A peptide of foot-and-mouth disease virus serotype Asia1 generating a neutralizing antibody response, and an immunostimulatory peptide

The epitopes of the capsid of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) play important roles in the construction of highly immunogenic subunit vaccines. However few epitopes have been found for FMDV serotype Asia1. In this study we screened for epitopes of the VP1 and VP2 proteins of FMDV serotype Asia1 isolate, YNBS/58. Fragments consisting of amino acids 133-163 of VP1 and amino acids 1-33 of VP2 contained epitopes, and both induced lymphoproliferation in guinea pigs. Only the VP1 fragment induced neutralizing antibodies but the VP2 peptide dramatically increased the neutralizing antibody response induced by the VP1 peptide.     

A MATHEMATICAL MODEL OF FUZZY EVALUATION METHOD FOR ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION

The problem of fuzzy evaluation of environmental pollution is importantboth in environment science and in environmental protection.Usual evaluationmethods have their own characteristics.This paper puts forward a mathematicalmodel of fuzzy evaluation method in grades by means of systematic analysisfor environmental pollution.At the same time,it assigns weighted values byordering based on paired comparison.     

Comparative study of the effects of solid-state fermentation with three filamentous fungi on the total phenolics content (TPC), flavonoids, and antioxidant activities of subfractions from oats (Avena sativa L.)

The aim of present work was to investigate the effect of solid-state fermentation with filamentous fungi (Aspergillus oryzae var. effuses, Aspergillus oryzae, and Aspergillus niger) on total phenolics content (TPC), flavonoids, and antioxidant activities of four subfractions of oat, namely, n-hexane, ethyl acetate (EA), n-butanol, and water, and compare them to their corresponding subfractions of unfermented oat. The TPC and total flavonoids increased dramatically, especially in EA subfractions (p < 0.05). The levels of antioxidant activity of subfractions were also significantly enhanced (p < 0.05). The highest antioxidant activities were also found in the EA subfractions. The polyphenols in EA were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography at 280 nm. Most polyphenols were increased remarkably, especially ferulic and caffeic acids. There was a clear correlation between the TPC and antioxidant activity. In conclusion, fungi fermentation is a potential bioprocess for increasing the TPC, flavonoids, and antioxidant activities of oat-based food.     

Considerations regarding the use of hyperspectral imaging data in classifications of food products, exemplified by analysis of maize kernels

Development of robust analytical procedures is critical when using hyperspectral imaging technology in food technology and agriculture. This study used near-isogenic inbred corn lines to address two basic questions: (1) To what extent is classification accuracy increased by grinding maize kernels? (2) Can the classification accuracy of two near-isogenic inbred lines be increased by using a spectral filter to classify only certain hyperspectral profiles from each image cube? Whole kernels and ground kernels in two particle intervals, 0.250-0.354 mm (size 1) and 0.354-0.841 mm (size 2), were examined. Spectral profiles acquired from ground kernels had higher spectral repeatability than data collected from whole kernels. The classification error of discriminant functions from whole kernels was >3 times lower than that of size 1 ground particles. Applying a spectral filter to input data had negligible effect on classifications of hyperspectral profiles from whole kernels and size 2 ground particles, but for size 1 ground particles a considerable increase in accuracy was observed. Independent validation confirmed that distinction between wild type and mutant inbred maize lines could be conducted with >80% accuracy after the proposed spectral filter had been applied to hyperspectral profiles of size 1 ground particles. A combination of discriminant analysis and regression analysis could be used to accurately predict mixture ratios of the two inbred lines. The use of spectral filtering to increase the level of spectral repeatability and the use of hyperspectral imaging technology in large-scale commercial operations are discussed.     

The effect of ensiled paulownia leaves in a high-forage diet on ruminal fermentation,methane production,fatty acid composition,and milk production performance of dairy cowsOA

Background: The use of industrial by-products rich in bioactive compounds as animal feeds can reduce greenhouse gas production. Paulownia leaves silage(PLS) was supplemented to dairy cows’ diet and evaluated in vitro(Exp. 1; Rusitec) and in vivo(Exp. 2, cannulated lactating dairy cows and Exp. 3, non-cannulated lactating dairy cows). The study investigated the PLS effect on ruminal fermentation, microbial populations, methane production and concentration, dry matter intake(DMI), and fatty acid(F...     

Effects of different starch structures on energy metabolism in pigs

Background Starch is a major component of carbohydrates and a major energy source for monogastric animals. Starch is composed of amylose and amylopectin and has different physiological functions due to its different structure. It has been shown that the energy supply efficiency of amylose is lower than that of amylopectin. However, there are few studies on the effect of starch structure on the available energy of pigs. The purpose of this study was to measure the effect of different structures o...     

Genomic analysis of isopentenyltransferase genes and functional characterization of TaIPT8 indicates positive effects of cytokinins on drought tolerance in wheat

Cytokinins(CKs) function in plant development and during stress responses, but their role in drought tolerance in wheat is unknown. In the present study, 24 isopentenyltransferase(IPT) genes, encoding ratelimiting enzymes in CK biosynthesis were identified in the wheat genome. The chromosomal locations and structures of the genes, protein properties, and phylogenetic relationships were characterized.ATP/ADP TaIPT genes showed tissue-specific expression. TaIPT2, TaIPT7, and TaIPT8 expression was ...     

Niche differentiation shapes the bacterial diversity and composition of apple

Microorganisms play an important role in plant growth, health and ecological function. It is necessary to explore the microbial community because of the significant ecological and economic value of apples(Malus x domestica). However, the related bacterial communities in different ecological habitats are not clear in the unique scion/rootstock combinations of apples. In this study, the Illumina Miseq platform was used to analyze the bacterial communities in different niches(bulk soil, rhizosphere...