Preparation of PET using homogeneous catalysts. II. Effect of BHPP, NPG and PD in Sb2O3 glycol solution catalysts

In the polycondensation reaction of polyethyleneterephthalate(PET), Sb₂O₃ can react effectively as a catalyst, if physically transformed. Sb₂O₃ powder is transformed into liquid solution by dissolving in ethylene glycol(EG). Homogeneous catalyst is made by mixing this liquid solution with glycols having different solubility. The efficient reaction of PET polymerization is expected by using homogeneous catalyst. PET was synthesized using homogeneous catalysts of 4 wt.% Sb₂O₃ solution dissolved in glycol[EG, 2,2-bis(4-(2-hydroxyethoxy)phenol)propane(BHPP), neopentyl glycol(NPG), and 1,3-propandiol(PD)]. PET using EG-BHPP(Sb₂O₃) catalysts shows the highest I.V. within a reaction time of 120 min. In the p-d analysis, PET using EG-BHPP(Sb₂O₃) catalysts has the fastest propagation rate and slowest degradation rate. EG-BHPP(Sb₂O₃) catalysts are more efficient than EG(Sb₂O₃) catalysts and Sb₂O₃ powder catalysts.     

Runoff and sorghum performance as affected by the spacing of stone lines in the semiarid Sahelian zone

Crop yields are primarily water-limited in dryland production systems in semiarid regions. This study was conducted in a catchment located in the “plateau central” of Burkina Faso to assess the impact of the space between stone lines on runoff and crop performance. The experimental design consisted of four plots in which stone lines were installed. The spacing between the lines was 100 m in the first plot, 50 m in the second, 33 m in the third, and 25 m in the last plot. The soil was a Ferric lixisol and the slope, which is characteristic of the area, was about 1–3%. Subplots placed at regular and fixed distances from the lines were used to monitor soil water content and crop yield. Runoff from all plots was measured using a water discharge recorder. It was found that 31% of rainfall was lost through runoff in plots without stone lines. The efficiency of stone lines in checking runoff and in improving soil water storage increased with reduced stone line spacing (runoff was reduced by an average of 5% on plots where the space between the lines was 33 m, but was reduced by 23% when the stone line spacing was 25 m). Soil water content decreased with increasing distance from the stone line. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) performance was greatly affected by stone line and plant straw and grain yield were doubled in plots with stone lines compared with those of plots without stone lines. At an area of about 6 m from the stone lines (upslope), where organo-mineral sediments were collected, sorghum grain yields were 60% greater than that obtained at 19 m from stone lines. The stone line technique seems to be a sound option to mitigate water stress during dry spells.     

Environmental conditions alter the effect of organic acid salts on digestibility and intestinal morphology in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

The impact of two dietary organic acids (OAs) on nutrient digestibility and intestinal morphology was determined in Nile tilapia under conditions of dissolved oxygen in the water: normoxia and hypoxia. Four diets designated as control (0 g/kg organic acid salt), KDF (2 g/kg potassium diformate), CAB (2 g/kg calcium butyrate) and their combination (4 g/kg of a mixture of KDF and CAB, ration 1:1) were formulated with 520 g/kg of soybean meal in order to produce soybean meal enteritis‐like symptoms. The four diets were tested first under normoxic conditions (6 mg/L) for a period of 5 weeks, followed by a test period under hypoxic conditions (3 mg/L). The results showed that OAs were unable to significantly improve growth and nutrient digestibility under normoxic conditions but under hypoxic conditions, there was a significant enhancement of the growth and nutrient digestibility. Fish fed OA‐supplemented diets showed improvements in the intestinal morphology under the normoxic conditions, and these effects were more pronounced under the hypoxic conditions. Experimental findings suggest that OAs can improve the nutrient digestibility and intestinal morphology under hypoxic conditions. A synergistic effect by the combination of formic and butyric acid on growth, digestibility and intestinal morphology was not found.     

氮硫养分平衡对大白菜营养品质和抗病性影响的研究

研究了十字花科作物白菜施用硫肥对合硫必需氨基酸蛋氨酸和脱氨酸含量、硝酸根含量以及抗病性方面的影响。合理施用硫肥可以提高白菜体内胱氨酸和蛋氨酸的含量,同时降低有害物质ＮＯ３在组织内的积累,从而提高白菜的营养品质。适量施用硫肥减少氮肥用量可以大大改善白菜对霜霉病的抗病效果;;在低氮水平时还可以对病毒病和软腐病有一定的防治作用,但在高供氮水平时施用硫肥的抗病效果不明显。     

云南黑籽南瓜种子处理方法的灰色关联度分析初探

云南黑籽南瓜作为设施栽培黄瓜嫁接苗的主要砧木 ,可以显著提高产量 ,促进早熟 ,增强抵抗低温寒害的能力 ,增强对枯萎病、疫病等病害的抗性〔1〕。但是 ,在生产实践中 ,云南黑籽南瓜种子普遍存在着发芽率低、发芽整齐度差的问题 ,已成为影响黄瓜嫁接栽培和深冬日光温室黄瓜生产的一个重要因素。笔者运用灰色关联度分析方法研究探讨云南黑籽南瓜种子的发芽特性 ,以期筛选出适合实际生产应用的有效的种子处理方法。1　材料与方法1.1　试验材料　云南黑籽南瓜种子由东方正大种子有限公司 (北京 )提供 ,散装 ,2年生产用种。1.2　试验方法　试验…     

Investigation of the mating‐type distribution of Raffaelea quercus‐mongolicae in South Korea

Raffaelea quercus‐mongolicae is a mycangial symbiont of a wood‐boring ambrosia beetle, Platypus koryoensis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Platypodidae), which is believed to be associated with oak mortality in South Korea. Since the first discovery of the disease in 2004, oak mortality has continued to spread across the country, and the pathogen has had a significant impact on forest ecosystems in the country; however, little is known regarding the biology of the fungus. The aim of this study was to develop markers to determine the mating types of individual isolates of R. quercus‐mongolicae collected across the country and then determine the mating‐type ratio in natural populations. To achieve this, partial sequences of MAT1‐1–3 and MAT1‐2–1 genes were amplified using degenerate primers and cloned. The new primer sets, which were specific to each mating‐type idiomorph, identified isolates as MAT1‐1 and MAT1‐2 mating types. The roughly equal frequencies of the two mating types suggest that sexual reproduction might have occurred in natural populations of R. quercus‐mongolicae in South Korea.     

A preliminary study of dietary protein requirement of juvenile marbled flounder (Pseudopleuronectes yokohamae)

An 8-week feeding trial was conducted to determine the optimal dietary protein level for juvenile marbled flounder. Five semi-purified test diets were formulated to contain different protein levels (CP) including 42.7%, 47.4%, 53.3%, 58.8%, and 64.5% (dry matter), named as CP42.7, CP47.4, CP53.3, CP58.8, and CP64.5, respectively. Five hundred and twenty-five juveniles (6.0 ± 0.1 g) were randomly distributed into 15 tanks (300 L tanks), resulting in 35 fish per tank (n = 3 tanks). Fish were fed the test diets 5 times per day until satiation. The CP58.8 resulted in the highest gain in weight and the best efficiency in feed utilization among the tested protein levels (P < 0.05). Fish fed the CP58.8 diet showed significantly higher whole-body protein and lipid contents than the fish that were fed the other diets (P < 0.05). Fish fed the CP53.3, CP58.8, and CP64.5 diets showed a significantly higher dorsal-muscle lipid content than the fish that were fed the CP42.7 and CP47.4 diets (P < 0.05). The one-slope straight broken-line regression analysis on the results of the thermal growth coefficient and feed conversion ratio indicated that the estimated optimum dietary protein level was 58.8%. Taken together, it is suggested that the dietary protein level of 58.8% is optimal for better growth and high efficiency in feed utilization for the juvenile marbled flounder.