Preparation and properties of solid polymer electrolyte based on imidazolium-based ionic liquids for structural capacitors

We prepared solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) composed of poly(ethylene glycol) monomethyl ether acrylate (1A9OMe) and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate ([EMIm][OTF]) and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl) imide ([EMIm][TFSI]) as the ionic liquid. The SPEs formed by appropriately adding ionic liquids in the 1A9OMe prior to thermal cure. The ratio of 1A9OMe and ionic liquid was 1:9, 3:7, and 5:5, respectively. The characterization of solid polymer electrolytes were investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in the attenuated total reflectance mode (FTIR-ATR), Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and glavanostatic charge-discharge test. The highest ionic conductivity of SPEs was found to be 4.90×10^?4 S/cm in a 1A9OMe/[EMIm][OTF] of 3:7. As IL contents were increased, the specific capacitance of supercapacitor was increased. The specific capacitance of supercapacitor for ionic liquid with large ion size was lower than that for ionic liquid with smaller ion size.     

Prevalence of the enteroaggregative Escherichia coli heat-stable enterotoxin 1 gene and its relationship with fimbrial and enterotoxin genes in E. coli isolated from diarrheic piglets.

A total of 720 Escherichia coli strains isolated from diarrheic piglets on 756 swine farms were screened for the presence of the enteroaggregative E. coli heat-stable enterotoxin 1 (EAST1) gene by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Escherichia coli strains that carried EAST1 genes were also tested by PCR for the presence of 4 fimbriae (F4, F5, F6, F41), 2 heat-stable enterotoxins (STa and STb), and 1 heat-labile enterotoxin (LT) gene. One hundred sixty-four (22.7%) of the 720 E. coli isolates carried genes for EAST1. Of these 164 isolates, 62 (37.8%) carried EAST1 genes only, 11 (6.7%) carried genes for at least 1 of the fimbrial adhesins, 51 (31.1%) carried genes for at least 1 of the enterotoxins, and 40 (23.8%) carried genes for at least 1 of the fimbrial adhesins and enterotoxins. Forty-six percent of strains that carried EAST1 genes carried STa genes, and 16% of strains that carried EAST1 genes carried F4. The isolation rate of enterotoxigenic E. coli strains carrying genes for EAST1 gene was 63%. The 6 major genotypes observed in this study (in decreasing order) were EAST1+, EAST1+STa+, EAST1+STa+STb+, EAST1+STa+F5+, EAST1+STa+F4+, and EAST1+STb+F4+. EAST1 is widely prevalent among diarrheagenic strains of E. coli and may represent an important virulence determinant in the pathogenesis of enteric colibacillosis of preweaned pigs.     

The Effect of Exogenous Hormone Treatment on Spermiation in Rhynchocypris oxycephalus (Sauvage and Dabry)

For the evaluation of hormonal control of spermiation in fish, a method to quanify the spermiation response of mature Rhynchocypris oxycephalus (Sauvage and Dabry) to hormonal therapy is described. Spermatocrit was determined after 7 min centrifugation at 18,000 ± g and sperm density was estimated by a standard hemocytomer method. Sperm density can be predicted from spermatocrit since their relationship is linear as described by the regression equation, Y = 3.68X - 27.18 ( R ² = 0.82, N = 50). where Y is spermatocrit and × is sperm density. Milt production by mature R. oxycephalus was highest at 24 h after injection of 1,000 IU human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) and 50 μg luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analogue (LHRHa) per kg body weight. Increased milt production coincided with low spermatocrit and sperm density levels. These results demonstrate that spermiation in mature R. oxycephalus can be reliably evaluated by a spermatocrit method and that HCG and LHRHa are effective in stimulating of spermiation in this species.     

Feeding behaviour in chickens given diets containing medium chain triglyceride

1. The effect of dietary medium chain triglyceride (MCT) on short‐term food intake was compared with the effect of long chain triglyceride (LCT) in chickens. Maize oil was used as the LCT while glyceryl tricaprylate (C 8) and glyceryl tricaprate (C 10) were used as MCT. Cumulative food intake was determined during the 6 h after the start of feeding.

2. Chicks were given diets containing 200 g C 8/kg diet, 200 g C 10/kg diet or 200 g LCT/kg diet in experiment 1. As early as 30 min after feeding, cumulative food intake in both MCT‐supplemented diets decreased significantly compared with the diet containing LCT.

3. To determine if endogenous cholecystokinin (CCK) was responsible for the decrease in food intake caused by MCT, birds were injected with the CCK‐A receptor antagonist devazepide (DVZ, 1 mg/kg BW) before diet presentation. DVZ had no effect on food intake with either LCT‐ or MCT‐supplemented diets.

4. In experiment 3, chicks were given a choice between either diets containing LCT and C 8, LCT and C 10, or C 8 and C 10 to confirm whether or not the palatability of the diets was influenced by the dietary fat sources. There was no difference in food intake between C 8 and C 10‐supplemented diets. However, chicks preferred the LCT‐supplemented diet compared with either of the diets containing MCT.     

Effects of Dietary Supplementation of Barodon on Growth Performance,Innate Immunity and Disease Resistance of Juvenile Olive Flounder,Paralichthys olivaceus,Against Streptococcus iniae

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of Barodon, an anionic alkali mineral complex, on growth, feed utilization, humoral innate immunity and disease resistance of olive flounder. A basal experimental diet was used as a control and supplemented with 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, or 0.5% Barodon. Triplicate groups of fish (26.4 ± 0.2 g) were fed one of the diets to apparent satiation twice daily for 10 wk. The growth performance was enhanced (P < 0.05) linearly and quadratically in fish fed diets containing Barodon compared with that in fish fed the control. Feed utilization was significantly improved by Barodon supplementation. Serum lysozyme and antiprotease activities were increased quadratically in Barodon fed groups. Also, significantly higher superoxide dismutase activity was found in Barodon‐fed fish. Dietary supplementation of 0.1–0.3% Barodon resulted in significant enhancement of fish disease resistance against Streptococcus iniae. The findings in this study indicate that dietary supplementation of Barodon can enhance growth, feed utilization, innate immunity, and disease resistance of olive flounder and that the optimum level seems to be 0.1% in diets.     

The grafting of recycled polyol from waste polyurethane foam onto new polyurethane and its impact on shape recovery and water vapor permeation

Recycled polyols from waste polyurethane (PU) foams were grafted onto PU to improve the properties such as tensile strength, shape recovery, low-temperature flexibility, and water compatibility. The recycled polyol was either purified by column chromatography before grafting or was used directly for grafting. The soft segment melting temperature of PU did not notably increase with the addition of polyol, whereas the glass transition temperature increased with increased polyol content. The tensile strength sharply increased at low polyol content and decreased at high polyol content, while the strain at break did not significantly change with an increase in polyol content. The shape recovery at 10 oC notably improved compared with unmodified PU and remained high after four cyclic tests. Polyol-grafted PU demonstrated better lowtemperature flexibility and reduced the water vapor permeability of PU membranes. Overall, grafting recycled polyol onto PU significantly improved the tensile stress, shape recovery, and low-temperature flexibility of PU.     

Cerebrospinal fluid flow in normal beagle dogs analyzed using magnetic resonance imaging

BackgroundDiseases related to cerebrospinal fluid flow, such as hydrocephalus, syringomyelia, and Chiari malformation, are often found in small dogs. Although studies in human medicine have revealed a correlation with cerebrospinal fluid flow in these diseases by magnetic resonance imaging, there is little information and no standard data for normal dogs.ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to obtain cerebrospinal fluid flow velocity data from the cerebral aqueduct and subarachnoid space at the foramen magnum in healthy beagle dogs.MethodsSix healthy beagle dogs were used in this experimental study. The dogs underwent phase-contrast and time-spatial labeling inversion pulse magnetic resonance imaging. Flow rate variations in the cerebrospinal fluid were observed using sagittal time-spatial labeling inversion pulse images. The pattern and velocity of cerebrospinal fluid flow were assessed using phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging within the subarachnoid space at the foramen magnum level and the cerebral aqueduct.ResultsIn the ventral aspect of the subarachnoid space and cerebral aqueduct, the cerebrospinal fluid was characterized by a bidirectional flow throughout the cardiac cycle. The mean ± SD peak velocities through the ventral and dorsal aspects of the subarachnoid space and the cerebral aqueduct were 1.39 ± 0.13, 0.32 ± 0.12, and 0.76 ± 0.43 cm/s, respectively.ConclusionsNoninvasive visualization of cerebrospinal fluid flow movement with magnetic resonance imaging was feasible, and a reference dataset of cerebrospinal fluid flow peak velocities was obtained through the cervical subarachnoid space and cerebral aqueduct in healthy dogs.     

Protein and energy concentrations of meat meal and meat and bone meal fed to pigs based on in vitro assays

The objective of this study was to develop equations for estimating ileal digestible crude protein (CP) and metabolizable energy (ME) contents of meat meal (MM) and meat and bone meal (MBM) as feed ingredients for pigs based on in vitro assays. Test ingredients were 4 sources of MM and 3 sources of MBM. Ash and CP contents of the ingredients ranged from 3.8% to 33.1% and 46.8% to 82.9% (as-is basis), respectively. In vitro ileal disappearance (IVID) of CP was determined and ileal digestible CP content was calculated by multiplying CP content by IVID of CP. In vitro total tract disappearance (IVTTD) of dry matter (DM) was determined and ME was calculated using gross energy, CP contents, and IVTTD of DM. The IVID of CP and IVTTD of DM ranged from 77.2% to 88.7% and from 82.7% to 92.4%, respectively. Calculated ileal digestible CP and ME contents ranged from 37.8% to 73.5% DM and 2,405 to 3,905 kcal/kg DM, respectively. Ash contents were negatively correlated (P < 0.001) with CP (r = −0.99), in vitro ileal digestible CP (r = −0.97), gross energy (r = −1.00), in vitro digestible energy (r = −0.97), and adjusted ME (r = −0.97). The most fitting equations for ileal digestible CP and adjusted ME were: ileal digestible CP (% DM) = 11.91 − 0.90 × Ash (% DM) + 0.74 × IVID of CP (%) (R² = 0.99) and adjusted ME (kcal/kg DM) = 130.85 − 50.90 × ash (% DM) + 47.06 × IVTTD of DM (%) (R² = 0.99). To validate the accuracy of the prediction equations for ME, mean bias and linear bias were determined using a regression analysis. Calculated ME values of MM and MBM were in a good agreement with data obtained from animal experiments based on a statistically insignificant bias in the models. In conclusion, ME concentrations of MM and MBM as swine feed ingredients can be calculated using ash concentration and in vitro disappearance of dry matter.     

Utilization of digital differential display to identify differentially expressed genes related to rumen development

This study aimed to identify the genes associated with the development of the rumen epithelium by screening for candidate genes by digital differential display (DDD) in silico. Using DDD in NCBI's UniGene database, expressed sequence tag (EST)‐based gene expression profiles were analyzed in rumen, reticulum, omasum, abomasum and other tissues in cattle. One hundred and ten candidate genes with high expression in the rumen were derived from a library of all tissues. The expression levels of 11 genes in all candidate genes were analyzed in the rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum of nine Japanese Black male calves (5‐week‐old pre‐weaning: n = 3; 15‐week‐old weaned calves: n = 6). Among the 11 genes, only 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaryl‐CoA synthase 2 (HMGCS2), aldo‐keto reductase family 1, member C1‐like (AKR1C1), and fatty acid binding protein 3 (FABP3) showed significant changes in the levels of gene expression in the rumen between the pre‐ and post‐weaning of calves. These results indicate that DDD analysis in silico can be useful for screening candidate genes related to rumen development, and that the changes in expression levels of three genes in the rumen may have been caused by weaning, aging or both. © 2015 Japanese Society of Animal Science     

Hepatitis E virus as an emerging zoonotic pathogen

Hepatitis E outbreaks are a serious public health concern in developing countries. The disease causes acute infections, primarily in young adults. The mortality rate is approximately 2%; however, it can exceed 20% in pregnant women in some regions in India. The causative agent, hepatitis E virus (HEV), has been isolated from several animal species, including pigs. HEV genotypes 3 and 4 have been isolated from both humans and animals, and are recognized as zoonotic pathogens. Seroprevalence studies in animals and humans indirectly suggest that HEV infections occur worldwide. The virus is primarily transmitted to humans via undercooked animal meats in developed countries. Moreover, transfusion- and transplantation-mediated HEV infections have recently been reported. This review summarizes the general characteristics of hepatitis E, HEV infection status in animals and humans, the zoonotic transmission modes of HEV, and HEV vaccine development status.