Effects of inoculating feruloyl esterase-producing Lactiplantibacillus plantarum A1 on ensiling characteristics,in vitro ruminal fermentation and microbiota of alfalfa silage

Background Ferulic acid esterase(FAE)-secreting Lactiplantibacillus plantarum A1(Lp A1)is a promising silage inoculant due to the FAE’s ability to alter the plant cell wall structure during ensiling,an action that is expected to improve forage digestibility.However,little is known regarding the impacts of Lp A1 on rumen microbiota.Our research assessed the influences of Lp A1 in comparison to a widely adopted commercial inoculant Lp MTD/1 on alfalfa’s ensilage,in vitro rumen incubation and microbiota.Results Samples of fresh and ensiled alfalfa treated with(either Lp A1 or Lp MTD/1)or without additives(as control;CON)and ensiled for 30,60 and 90 d were used for fermentation quality,in vitro digestibility and batch culture study.Inoculants treated silage had lower(P<0.001)pH,acetic acid concentration and dry matter(DM)loss,but higher(P=0.001)lactic acid concentration than the CON during ensiling.Compared to the CON and Lp MTD/1,silage treated with Lp A1 had lower(P<0.001)aNDF,ADF,ADL,hemicellulose,and cellulose contents and higher(P<0.001)free ferulic acid concentration.Compared silage treated with Lp MTD/1,silage treated with Lp A1 had significantly(P<0.01)improved ruminal gas production and digestibility,which were equivalent to those of fresh alfalfa.Realtime PCR analysis indicated that Lp A1 inoculation improved the relative abundances of rumen’s total bacteria,fungi,Ruminococcus albus and Ruminococcus flavefaciens,while the relative abundance of methanogens was reduced by Lp MTD/1 compared with CON.Principal component analysis of rumen bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplicons showed a clear distinction between CON and inoculated treatments without noticeable distinction between Lp A1 and Lp MTD/1 treatments.Comparison analysis revealed differences in the relative abundance of some bacteria in different taxa between Lp A1 and Lp MTD/1 treatments.Silage treated with Lp A1 exhibited improved rumen fermentation characteristics due to the inoculant effects on the rumen microbial populations and bacterial community.Conclusions Our findings suggest that silage inoculation of the FAE-producing Lp A1 could be effective in improving silage quality and digestibility,and modulating the rumen fermentation to improve feed utilization.

Characterization and mitigation option of greenhouse gas emissions from lactating Holstein dairy cows in East China

Background:This study investigated greenhouse gas(GHG)emission characteristics of lactating Holstein dairy cows in East China and provided a basis for formulating GHG emission reduction measures.GreenFeed system was used to measure the amount of methane(CH_(4))and carbon dioxide(CO_(2))emitted by the cows through respiration.Data from a commercial cow farm were used to observe the effects of parity,body weight,milk yield,and milk component yield on CH_(4) and CO_(2) emissions.Results:Mean herd responses throughout the study were as follows:111 cows completed all experimental processes,while 42 cows were rejected because they were sick or had not visited the GreenFeed system 20 times.On average,lactating days of cows was 138±19.04 d,metabolic weight was 136.5±9.5 kg,parity was 2.8±1.0,dry matter intake(DMI)was 23.1±2.6 kg/d,and milk yield was 38.1±6.9 kg/d.The GreenFeed system revealed that CH_(4) production(expressed in CO_(2) equivalent,CO_(2)-eq)was found to be 8304 g/d,CH_(4)_(CO_(2)−eq)/DMI was 359 g/kg,CH_(4)_(CO_(2)−eq)/energy-corrected milk(ECM)was 229.5 g/kg,total CO_(2) production(CH_(4) production plus CO_(2) production)was 19,201 g/d,total CO_(2)/DMI was 831 g/kg,and total CO_(2)/ECM was 531 g/kg.The parity and metabolic weight of cows had no significant effect on total CO_(2) emissions(P>0.05).Cows with high milk yield,milk fat yield,milk protein yield,and total milk solids yield produced more total CO_(2)(P<0.05),but their total CO_(2) production per kg of ECM was low(P<0.05).The total CO_(2)/ECM of the medium and high milk yield groups was 17%and 27%lower than that of the low milk yield group,respectively.Conclusions:The parity and body condition had no effect on total CO_(2) emissions,while the total CO_(2)/ECM was negatively correlated with milk yield,milk fat yield,milk protein yield,and total milk solids yield in lactating Holstein dairy cows.Measurement of total CO_(2) emissions of dairy cows in the Chinese production system will help establish regional or national GHG inventories and develop mitigation approaches to dairy production regimes.

Whole-genome resequencing of Hu sheep identifies candidate genes associated with agronomic traits

The phenotypic diversity resulting from artificial or natural selection of sheep has made a significant contribution to human civilization.Hu sheep are a local sheep breed unique to China with high reproductive rates and rapid growth.Genomic selection signatures have been widely used to investigate the genetic mechanisms underlying phenotypic variation in livestock.Here,we conduct whole-genome sequencing of 207 Hu sheep and compare them with the wild ancestors of domestic sheep(Asiatic mouflon)to investigate the genetic characteristics and selection signatures of Hu sheep.Based on six signatures of selection approaches,we detect genomic regions containing genes related to reproduction(BMPR1B,BMP2,PGFS,CYP19,CAMK4,GGT5,and GNAQ),vision(ALDH1A2,SAG,and PDE6B),nervous system(NAV1),and immune response(GPR35,SH2B2,PIK3R3,and HRAS).Association analysis with a population of 1299 Hu sheep reveals that those missense mutations in the GPR35(GPR35 g.952651 A>G;GPR35 g.952496 C>T)and NAV1(NAV1 g.84216190 C>T;NAV1 g.84227412 G>A)genes are significantly associated(P<0.05)with immune and growth traits in Hu sheep,respectively.This research offers unique insights into the selection characteristics of Hu sheep and facilitates further genetic improvement and molecular investigations.

Hexagonally arranged arrays of urchin-like Ag hemispheres decorated with Ag nanoparticles for surface-enhanced Raman scattering substrates

The surface topography of noble metal particles is a significant factor in tailoring surface-enhanced Raman scattering （SERS） properties. Here, we present a simple fabrication route to hexagonally arranged arrays of surface-roughened urchin- like Ag hemispheres （Ag-HSs） decorated with Ag nanoparticles （Ag-NPs） for highly active and reproducible SERS substrates. The urchin-like Ag-HS arrays are achieved by sputtering Ag onto the top surface of a highly ordered porous anodic aluminum oxide （AAO） template to form ordered arrays of smooth Ag-HSs and then by electrodepositing Ag-NPs onto the surface of each Ag-HS. Owing to the ordered arrangement of the Ag-HSs and the improved surface roughness, the urchin-like hierarchical Ag-HS arrays can provide sufficient and uniform ＂hot spots＂ for reproducible and highly active SERS effects. Using the urchin-like Ag-HS arrays as SERS substrates, 10-7 M dibutyl phthalate （a member of plasticizers family） and 1.5 × 10-5 M PCB-77 （one congener of polychlorinated biphenyl, a notorious class of pollutants） are identified, showing promising potential for these substrates in the rapid recognition of organic pollutants.

Elucidation of “phase difference” in Raman tensor formalism

The so-called "phase difference" is commonly introduced as a phenomenological parameter in Raman tensor theory, so as to fit the experimental data well. Although phase difference is widely recognized as an intrinsic property of crystals, its physics still remains ambiguous. Recently, Kranert et al. have presented a new formalism to explain the origin of phase difference theoretically. Here, we systematically conducted experimental research with polar phonons in wurtzite crystals, the results of which strongly suggest that the phase difference should be predetermined in a Raman tensor, rather than be treated as Raman tensor elements traditionally or as an intrinsic property. On the grounds of pinpointing existing logical flaws in Raman tensor study, we provide a logically clear paradigm.

Elucidation of“phase difference”in Raman tensor formalism:erratum

This erratum corrects the errors that appeared in Photon.Res.6,709(2018)associated with the polarization description of the experimental optical path,as well as the image errors.

Raman tensor of AlN bulk single crystal

The angle dependence of optical phonon modes of an AlN bulk single crystal from the m-plane（1100） and c-plane（0001） surfaces, respectively, is investigated by polarized Raman spectroscopy in a backscattering configuration at room temperature. Corresponding Raman selection rules are derived according to measured scattering geometries to illustrate the angle dependence. The angle-dependent intensities of phonon modes are discussed and compared to theoretical scattering intensities, yielding the Raman tensor elements of A1（TO）, E22, E1（TO）, and A1（LO） phonon modes and the relative phase difference between the two complex elements of A1（TO）. Furthermore, the Raman tensor of wurtzite AlN is compared with that of wurtzite ZnO reported in previous work, revealing the intrinsic differences of lattice vibration dynamics between AlN and ZnO.

Raman spectroscopy regulation in van der Waals crystals

Raman spectroscopy is a versatile tool widely used for comprehensive probing of crystal information. However,generally when applied in narrow-band-gap van der Waals crystals, it is liable to form a "bug," especially in transition-metal-dichalcogenides(TMDs). That is, several resonant Raman-scattering(RS) modes will inevitably appear in the Raman spectra with strong intensity, interfering with the desired signal of optical-phonon modes.Here, we propose cross-sectional polarized Raman scattering capable of regulating the intensity of RS modes in accordance with quasi-sinusoidal rules. Typically, for MoS_2 and WS_2, when the polarization vector of excited light is along the c axis of the crystal, all RS modes are nearly completely "expunged" from the Raman spectra. The mechanism is that the absorption of most TMDs with a space group of R_(3m)for the light polarized along the c axis is infinitesimal, thus forming a small coupling intensity of electronic states excited optically and acoustic-phonon modes at point M, which in turn restrain the appearance of RS modes. The regulating strategy proposed can be applied to other van der Waals crystals so as to obtain a high signal-to-noise ratio Raman spectrum.

Raman tensor of AIN bulk single crystal:erratum

This erratum corrects errors that appeared in Photon.Res.3,38(2015)related to the polarization of the experimental optical path and a few typos.