Expression analysis for candidate genes associated with eggshell mechanical property

Damaged eggshells result in losses of eggs.The genetic mechanism of variable eggshell strength is still unclear.The current study was conducted to verify whether the eggshell calcification related genes,CALB1,SPP1,DMP4,BMP2 and SLIT2,were associated with eggshell mechanical property.For this purpose quantitative PCR（q-PCR） analysis was performed to detect gene expression between two groups of hens laying strong and weak eggs.The hens were selected from 360 White Leghorn layers at 60 wk to ensure that the strong and weak eggs differed significantly in breaking strength but not in eggshell thickness and weight.Using this special strong/weak eggshell model,we found that the expression of CALB1 in the uterus of strong shell group was about 3-fold higher（P〈0.05） than that in weak shell group.The DMP4 expression was significantly higher（2-fold,P〈0.05） in the uterus of weak shell group than that in strong shell group.However,no difference was observed for genes of SPP1,SLIT2 and BMP2 between these two groups.The current study provides a new insight to investigate the association of candidate genes with eggshell mechanical property.

A new measure for evaluating spatially related properties of traffic information credibility

With the wide applications of sensor network technology in traffic information acquisition systems,a new measure will be quite necessary to evaluate spatially related properties of traffic information credibility.The heterogeneity of spatial distribution of information credibility from sensor networks is analyzed and a new measure,information credibility function(ICF),is proposed to describe this heterogeneity.Three possible functional forms of sensor ICF and their corresponding expressions are presented.Then,two feasible operations of spatial superposition of sensor ICFs are discussed.Finally,a numerical example is introduced to show the calibration method of sensor ICF and obtain the spatially related properties of expressway in Beijing.The results show that the sensor ICF of expressway in Beijing possesses a negative exponent property.The traffic information is more abundant at or near the locations of sensor,while with the distance away from the sensor increasing,the traffic information credibility will be declined by an exponential trend.The new measure provides theoretical bases for the optimal locations of traffic sensor networks and the mechanism research of spatial distribution of traffic information credibility.

Mechanical properties and constitutive behaviors of as-cast 7050 aluminum alloy from room temperature to above the solidus temperature

The mechanical properties and constitutive behaviors of as-cast AA7050 in both the solid and semi-solid states were determined using the on-cooling and in situ solidification approaches, respectively. The results show that the strength in the solid state tends to increase with decreasing temperature. The strain rate plays an important role in the stress–strain behaviors at higher temperatures, whereas the influence becomes less pronounced and irregular when the temperature is less than 250°C. The experimental data were fitted to the extended Ludwik equation, which is suitable to describe the mechanical behavior of the materials in the as-cast state. In the semi-solid state, both the strength and ductility of the alloy are high near the solidus temperature and decrease drastically with decreasing solid fraction. As the solid fraction is less than 0.97, the maximum strength only slightly decreases, whereas the post-peak ductility begins to increase. The experimental data were fitted to the modified creep law, which is used to describe the mechanical behavior of semi-solid materials, to determine the equivalent parameter fGBWL, i.e., the fraction of grain boundaries covered by liquid phase.

Characterization of A-and B-type starch granules in Chinese wheat cultivars

Starch is the major component of wheat flour and serves as a multifunctional ingredient in food industry. The objective of the present study was to investigate starch granule size distribution of Chinese wheat cultivars, and to compare structure and functionality of starches in four leading cultivars Zhongmai 175, CA12092, Lunxuan 987, and Zhongyou 206. A wide variation in volume percentages of A- and B-type starch granules among genotypes was observed. Volume percentages of A- and B-type granules had ranges of 68.4–88.9% and 9.7–27.9% in the first cropping seasons, 74.1–90.1% and 7.2–25.3% in the second. Wheat cultivars with higher volume percentages of A- and B-type granules could serve as parents in breeding program for selecting high and low amylose wheat cultivars, respectively. In comparison with the B-type starch granules, the A-type granules starch showed difference in three aspects：（1） higher amount of ordered short-range structure and a lower relative crystallinity,（2） higher gelatinization onset（To） temperatures and enthalpies（ΔH）, and lower gelatinization conclusion temperatures（Tc）,（3） greater peak, though, and final viscosity, and lower breakdown viscosity and pasting temperature. It provides important information for breeders to develop potentially useful cultivars with particular functional properties of their starches suited to specific applications.

Five-fold local symmetry in metallic liquids and glasses

The structure of metallic glasses has been a long-standing mystery. Owing to the disordered nature of atomic structures in metallic glasses, it is a great challenge to find a simple structural description, such as periodicity for crystals, for establishing the structure–property relationship in amorphous materials. In this paper, we briefly review the recent developments of the five-fold local symmetry in metallic liquids and glasses and the understanding of the structure–property relationship based on this parameter. Experimental evidence demonstrates that five-fold local symmetry is found to be general in metallic liquids and glasses. Comprehensive molecular dynamics simulations show that the temperature evolution of five-fold local symmetry reflects the structural evolution in glass transition in cooling process, and the structure–property relationship such as relaxation dynamics, dynamic crossover phenomena, glass transition, and mechanical deformation in metallic liquids and glasses can be well understood base on the simple and general structure parameter of five-fold local symmetry.

Mechanical properties of cement mortar in sodium sulfate and sodium chloride solutions

To investigate the mechanical properties of cement mortar in sodium sulfate and sodium chloride solutions, uniaxial compression test and ultrasonic test were performed. Test results show that the relative dynamic elastic modulus, the mass variation,and the compressive strength of cement mortar increase first, and then decrease with increasing erosion time in sodium sulfate and sodium chloride solutions. The relative dynamic elastic moduli and the compressive strengths of cement mortars with water/cement ratios of 0.55 and 0.65 in sodium sulfate solution are lower than those in sodium chloride solution with the same concentration at the420 th day of immersion. The compressive strength of cement mortar with water/cement ratio of 0.65 is more sensitive to strain rate than that with water/cement ratio of 0.55. In addition, the strain-rate sensitivity of compressive strength of cement mortar will increase under attacks of sodium sulfate or sodium chloride solution.

Relations among High-frequency Magnetic Properties and Frequency in Nanocrystalline Fe_(72.5)Cu_1Nb_2V_2Si_(13.5)B_9 Alloy

High-frequency magnetic properties, such as core loss, coercivity and amplitude permeabilityof a newly-developed nanocrystalline Fe72.5Cu1Nb2V2Si13.5B9 alloy in the wide ranges of f =20-103 kHz, Bm = 0.01~0.6 T and Bmf = 10~40 (T.kHz) have been measured. A largeamount of experimental data have been fitted by a computer, thus obtaining several expressionsrepresenting the influence of frequency on high-frequency magnetic properties, that are useful inpractical applications.

Is Fengshui Science or Superstition？ A New Criterion for Judging the Value of Knowledge Systems

Fengshui, which can be translated as Wind-Water literally in English, is an ancient Chinese system of laws considered to govern spatial arrangement and orientation in relation to the flow of Qi, and whose favorable or unfavorable effects are taken into account when sitting and designing buildings. Similar systems exist in many other cultures such as Vastu Shastra in India, which consists of precepts born out of a traditional and archaic view on how the laws of nature affect human dwellings. Although prospered in ancient society, modem reactions to Fengshui are mixed. The Skeptic Encyclopedia of Pseudoscience states that principles of Fengshui are quite rational, but folk remedies and superstitions have been incorporated into its eclectic mix. In this paper, we do not distinguish Fengshui and other similar systems between science and superstition, but try to propose a criterion for judging whether a knowledge system is valuable, and if so, to whom it is valuable. We will end up arguing that, a knowledge system satisfying the criterion of relatively true property is valuable at least to its community of believers, and the problem of whether a knowledge system has greater value is essentially a problem of whether it is relatable to other knowledge systems, so as to expand its community of believers

On Detecting and Enforcing the Non-Relational Constraints Associated to Dyadic Relations in MatBase

MatBase is a prototype data and knowledge base management expert intelligent system based on the Relational,Entity-Relationship,and(Elementary)Mathematical Data Models.Dyadic relationships are quite common in data modeling.Besides their relational-type constraints,they often exhibit mathematical properties that are not covered by the Relational Data Model.This paper presents and discusses the MatBase algorithm that assists database designers in discovering all non-relational constraints associated to them,as well as its algorithm for enforcing them,thus providing a significantly higher degree of data quality.

<i>Ab-Initio</i>Self-Consistent Density Functional Theory Description of Rock-Salt Magnesium Selenide (MgSe)

We report results on electronic, transport, and bulk properties of rock-salt magnesium selenide (MgSe), from density functional theory (DFT) calculations. We utilized a local density approximation (LDA) potential and the linear combination of atomic orbitals formalism (LCAO). We followed the Bagayoko, Zhao, and Williams (BZW) method, as enhanced by Ekuma and Franklin (BZW-EF), to perform a generalized minimization of the energy, down to the actual ground state of the material. We describe the successive, self-consistent calculations, with augmented basis sets, that are needed for this generalized minimization. Due to the generalized minimization, our results have the full, physical content of DFT, as per the second DFT theorem [AIP Advances, 4, 127104 (2014)]. Our calculated, indirect bandgap of 2.49 eV, for a room temperature lattice constant of 5.460 Å, agrees with experimental findings. We present the ground-state band structure, the related total and partial densities of states, DOS and PDOS, respectively, and electron and hole effective masses for the material. Our calculated bulk modulus of 63.1 GPa is in excellent agreement with the experimental value of 62.8 ± 1.6 GPa. Our predicted equilibrium lattice constant, at zero temperature, is 5.424 Å, with a corresponding indirect bandgap of 2.51 eV. We discuss the reasons for the agreements between our findings and available, corresponding, experimental ones, particularly for the band gap, unlike the previous DFT results obtained with ab-initio LDA or GGA potentials.

Hard Winter Wheat and Flour Properties in Relation to Breadmaking Quality of Straight-dough Bread:Flour Particle Size and Bread Crumb Grain

Samples of 12 hard winter wheats and their flours that produced breads varying in crumb grain scores were studied for 38 quality parameters including: wheat physical and chemical characteristics; flour ash and protein contents,starch damage,swelling power,pasting characteristics,and flour particle size distribution; dough properties determined by a mixograph; and breadmaking properties for pup loaves (100g flour). Only two parameters,the protein content of wheat and the granulation of flour,showed significant correlations with bread crumb grain scores. Protein content of wheat ranging 12.9%～14.5% determined by an NIR method showed a weak inverse relationship (r =-0.61,p<0.05) with bread crumb grain score. Flour particle size distribution measured by both Alpine Air Jet Sieve and NIR methods revealed that the weight wt % of particles less than 38μm in size and representing 9.6%～19.3% of the flour weights was correlated positively (r =0 .78,p<0.01) with crumb grain score,whereas wt % of flour particles larger than 125μm had an inverse relationship (r =-0.60,p<0.05) with crumb grain score.

Morphological and Spatial Effects on Toughness and Impact Damage Resistance of PAEK-toughened BMI and Graphite Fiber Composite Laminates

The microstructure property relationships have been studied in terms of glass transition behavior,phase morphology,and fracture toughness on thermoplastic polyetherketone with a phenolphthalein side group (PAEK) toughened bismaleimdes (BMI) resins,and in terms of interlaminar morphology and compression after impact (CAI) on the graphite fiber (T700SC),the rein-forced BMI matrix composites that are toughened with a so-called ex-situ concept,respectively. The characteristic morphology spectrum has been found ...

Anti-diabetic related health food properties of traditional rice(Oryza sativa L.)in Sri Lanka

Objective:To evaluate a range of anti-diabetic related properties and some consumer preferred physicochemical properties of selected Sri Lankan traditional rice varieties.Methods:Sudu Heeneti,Goda Heeneti,Masuran and Dik Wee varieties were used in this study.Anti-diabetic related properties of bran extracts of selected varieties were studied for methylglyoxal mediated protein glycation inhibition,acetyl and butyryl-cholinesterase inhibition in vitro and anti-hyperglycemic activity in vivo.Further,selected varieties were studied for starch hydrolysis rate in vitro.Physicochemical properties including grain color,size,shape,crude protein,crude fat,ash,dietary fiber and total carbohydrate contents were studied.Results:Brans of selected varieties had significant(P<0.05)and dose dependent methylglyoxal mediated protein glycation inhibition[IC_(50):(174.77±6.65)to(342.87±0.43)μg/mL]and acetyl[IC_(50):(37.00±0.68)to(291.00±3.54)μg/mL]and butyryl-cholinesterase[IC_(50):(18.50±0.60)to(96.60±0.56)μg/mL]inhibitory activities.Further,Sudu Heeneti,Masuran and Dik Wee had low starch digestion rate(52.40±1.44 to 53.76±1.19)indicating that these varieties may be low glycemic index rices.Brans of Masuran tested in rat model showed anti-hyperglycemic activity.Physicochemical properties studied showed that selected varieties were red in color and grain size and shape were mostly medium and bold respectively.Moisture,crude protein,crude fat,ash and total carbohydrate contents varied significantly(P<0.05)among the varieties.Conclusions:It is concluded that selected varieties could be promoted as physicochemically sound rices with a range of anti-diabetic related properties in the management of diabetes and its complications.