when it is given as a feed additive.

Comparison of cytokine and nitric oxide induction in murine macrophages between whole cell and enzymatically digested Bifidobacterium sp. obtained from monogastric animals.

The principal objective of this study was to compare the effects of whole and hydrolyzed cells (bifidobacteria) treated with gastrointestinal digestive enzymes on the activation of cloned macrophages. Seven different strains of Bifidobacterium obtained from swine, chickens, and rats, were digested with pepsin followed by pancreatin and the precipitate (insoluble fraction) and supernatant (soluble fraction) obtained via centrifugation. The RAW 264.7 murine macrophages were incubated with either whole cells, the precipitate, or supernatant at various concentrations. Pronounced increases in the levels of nitric oxide (NO), interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-6, IL-12, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha were observed in the whole cells and precipitates, but these effects were less profound in the supernatants. The precipitates also evidenced a slight, but significant, inductive activity for NO and all tested cytokines, with the exception of TNF-alpha in the macrophage model as compared with the whole cells. By way of contrast, TNF-alpha production when cultured with whole cells (100 ng/ml) resulted in marked increases as compared with what was observed with the precipitates. The results of this study indicated, for the first time, that digested Bifidobacterium sp. can induce the production of NO and several cytokines in RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cells. In the current study, it was demonstrated that Bifidobacterium strains treated with digestive enzymes, as compared with whole cells, are capable of stimulating the induction of macrophage mediators, which reflects that they may be able to modulate the gastrointestinal immune functions of the host.

Factors influencing biohydrogenation and conjugated linoleic acid production by mixed rumen fungi.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of soluble carbohydrates (glucose, cellobiose), pH (6.0, 6.5, 7.0), and rumen microbial growth factors (VFA, vitamins) on biohydrogenation of linoleic acid (LA) by mixed rumen fungi. Addition of glucose or cellobiose to culture media slowed the rate of biohydrogenation;only 35-40% of LA was converted to conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) or vaccenic acid (VA) within 24 h of incubation, whereas in the control treatment, 100% of LA was converted within 24 h. Addition of VFA or vitamins did not affect biohydrogenation activity or CLA production. Culturing rumen fungi at pH 6.0 slowed biohydrogenation compared with pH 6.5 or 7.0. CLA production was reduced by pH 6.0 compared with control (pH 6.5), but was higher with pH 7.0. Biohydrogenation of LA to VA was complete within 72 h at pH 6.0, 24 h at pH 6.5, and 48 h at pH 7.0. It is concluded that optimum conditions for biohydrogenation of LA and for CLA production by rumen fungi were provided without addition of soluble carbohydrates, VFA or vitamins to the culture medium; optimum pH was 6.5 for biohydrogenation and 7.0 for CLA production.

Synthesis, structure solution, characterization, and catalytic properties of TNU-10: a high-silica zeolite with the STI topology.

A high-silica zeolite (Si/Al = 7.1) with the STI framework topology, denoted TNU-10, has been synthesized in the presence of 1,4-bis(N-methylpyrrolidinium)butane and Na(+) cations as structure-directing agents, and its structure in the proton form has been refined against laboratory powder X-ray data in space group Fmmm (a = 13.533(1) A, b = 17.925(2) A, c = 17.651(2) A). The space group symmetry is supported by electron diffraction and energy minimization studies. The as-made and proton form of TNU-10 are extensively characterized by elemental and thermal analyses, scanning electron microscopy, N(2) adsorption, multinuclear solid-state NMR, IR, and temperature-programmed desorption of ammonia, and the location of the organic structure-directing agent in the channel system is determined by molecular modeling. The catalytic properties of H-TNU-10 and Co-TNU-10 are evaluated for the skeletal isomerization of 1-butene to isobutene and the selective reduction of NO with methane, respectively. When compared to H-ferrierite, a low selectivity to isobutene is observed for H-TNU-10. However, it is found that Co-TNU-10 exhibits a maximum NO conversion of 93% at 823 K under conditions of high concentrations of methane (16,000 ppm) and water vapor (10%) and in the presence of 2.6% O(2), which is considerable higher than even the value (74%) obtained from Co-ferrierite, known as the best catalyst for this reaction, under the identical conditions.