Content of Nutritional Elements in Sudangrass and Ryegrass Determined by ICP-AES

The sudangrass(Sorghumsudanense) and ryegrass(Lolium multiflorum L.) rotation is a newtype of cropping system,which has developed rapidly in recent years in the south of China.The contents ofnutritional elements for forage grass in the sudangrass and ryegrass rotation system were determined by ICP-AES.The results showed that there were abundant and essential nutritional elements for ani mals in sudangrassand ryegrass.The contents of P,K,Ca,Mg,S,Fe,B,Cu,Zn and Mn for sudangrass were 0.20 %～0.29 %,1.94 %～2.57 %,0.62 %～0.97 %,0.39 %～0.69 %,0.12 %～0.18 %,108.35 ～180.12,3.04 ～5.96,6.17 ～10.02,20.37 ～31.36 and 46.80 ～101.29 mg.kg-1,respectively.The contents of P,K,Ca,Mg,S,Fe,B,Cu,Zn,Mn for ryegrass were 0.39 %～0.70 %,3.77 %～5.07 %,0.61 %～0.84 %,0.28 %～0.47 %,0.32 %～0.41 %,291.65 ～632.20,2.13 ～3.23,13.29 ～15.19,30.73 ～42.98 and 92.08 ～156.04 mg.kg-1,respectively,and there were differences between various periods in nutritional elements inthe two forage grasses.The application of ICP-AES could reflect fast and efficiently the content of nutritionalelements for forage grass as ani mals feed.

Elevated Concentrations of Dietarily-Important Trace Elements and Macronutrients in Edible Leaves and Grain of 27 Cowpea (<i>Vigna unguiculata</i>L. Walp.) Genotypes: Implications for Human Nutrition and Health

Legumes are a good source of calories, protein and mineral nutrients for human nutrition and health. In this study, the edible leaves and grain of 27 field-grown cowpea genotypes were assessed for trace elements and macronutrient den-sity at Manga in the Sudano-Sahelian zone of Ghana in 2005 and 2006, using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. The genotypes differed markedly in their accumulation of trace elements and major nutrients in edible leaves and grain. Except for P, the concentrations of K, Ca, Mg, S and Na were much higher in edible cowpea leaves than grain in 2005. A similar pattern was observed for Ca, Mg, S, Na in 2006. However, more dramatic variations were found in the micronutrient concentrations between edible cowpea leaves and grain. The levels of the trace elements Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn and B were sometimes 2- to 20-fold greater in leaves than grain of cowpea. Furthermore, there were strong genotypic differences in mineral density of cowpea leaves and grain. For the major nutrients, for example, IT93K-2045-29 and IT90K-59 accumulated greater concentrations of P, K, Ca, S and Na in both edible leaves and grain in 2006, while ITH98-46, which showed the least macronutrient density, exhibited the highest concentrations of Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn and B in edible leaves, as well as Fe, Cu and Mn in grain. These results have implications for cowpea breeding, as well as for human nutrition and health.

Annual Variation of Mineral Nutrition Elements Content in Macadamia integrifolia

[Objective] To investigate the annual variation of 9 mineral nutrition ele-ments content in Macadamia integrifolia leaves. [Method] Twenty 6-year-old ＆quot;Guire No. 1＆quot; healthy plants were selected. On the 15th of every month in 2011, 1 leaf in the second round from top-branch in 4 directions of the 20 trees was col ected. The content of 9 mineral elements of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Zn, Cu, Fe and Mn were deter-mined. [Result] The results showed that the N, P, K content in leaves reached a peak in April, then N content decreased slowly, P content stayed stable, and K con-tent increased slightly; Ca, Fe content decreased in April to different degrees and then increased slowly. Mg content was consistent al year round, meanwhile Mn content decreased slightly. Cu and Zn content reached a peak in April, and then presented a rise-fal trend. [Conclusion] N, K, Ca, Mg should be supplemented in time in practice.

Evaluation of Nutritional Value and Safety of Black Soldier Flies Fed on Dead Pig Meat and Bone Meal

[Objectives]This study was conducted to evaluate the nutritional value and safety of black soldier flies fed with dead pig meat and bone meal(DPMBM)and to explore the resource utilization of DPMBM.[Methods]The general nutrient composition,amino acids,fatty acids and mineral elements of black soldier fly meal(BSLM)were detected and analyzed.[Results]The results showed that the contents of moisture,crude protein,crude fat and ash in BSLM were 3.42%,42.31%,34.04%and 5.40%,respectively.The contents of total amino acids(TAA),essential amino acids(∑EAA)and non-essential amino acids(∑NEAA)and umami amino acids(∑DAA),the EAA/TAA value and the EAA/NEAA value were 37.93%,13.08%,24.85%,13.43%,34.47%,52.61%,respectively.A total of eight kinds of saturated fatty acids and seven kinds of unsaturated fatty acids were detected,accounting for 63.65%and 32.67%of the total fatty acids.Among the major mineral elements,the content of Ca was the highest,followed by K,Mg and Na.Among the trace mineral elements,the content of Mn was the highest,followed by Fe,Zn,Cu,Ni,Cr,Cd,As,Pb,Se,Sn,Ti,Sb and Hg.The contents of heavy metal mineral elements in BSLM were far lower than the limits specified in Hygienical Standard for Feeds.[Conclusions]In conclusion,BSLM has high nutritional value and good safety of heavy metals,and thus great potential for development and utilization as a high quality dietary protein,fat and mineral elements source.

Abbreviated Report of the WHO Western Pacific Region Workshop on National Plans of Action for Nutrition: Key Elements for Success, Constraints and Future Plans

A workshop on National Plans of Action for Nutrition: Constraints, Key Elements for Success, and Future Plans was convened and organized by the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific in collaboration with the Institute for Medical Research Malaysia and co sponsored with FAO and UNICEF from 25—29 October 1999. It was attended by representatives of 25 countries in the region and resource persons, representatives from WHO and other international agencies. The objectives of the workshop were to review the progress of countries in developing, implementing and monitoring national plans of action for nutrition (NPANs) in the Western Pacific Region and to identify constraints and key elements of success in these efforts. Most of the countries have NPANs, either approved and implemented or awaiting official endorsement. The Plan formulation is usually multisectoral, involving several government ministries, non governmental organizations, and international agencies. Often official adoption or endorsement of the Plan comes from the head of state and cabinet or the minister of health, one to six years from the start of its formulation. The NPAN has stimulated support for the development and implementation of nutrition projects and activities, with comparatively greater involvement of and more support from government ministries, UN agencies and non-governmental agencies compared to local communities, bilateral and private sectors and research and academic institutions. Monitoring and evaluation are important components of NPANs. They are, however, not given high priority and often not built into the plan. The role of an intersectoral coordinating body is considered crucial to a country's nutrition program. Most countries have an intersectoral structure or coordinating body to ensure the proper implementation, monitoring and evaluation of their NPANs. The workshop identified the constraints and key elements of success in each of the four stages of the NPAN process: development, operationalization, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation. Constraints to the NPAN process relate to the political and socioeconomic environment, resource scarcity, control and management processes, and factors related to sustainability. The group's review of NPAN identified successful NPANs as those based on recent, adequate and good quality information on the nutritional situation of the country, and on the selection of strategies, priorities and interventions that are relevant to the country and backed up by adequate resources. Continued high level political commitment, a multisectoral approach, and adequate participation of local communities are other key elements for success. The participants agreed on future actions and support needed from various sources for the further development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of their NPANs. The recommendations for future actions were categorized into actions pertaining to countries with working NPAN, actions for countries without working NPAN and actions relevant to all countries. There was also a set of suggested actions at the regional level, such as holding of regular regional NPAN evaluation meetings, inclusion of NPAN on the agenda of regional fora by the regional organizations, and strengthening of regional nutrition networks.

Genome-wide association study of grain micronutrient concentrations in bread wheat

Bread wheat(Triticum aestivum)is a staple food crop worldwide.The genetic dissection of important nutrient traits is essential for the biofortification of wheat to meet the nutritional needs of the world's growing population.Here,45,298 single-nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)from 55K chip arrays were used to genotype a panel of 768 wheat cultivars,and a total of 154 quantitative trait loci(QTLs)were detected for eight traits under three environments by genome-wide association study(GWAS).Three QTLs(qMn-3B.1,qFe-3B.4,and qSe-3B.1/qFe-3B.6)detected repeatedly under different environments or traits were subjected to subsequent analyses based on linkage disequilibrium decay and the P-values of significant SNPs.Significant SNPs in the three QTL regions formed six haplotypes for qMn-3B.1,three haplotypes for qFe-3B.4,and three haplotypes for qSe-3B.1/qFe-3B.6.Phenotypic analysis revealed significant differences among haplotypes.These results indicated that the concentrations of several nutrient elements have been modified during the domestication of landraces to modern wheat.Based on the QTL regions,we identified 15 high-confidence genes,eight of which were stably expressed in different tissues and/or developmental stages.TraesCS3B02G046100 in qMn-3B.1 and TraesCS3B02G199500 in qSe-3B.1/qFe-3B.6 were both inferred to interact with metal ions according to the Gene Ontology(GO)analysis.TraesCS3B02G199000,which belongs to qSe-3B.1/qFe-3B.6,was determined to be a member of the WRKY gene family.Overall,this study provides several reliable QTLs that may significantly affect the concentrations of nutrient elements in wheat grain,and this information will facilitate the breeding of wheat cultivars with improved grain properties.

Nutritional and health benefits of semi-elemental diets: A comprehensive summary of the literature

AIM:To critically review and summarize the literature on nutritional and health outcomes of semi-elemental formulations on various nutritionally vulnerable patient populations who are unable to achieve adequate nutrition from standard oral diets.METHODS:We conducted a comprehensive literature search of Pubmed and Embase databases.We manually screened articles that examined nutritional and health outcomes(e.g.,growth,disease activity,gastrointestinal impairment,mortality,and economic impact)among various patient groups receiving semi-elemental diets.This review focused on full-text articles of randomized controlled clinical trials and other intervention studies,but pertinent abstracts and case studies were also included.Results pertaining primarily to tolerance,digestion,and absorption were summarized for each patient population in this systematic review.RESULTS:Results pertaining primarily to tolerance,digestion,and absorption were summarized for each patient population.The efficacy of semi-elemental whey hydrolyzed protein(WHP)diet have been reported in various nutritionally high risk patient populations including-Crohn’s disease,short bowel syndrome,acute and chronic pancreatitis,cerebral palsy,cystic fibrosis,cerebrovascular accidents,human immunodeficiency virus,critically ill,and geriatrics.Collectively,the evidence from the medical literature indicates that feeding with a semi-elemental diet performs as well or better than parenteral or amino acid based diets in terms of toler-ance,digestion,and nutrient assimilation measures across various disease conditions.CONCLUSION:Based on this comprehensive review of the literature,patient populations who have difficulty digesting or absorbing standard diets may be able to achieve improved health and nutritional outcomes through the use of semi-elemental WHP diets.

Microscopic defects formation and dynamic mechanical response analysis of Q345 steel plate subjected to explosive load

As the basic protective element, steel plate had attracted world-wide attention because of frequent threats of explosive loads. This paper reports the relationships between microscopic defects of Q345 steel plate under the explosive load and its macroscopic dynamics simulation. Firstly, the defect characteristics of the steel plate were investigated by stereoscopic microscope(SM) and scanning electron microscope(SEM). At the macroscopic level, the defect was the formation of cave which was concentrated in the range of 0-3.0 cm from the explosion center, while at the microscopic level, the cavity and void formation were the typical damage characteristics. It also explains that the difference in defect morphology at different positions was the combining results of high temperature and high pressure. Secondly, the variation rules of mechanical properties of steel plate under explosive load were studied. The Arbitrary Lagrange-Euler(ALE) algorithm and multi-material fluid-structure coupling method were used to simulate the explosion process of steel plate. The accuracy of the method was verified by comparing the deformation of the simulation results with the experimental results, the pressure and stress at different positions on the surface of the steel plate were obtained. The simulation results indicated that the critical pressure causing the plate defects may be approximately 2.01 GPa. On this basis, it was found that the variation rules of surface pressure and microscopic defect area of the Q345 steel plate were strikingly similar, and the corresponding mathematical relationship between them was established. Compared with Monomolecular growth fitting models(MGFM) and Logistic fitting models(LFM), the relationship can be better expressed by cubic polynomial fitting model(CPFM). This paper illustrated that the explosive defect characteristics of metal plate at the microscopic level can be explored by analyzing its macroscopic dynamic mechanical response.

Analysis of nutritional elements in Indian medicinal herbs used to cure general weakness

Concept of trace elements being “the Inorganic Switches” has evolved during last several decades. Ayurveda, the traditional Indian medicinal system also emphasises the importance of minor and trace elements in human health and disease. To evaluate elemental contents of some commonly used to cure general weakness, 3 medicine herbs namely Beezband (seeds), Gok-shur (fruit) and Talmakhana (seeds) have been analyzed for four minor (Na, K, Mg and Ca) and eight trace elements (Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn and Cd) by atomic absorption spectrometry and flame photometry. Their accuracy was measured by replicate analyses. In general, elemental contents were found in varying amounts with large range. It is observed that many of medicinal herbs are enriched in one or more elements. Since these elements are bioavailable in natural form, probably in combination with organic constituents, these are likely to be easily assimilated by human Bodies. Besides them, two toxic elements Ni and Cd were also found in insignificant amounts as these are likely to have originated from environmental contamination.

Nutritional Elements Related to Leaf Blight of Pearl Plum in Longtan Town

[Objectives]This study was conducted to investigate the correlation between leaf blight of pearl plum and nutrient elements from the perspective of plant nutrition.[Methods]Branch and leaf samples of pearl plum plants infected by or free of leaf blight and the corresponding 0-30 cm cultivated soil were collected,and statistical analysis was conducted according to the changes in nutrient contents and the incidence of leaf blight,so as to look for nutrients in pearl plum plants associated with leaf blight,as well as soil constraint factors.[Results]Phosphorus,iron and manganese in nutrients may be related to leaf blight,and the factors affecting leaf blight may be the ratios of P/Fe and P/Mn in leaves.[Conclusions]This study provides a basis for further research on the relationship between phosphorus,iron and manganese on the effect of leaf blight in pearl plum trees.

Effect of homogenization treatment on microstructure evolution and the distributions of RE and Zr elements in various MgeLieREeZr alloys

Mge3Lie0.4Zr alloys containing RE elements(Gd,La,Nd)(Mge3LieREe0.4Zr alloys)are investigated to reveal the influence of homogenization treatment on microstructures and distributions of RE,Zr elements.It is found that 300
C24 h homogenization treatment shows better improvement on the microstructure including the refinement of grain size,the dispersion of cellular dendrite and low melting point particles.Before treatment,La and Nd segregate effectively at grain boundary and Zr segregates in the form of precipitates.Homogenization treatment induces the reduction of RE segregation.However,the segregation of Zr in precipitates cannot be abated due to the relatively low diffusion rate compared with RE elements.

Characterizing the influence of stress-induced microcracks on the laboratory strength and fracture development in brittle rocks using a finite-discrete element method-micro discrete fracture network FDEM-μDFN approach

Heterogeneity is an inherent component of rock and may be present in different forms including mineralheterogeneity, geometrical heterogeneity, weak grain boundaries and micro-defects. Microcracks areusually observed in crystalline rocks in two forms： natural and stress-induced; the amount of stressinducedmicrocracking increases with depth and in-situ stress. Laboratory results indicate that thephysical properties of rocks such as strength, deformability, P-wave velocity and permeability areinfluenced by increase in microcrack intensity. In this study, the finite-discrete element method （FDEM）is used to model microcrack heterogeneity by introducing into a model sample sets of microcracks usingthe proposed micro discrete fracture network （mDFN） approach. The characteristics of the microcracksrequired to create mDFN models are obtained through image analyses of thin sections of Lac du Bonnetgranite adopted from published literature. A suite of two-dimensional laboratory tests including uniaxial,triaxial compression and Brazilian tests is simulated and the results are compared with laboratory data.The FDEM-mDFN models indicate that micro-heterogeneity has a profound influence on both the mechanicalbehavior and resultant fracture pattern. An increase in the microcrack intensity leads to areduction in the strength of the sample and changes the character of the rock strength envelope. Spallingand axial splitting dominate the failure mode at low confinement while shear failure is the dominantfailure mode at high confinement. Numerical results from simulated compression tests show thatmicrocracking reduces the cohesive component of strength alone, and the frictional strength componentremains unaffected. Results from simulated Brazilian tests show that the tensile strength is influenced bythe presence of microcracks, with a reduction in tensile strength as microcrack intensity increases. Theimportance of microcrack heterogeneity in reproducing a bi-linear or S-shape failure envelope and itseffects on the mechanisms leading to spalling damage near an underground opening are also discussed.

Effects of Different Selenium Application Methods on Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Biofortification and Nutritional Quality

Mineral nutrient malnutrition,especially deficiency in selenium(Se),affects the health of approximately 1 billion people worldwide.Wheat,a staple food crop,plays an important role in producing Se-enriched foodstuffs to increase the Se intake of humans.This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different Se application methods on grain yield and nutritional quality,grain Se absorption and accumulation,as well as 14 other trace elements concentrations in wheat grains.A sand culture experiment was conducted via a completely randomized 3×2×1 factorial scheme(three Se levels×two methods of Se application,foliar or soil×one Se sources,selenite),with two wheat cultivars(Guizi No.1,Chinese Spring).The results showed that both foliar Se and soil Se application methods had effects on wheat pollination.Foliar Se application resulted in early flowering of wheat,while soil Se application caused early flowering of wheat at low Se levels(5 mg kg^(−1))and delayed wheat flowering at high selenium levels(10 mg kg^(−1)),respectively.For trace elements,human essential trace elements(Fe,Zn,Mn,Cu,Cr,Mo,Co and Ni)concentrations in wheat grains were dependent of Se applica-tion methods and wheat cultivars.However,toxic trace elements(Cd,Pb,Hg,As,Li and Al)concentrations can be decreased by both methods,indicating a possible antagonistic effect.Moreover,both methods increased Se concentrations,and improved grain yield and nutritional quality,while the foliar application was better than soil.Accordingly,this study provided useful information concerning nutritional biofortification of wheat,indicating that it is feasible to apply Se to conduct Se biofortification,inhibit the heavy metal elements concentrations and improve yield and quality in crops,which caused human health benefits.

APPLICATION OF SUB-ELEMENT AND MICRO-ELEMENT IN BEM WITH ROLLER BEARING LOAD

Aiming at the discontinuous traction on contact elements of roller bearing,new concepts of sub- and micro-element are put forward. In the sub-element and micro-element,traction influence coefficient has been modified, which is calculated by the former boundary elementmethod (BEM) with roller bearing load. Hence, three-dimensional distribution of load on rollerbearing is calculated accurately. In practice, it has been proved that this method has highercalculation accuracy. An effective numerical method is offered for analyzing load characteristics ofroller bearing to improve service longevity of roller bearing and operation efficiency of rollingmill.

Research Progress of Special Wheat Nutrition Components and Application

With the increased pace of life and improved consumption level of people, the demand for food developed from natural resources is increasing day by day. Related researches have shown that the nutrition level of special wheat is higher than that of common wheat. Special wheat can improve the nutritional structure and diet quality of people. However, the researches on special wheat are rare at home and abroad. Compared with the common wheat, special wheat still faces many challenges in taste quality, storage stability, processing suitability as main food, etc. This paper summarized the researches on analysis and application of special wheat nutrition components at home and abroad so as to evaluate comprehensively the development prospect of special wheat.

Three-dimensional Finite Element Modeling of a Maxillary Premolar Tooth Based on the Micro-CT Scanning: A Detailed Description

This study describes the details of how to construct a three-dimensional （3D） finite element model of a maxillary first premolar tooth based on micro-CT data acquisition technique, MIMICS soft- ware and ANSYS software. The tooth was scanned by micro-CT, in which 1295 slices were obtained and then 648 slices were selected for modeling. The 3D surface mesh models of enamel and dentin were created by MIMICS （STL file）. The solid mesh model was constructed by ANSYS. After the material properties and boundary conditions were set, a loading analysis was performed to demonstrate the ap- plicableness of the resulting model. The first and third principal stresses were then evaluated. The re- suits showed that the number of nodes and elements of the finite element model were 56 618 and 311801, respectively. The geometric form of the model was highly consistent with that of the true tooth, and the deviation between them was ~）.28%. The loading analysis revealed the typical stress patterns in the contour map. The maximum compressive stress existed in the contact points and the maximum tensile stress existed in the deep fissure between the two cusps. It is concluded that by using the micro-CT and highly integrated software, construction of the 3D finite element model with high quality will not be difficult for clinical researchers.

Finite element analysis of the effect of micro-pore defect on linear friction welding of medium carbon steel

Micro-pore is a very common material defect. In the present paper, the temperature fields of medium carbon steel joints with and without micro-pore defect during linear friction welding （LFW） were investigated by using finite element method. The effect of micro-pore defect on the axial shortening of joints during LFW was examined. The x- and y-direction displacements of micro-pore during the LFW process were also studied. In addition, the shape of micro-pore after LFW was observed. The heat conducted from the weld inteace to the specimen interior. The fluctuation range of the temperature curves for the joint with micro-pore is larger than that without micro-pore. Position of micro-pore changes with the change of the friction time. The circular shape of micro-pore becomes oval after welding.

Microanalysis of Multi-Element in Juncus effusus L. by LIBS Technique

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy （LIBS） was used to decipher the unique multi-elemental characteristics of Juncus effusus L. The spectral fingerprints of Juncus effusus L. were established based on elemental microanalysis via LIBS. Microanalysis and multimode sampling methodologies were designed in this study. The relative standard deviation （RSD） approach was performed to optimize the multi-shot measurements. Taking advantage of the capability with no or minimal sample pre-treatment of LIBS, a thermodynamic chart of four elements （Mg, Ca, Ba, and Na） was created from twelve collection regions. The diagram of elemental distribution on a micro-scale was generated to explore the nature of Juncus effusus L. by LIBS. The results demon- strated that LIBS is a promising technique for rapid elemental microanalysis of heterogeneous samples.

Biomechanical assessment of new surgical method instead of kyphoplasty to improve the mechanical behavior of the vertebra:Micro finite element study

AIM To reduce post treatments of kyphoplasty, as a common treatment for osteoporotic vertebrae.METHODS This study suggests a new method for treating vertebrae by setting the hexagonal porous structure instead of the rigid bone cement mass in the kyphoplasty(KP). The KP procedure was performed on the fresh ovine vertebra of the level L1. Micro finite element modeling was performed based on micro computed tomography of ovine trabecular cube. The hexagonal porous structure was set on one cube instead of the bone cement mass. For the implant designing, two geometrical parameters were considered: Spacing diameter and thickness.RESULTS The results of micro finite element analyses indicated the improvement in the mechanical behavior of the vertebra treated by the hexagonal porous structures, as compared to those treated by vertebroplasty(VP) and KP under static loading. The improvement in the mechanical behavior of the vertebra, was observed as 54% decrease in the amount of maximum Von Misses stress(improvement of stress distribution), in trabecular cube with embedded hexagonal structure, as compared to VP and KP. This is comparable to the results of the experimental study already performed; it was shown that the improvement of mechanical behavior of the vertebra was observed as: 83% increase in the range of displacements before getting to the ultimate strength(increasing the toughness) after setting hexagonal pearls inside vertebrae. Both the material and geometry of implant influenced the amount of Von Mises stress in the structure.CONCLUSION The new proposed method can be offered as a substitute for the KP. The implant geometry had a more obvious effect on the amount of Von Mises stress, as compared to the implant material.

Using Finite Element Analysis and Experimental Analysis on Vibration of a Piezoelectric Micro Pump

Due to the rise of biological and MEMS technology in recent years, some micro flow system components have drawn attention and been developed by many investigators. The importance of micro-pumps manufactured is higher than the other part of micro flow system since it is the power source of the entire micro-flow system and responsible for driving working fluid in the microfluidic system. In actual operation, the instability and bad dynamic characteristics of the micro-pump will cause larger fluid flow mobility error, such as transport behavior and response procedures failure, etc., and even damage the microfluidic system. Therefore, to investigate the stability and dynamic characteristics of a micro pump is necessary. The Finite element analysis (FEA), ANSYS Workbench, is employed to analyze the dynamic characteristics of this micro pump, and experiment is also considered in this study.