Compressional fatigue behaviors of air and mechanical folding nonwoven fabrics

The perpendicular-laid nonwoven fabrics may show high loft performance because of the structure composition, which has much fiber oriented in the thickness direction. The ability to maintain the thickness after the cyclic loading is a basic requirement of good high lofts. When the perpendicular-laid nonwoven fabrics are put to practical use as a cushion material, the compressional properties of the cyclic loading should be significant. In this study, a compressional fatigue system has been developed and evaluated with two kinds of perpendicular-laid nonwoven fabrics with different manufacturing processes. The system equation developed provides a stress profile that can be used for analyzing the practical compressional fatigue. The fiber structure of the perpendicular-laid nonwoven fabrics was investigated by using the orientation distribution function (ODF).     

Effect of pretreatment with piperonyl butoxide on pyrethroid efficacy against insecticide-resistant Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Bemisia tabaci (Sternorrhyncha: Aleyrodidae)

Pyrethroid resistance in B-type Bemisia tabaci Gennadius and Australian Helicoverpa armigera Hübner field populations is primarily conferred by esterase isoenzymes which metabolise and sequester pyrethroid insecticides. It has been shown previously that pyrethroid resistance-associated esterases in H. armigera are inhibited by the insecticide synergist piperonyl butoxide (PBO) over a 22-h period. It is demonstrated here that similar inhibition can be obtained against B-type B. tabaci. Small-scale field trials showed excellent levels of pyrethroid control when insects were pretreated with PBO and then dosed with pyrethroid during the time of maximum esterase inhibition. These results demonstrate that PBO can restore pyrethroid efficacy in the field against both B-type B. tabaci and resistant H. armigera.     

Temperature Effects on Retention of Atrazine and Imazapyr on Soils

Water, Air, &; Soil Pollution -     

Distribution of ascorbic acid in potato tubers and in home-processed and commercial potato foods

HPLC was used to analyze the content of ascorbic acid (AA) in tubers of four Korean potato cultivars (Chaju, Sumi, Deso, and Dejima), in a series of baked, boiled, braised, fried, microwaved, pressure-cooked, and sauteed potato slices from the Dejima cultivar and in 14 commercial Korean and 14 processed potato foods sold in the United States (chips, snacks, mashed potatoes, fries). The AA content for the four cultivars ranged from 16 to 46 mg/100 g of fresh weight. The distribution of AA in each of the eight potato slices (sticks, plugs) cut horizontally from the stem end of the Dejima potato ranged from 6.8 to 19.3% of the total. The corresponding distribution in seven sticks cut vertically was much narrower, ranging from 11.7 to 17.5% of the total. Losses of AA in water (pH 5.2) were significantly greater than in 5% metaphosphoric acid (pH 1.0). Less degradation occurred in water solutions of the vitamin stored at 1 degree C than at 25 degrees C. Losses of AA observed during home-processing of three varieties with low (Dejima, 16 mg/100 g), intermediate (Sumi, 32 mg/100 g), and high (Chaju, 42 mg/100 g) AA contents were as follows: boiling in water, 77-88%; boiling in water containing 1-3% NaCl, 61-79%; frying in oil, 55-79%; sauteing, 61-67%; pressure-cooking in water, 56-60%; braising, 50-63%; baking, 33-51%; and microwaving, 21-33%. The content of the Korean foods ranged from trace amounts to 25 mg/100 g and that of the U.S. foods from 0.4 to 46 mg/100 g. These results permit optimization of the vitamin C content of the diet by (a) using high-vitamin C potato varieties such as Chaju, (b) selecting sticks cut horizontally for frying, (c) baking or microwaving rather than boiling or frying, and (d) selecting commercial potato foods with a high vitamin C content.     

Modeling connectivity of black bears in a desert sky island archipelago

Landscape features such as rivers, mountains, desert basins, roads, and impermeable man-made structures may influence dispersal and gene flow among populations, thereby creating spatial structure across the landscape. In the US–Mexico borderland, urbanization and construction of the border fence have the potential to increase genetic subdivision and vulnerability to isolation in large mammal populations by bisecting movement corridors that have enabled dispersal between adjacent Sky Island mountain ranges. We examined genetic variation in black bears (Ursus americanus) from three regions in central and southern Arizona, US, to assess genetic and landscape connectivity in the US–Mexico border Sky Islands. We found that the three regions grouped into two subpopulations: the east-central subpopulation comprised of individuals sampled in the central highland and high desert regions, and the border subpopulation comprised of individuals sampled in the southern Sky Islands. Occupancy for the border subpopulation of black bears was influenced by cover type and distance to water, and occupancy-based corridor models identified 14 potential corridors connecting border Sky Island habitat cores with the east-central subpopulation. Biological quality of corridors, defined as length:width ratio and proportions of suitable habitat within corridors, declined with Sky Island dispersion. Our results show that black bears in the border subpopulation are moderately isolated from the east-central subpopulation, the main population segment of black bears in Arizona, and that connectivity for border bears may be vulnerable to anthropogenic activities, such as those associated with urbanization and trans-border security.     

CASE REPORT AND CLINICAL REVIEW: Acute lameness associated with osseous metastasis of a peri-renal carcinoma in a horse

We present a case of aggressive metastatic carcinoma in a horse that was initially presented for shoulder lameness. Although radiography and scintigraphy were useful for localising a lesion in the proximal humerus, subsequent development of non-specific signs of systemic disease prompted further evaluation. Haematology and blood biochemistry, urinalysis and ultrasonography were all instrumental in identifying renal involvement. A diagnosis of a peri-renal mass causing secondary renal failure prompted euthanasia of the horse because of the poor prognosis. Antemortem findings were supported by necropsy, with secondary lesions also identified in the spleen, liver, 8th left rib and proximal humerus. Histological examination yielded a diagnosis of undifferentiated metastatic carcinoma.     

Determination of perfluorochemicals in cow's milk using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

This study describes a new method developed for detection of 10 different perfluorochemicals (PFCs) in cow's milk, seven perfluorinated carboxylates and three perfluorinated sulfonate salts. After attempting multiple methods employing both acidic and basic extractions, a basic extraction using 10 mM sodium hydroxide in methanol digestion along with weak anion-exchange solid-phase extraction was employed. Vortex mixing and varying sonication times were compared as part of sample processing. Results show that sonication during sample processing yield decreased recovery of longer chain perfluorinated carboxylates. The final method developed was used to determine the concentration of PFCs in 12 raw and 49 retail milk samples from across the United States. With the exception of a single raw milk sample obtained from a dairy farm that had applied PFC containing biosolids to its fields, there were no milk samples containing PFCs.     

Food and biomass potential of Prunus virginiana L. (chokecherry)

Prunus virginiana L. (chokecherry) fruit has potential to provide both food and energy and as annual yield of biomass and energy are much greater than annual crops such as canola and wheat. We determined chokecherry fruit weight fractions as well as pit and extracted seed oil concentrations and fatty acid composition. Gross energy for each of the fractions was determined, as were carbon and nitrogen content. Extrapolation of these data suggests that gross energy from pits alone over a 24-year period (890 GJ·ha(-1)) is equivalent to that from an entire canola/wheat rotation (850 GJ·ha(-1)). After maturity, pulp contributes an additional 1130 GJ·ha(-1) over 21 years from ~3.4 t·ha(-1)·year(-1) (dw), while wood from pruning could add another 60 GJ·ha(-1)·year(-1). Over this time period, chokecherry would produce 1.5-2.5 times the amount of oil produced by a canola/wheat rotation.     

Production of a conjugated fatty acid by Bifidobacterium breve LMC520 from α-linolenic acid: conjugated linolenic acid (CLnA)

This study was performed to characterize natural CLnA isomer production by Bifidobacterium breve LMC520 of human origin in comparison to conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) production. B. breve LMC520 was found to be highly active in terms of CLnA production, of which the major portion was identified as cis-9,trans-11,cis-15 CLnA isomer by GC-MS and NMR analysis. B. breve LMC520 was incubated for 48 h using MRS medium (containing 0.05% L-cysteine · HCl) under different environmental conditions such as atmosphere, pH, and substrate concentration. The high conversion rate of α-linolenic acid (α-LNA) to CLnA (99%) was retained up to 2 mM α-LNA, and the production was proportionally increased nearly 7-fold with 8 mM by the 6 h of incubation under anaerobic conditions at a wide range of pH values (between 5 and 9). When α-LNA was compared with linoleic acid (LA) as a substrate for isomerization by B. breve LMC520, the conversion of α-LNA was higher than that of LA. These results demonstrated that specific CLnA isomer could be produced through active bacterial conversion at an optimized condition. Because many conjugated octadecatrienoic acids in nature are shown to play many positive roles, the noble isomer found in this study has potential as a functional source.     

Separation of quercetin's biological activity from its oxidative property through bioisosteric replacement of the catecholic hydroxyl groups with fluorine atoms

An oxidative property has endowed quercetin with numerous biological benefits, and some of quercetin's biological activities may be related, at least partly, to its antioxidant activity. On the other hand, the oxidative property and associated susceptibility to oxidative decomposition has hampered in-depth investigation of the biological targets as well as underlying mechanisms for quercetin's biological activity. This study was undertaken to separate quercetin's biological activities from its antioxidant properties through bioisosteric replacement of the phenolic hydroxyl groups. The novel quercetin derivative 3',4'-difluoroquercetin (2), thus prepared, showed nonoxidizable property with no attenuation of biological activity. Rather, 2 showed a subtle but significant increase in biological activity compared with quercetin, which might be attributed to its lack of oxidative property. The nonoxidizable nature along with the potent biological activity of the quercetin mimic 2 suggests possible oxidation-independent mechanisms for the biological activities of the quercetin that do not require oxidative formation of the highly electrophilic metabolites.