Amino acid digestibility of heat damaged distillers dried grains with solubles fed to pigs

The primary objective of this experiment was to determine the effects of heat treatment on the standardized ileal digestibility （SID） of amino acids （AA） in corn distillers dried grains with solubles （DDGS） fed to growing pigs. The second objective was to develop regression equations that may be used to predict the concentration of SID AA in corn DDGS. A source of corn DDGS was divided into 4 batches that were either not autoclaved or autoclaved at 130℃ for 10, 20, or 30 min. Four diets containing DDGS from each of the 4 batches were formulated with DDGS being the only source of AA and CP in the diets. A N-free diet also was formulated and used to determine the basal endogenous losses of CP and AA. Ten growing pigs （initial BW： 53.5 ＋ 3.9 kg） were surgically equipped with a T-cannula in the distal ileum and allotted to a replicated 5 x4 Youden square design with 5 diets and 4 periods in each square. The SID of CP decreased linearly （P〈 0.05） from 77.9% in non-autoclaved DDGS to 72.1, 66.1, and 68.5% in the DDGS samples that were autoclaved for 10, 20, or 30 min, respectively. The SID of lysine was quadratically reduced （P〈 0.05） from 66.8% in the non-autoclaved DDGS to 54.9, 55.3, and 51.9% in the DDGS autoclaved for 10, 20, or 30 min, respectively. The concentrations of SID Arginine, Histidine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, or Threonine may be best predicted by equations that include the concentration of acid detergent insoluble N in the model （r2 = 0.76, 0.68, 0.67, 0.84, 0.76, 0.73, or 0.54, respectively）. The concentrations of SID Isoleucine and Valine were predicted （r2 = 0.58 and 0.54, respectively） by the Lysine：CP ratio, whereas the concentration of SID Tryptophan was predicted （r2 = 0.70） by the analyzed concentration of Tryptophan in DDGS. In conclusion, the SID of AA is decreased as a result of heat damage and the concentration of SID AA in heat-damaged DDGS may be predicted by regression equations developed in this experiment.

Hyperspectral imaging technology to detect the vigor of thermal-damaged Quercus variabilis seeds

This study investigated the feasibility of hyperspectral imaging techniques to estimate the vigor of heatdamaged Quercus variabilis seeds.Four thermal damage grades were classified according to heat treatment duration(0,2,5,and 10 h).After obtaining hyperspectral images with a 370–1042 nm hyperspectral imager that included visible and near infrared light,germination was tested to confirm estimates.The Savitzky–Golay(SG)second derivative was used to preprocess the spectrum to reduce any noise impact.The successive projections algorithm(SPA),principal component analysis,and local linear embedding algorithm were used to extract the characteristic spectral bands related to seed vigor.Finally,a model for seed vigor classifi-cation of Q.variabili s based on partial least squares support vector machine(LS-SVM)with different spectral data sets was developed.The results show that the spectrum after SG second derivative preprocessing was better for developing the model,and SPA performed the best among the three feature band selection methods.The combination SG second derivative-LS-SVM provided the best classification model for Q.variabilis seed vigor,with the prediction set reaching 98.81%.This study provides an important basis for rapid and nondestructive assessment of the vigor of heat-damaged seeds using hyperspectral imaging techniques.

Geothermal anomalies in the Xianshuihe area: Implications for tunnel construction along the Sichuan-Tibet Railway, China

This study presents a comprehensively analysis of geothermal characteristics in the Xianshuihe geothermal area along the Sichuan-Tibet Railway,using temperature logging,temperature monitoring and thermal conductivity measurement,and regional geothermal geological survey data.The research focuses on the geothermal background,geothermal field,and their potential impact on the surrounding tunnels.The investigation reveals that the average heat flow value in the study area is approximately 73.0 mW/m^(2),significantly higher than the average terrestrial heat flow in China's Mainland(62.5 mW/m^(2)).This high terrestrial heat flow signifies a distinct thermal background in the area.In addition,geothermal anomalies in the area are found to be closely associated with the distribution of hot springs along NW faults,indicating a strong control by the Xianshuihe fault zone.The study concludes that the region's favorable conditions for geothermal resources are attributed to the combination of high terrestrial heatflow background and water-conducting faults.However,these conditions also pose a potential threat of heat damage to the tunnels along the Sichuan-Tibet Railway.To evaluate the risk,the research takes into account the terrestrial heat flow,thermal conductivity of the tunnel surrounding rocks,characteristics of the regional constant temperature layer,as well as the distribution of hot springs and faults.The analysis specifically focuses on the thermal damage risk of Kangding 1# tunnel and 2# tunnel passing through the study area.Based on the findings,it is determined that Kangding 1# tunnel and 2# tunnel have relatively low risk of heat damage,as they have avoided most of the high temperature anomaly areas.However,several sections of the tunnels do traverse zones with low to medium temperatures,where surface rock temperatures can reach up to 45℃.Therefore,these regions should not be neglected during the construction and operation of the tunnel project,and mitigation measures may be necessary to address the potential heat-related challenges in the area.

Performance of Temperature-Related Weather Index for Agricultural Insurance of Three Main Crops in China

In this study, two categories of weather index—absolute index and relative index—for chilling injury and heat damage of three main crops in China were assessed to identify insurable counties. First, correlations between selected weather indices and yield losses were examined for each county. If a correlation was significant, the county was categorized as ‘‘insurable'' for the corresponding hazard or index. Second, the spatial distribution of insurable counties was characterized and finally, their correlation coefficients were analyzed at various spatial scales.The results show that the spatial patterns of insurable areas varied by categories of weather indices, crops, and hazards.Moreover, the weather indices based on relative threshold of temperature were more suitable for chilling injury in most regions, whereas the indices based on absolute threshold were more suitable for heat damage. The findings could help the Chinese government and insurance companies to design effective insurance products.