Influence of dietary Lys levels and dietary net energy levels on growth performance and nitrogen balance of growing pigs

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of L y s ine（Lys） and Net Energy （NE） levels on growth performance （Exp. I） and N balance （Exp. 2） in growing pig. In Exp. 1, 36 castrated pigs [21.35 -4- 0.55 kg of body weight （BW）] were allotted to six treatments with six replicates per treatment. Pigs were fed two levels of Lys （low and high） and three levels of NE （low, med, or high） in a 2×3 factorial arrangement. The experiment lasted for 35 d. There were no effects of dietary Lys and NE on pig performance （P〉0.05, but a Lys×NE interaction in ADG was observed （P〈0.05）. In Exp. 2, 24 pigs were used to determine the effects of diet in Exp. 1 on pig N balance. Neither Lys nor NE level affected N retention （g/d） （P〉0.0）. Lys×NE interaction in N retention （g/d） （P〈0.01） and in N apparent biological value （ABV） （P〈0.05） was observed. Pigs fed the low Lys diet had lower serum urea nitrogen （SUN） concentrations compared with the high Lys treatment （P〈0.01）. Pigs fed the med-NE diet had lower SUN concentrations compared with the pigs fed the low-NE diet （P〈0.1）. These results suggest that pigs from 21 kg to 50 kg BW fed diets containing 0.83% standardized ileal digestible Lysine and 2351 Kcal of NE/kg had maximum ADG and N retention.

Effects of dietary protein/energy ratio on growth performance,carcass trait,meat quality,and plasma metabolites in pigs of different genotypes

Background： The protein/energy ratio is important for the production performance and utilization of available feed resources by animals. Increased protein consumption by mammals leads to elevated feed costs and increased nitrogen release into the environment. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary protein/energy ratio on the growth performance, carcass traits, meat quality, and plasma metabolites of pigs of different genotypes. Methods： Bama mini-pigs and Landrace pigs were randomly assigned to two dietary treatment groups （Chinese conventional diet with low protein/energy ratio or National Research Council diet with high protein/energy ratio; n = 24 per treatment） in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement. Blood and muscle samples were collected at the end of the nursery, growing, and finishing phases. Results： We observed significant interactions （P 〈 0.05） between breed and diet for total fat percentage, intramuscular fat （IMF） content, protein content in biceps femoris （BF） muscle, and plasma urea nitrogen （UN） concentration in the nursery phase; for average daily gain （ADG）, average daily feed intake （ADFI）, dry matter, IMF content in psoas major （PM） muscle, and plasma total protein and albumin concentrations in the growing phase; and for drip loss and plasma UN concentration in the finishing phase. Breed influenced （P 〈 0.05） growth performance, carcass traits, and meat quality, but not plasma metabolites. Throughout the trial, Landrace pigs showed significantly higher （P 〈 0.0_5） ADG, ADFI, dressing percentage, lean mass rate, and loin-eye area than did Bama mini-pigs, but significantly lower （P 〈 0.0.5） feed/gain ratio, fat percentage, backfat thickness, and IMF content. Dietary protein/energy ratio influenced the pH value, chemical composition of BF and PM muscles, and plasma activities of glutamic-pyruvic transaminase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, and plasma concentration of UN. Conclusions： Compared with Landrace pigs, Bama mini-pigs showed slower growth and lower carcass performance, but had better meat quality. Moreover, unlike Landrace pigs, the dietary protein/energy ratio did not affect the growth performance of Bama mini-pigs. These results suggest that, in swine production, low dietary protein/energy ratio may be useful for reducing feed costs and minimizing the adverse effects of ammonia release into the environment.

Dietary energy sources and levels shift the multi-kingdom microbiota and functions in the rumen of lactating dairy cows

Background: Dietary energy source and level in lactation diets can profoundly affect milk yield and composition.Such dietary effects on lactation performance are underpinned by alteration of the rumen microbiota, of which bacteria, archaea, fungi, and protozoa may vary differently. However, few studies have examined all the four groups of rumen microbes. This study investigated the effect of both the level and source of dietary energy on rumen bacteria, archaea, fungi, and protozoa in the rumen of lactating dairy cows. A 2 × 2 factorial design resulted in four dietary treatments: low and high dietary energy levels(LE: 1.52–1.53;and HE: 1.71–1.72 Mcal/kg dry matter) and two dietary energy sources(GC: finely ground corn;and SFC: steam-flaked corn). We used a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design using eight primiparous Chinese Holstein cows with each period lasting for 21 d. The rumen microbiota was analyzed using metataxonomics based on kingdom-specific phylogenetic markers [16 S r RNA gene for bacteria and archaea, 18 S r RNA gene for protozoa, and internally transcribed spacer 1(ITS1) for fungi] followed with subsequent functional prediction using PICRUSt2.Results: The GC resulted in a higher prokaryotic(bacterial and archaeal) species richness and Faith's phylogenetic diversity than SFC. For the eukaryotic(fungi and protozoa) microbiota, the LE diets led to significantly higher values of the above measurements than the HE diets. Among the major classified taxa, 23 genera across all the kingdoms differed in relative abundance between the two dietary energy levels, while only six genera(none being protozoal)were differentially abundant between the two energy sources. Based on prokaryotic amplicon sequence variants(ASVs) from all the samples, overall functional profiles predicted using PICRUSt2 differed significantly between LE and HE but not between the two energy sources. Fish Taco analysis identified Ruminococcus and Coprococcus as the taxa potentially contributing to the enriched KEGG pathways for biosynthesis of amino acids and to the metabolisms of pyruvate, glycerophospholipid, and nicotinate and nicotinamide in the rumen of HE-fed cows. The co-occurrence networks were also affected by the dietary treatments, especially the LE and GC diets, resulting in distinct co-occurrence networks. Several microbial genera appeared to be strongly correlated with one or more lactation traits.Conclusions: Dietary energy level affected the overall rumen multi-kingdom microbiota while little difference was noted between ground corn and steam-flaked corn. Some genera were also affected differently by the four dietary treatments, including genera that had been shown to be correlated with lactation performance or feed efficiency.The co-occurrence patterns among the genera exclusively found for each dietary treatment may suggest possible metabolic interactions specifically affected by the dietary treatment. Some of the major taxa were positively correlated to milk properties and may potentially serve as biomarkers of one or more lactation traits.

Metabolomic changes in fatty liver can be modified by dietary protein and calcium during energy restriction

AIM： To characterise the effect of energy restriction （ER） on liver lipid and primary metabolite profile by using metabolomic approach. We also investigated whether the effect of energy restriction can be further enhanced by modification of dietary protein source and calcium. METHODS： Liver metabolomic profile of lean and obese C57BI/6J mice （n = 10/group） were compared with two groups of weight-reduced mice. ER was performed on control diet and whey protein-based high-calcium diet （whey ＋ Ca）. The metabolomic analyses were performed using the UPLC/MS based lipidomic platform and the HPLC/MS/MS based primary metabolite platform.RESULTS： ER on both diets significantly reduced hepatic lipid accumulation and lipid droplet size, while only whey ＋ Ca diet significantly decreased blood glucose （P 〈 0.001） and serum insulin （P 〈 0.01）. In hepatic lipid species the biggest reduction was in the level of triacylglycerols and cerarnides while the level of cholesterol esters was significantly increased during ER. Interestingly, diacylglycerol to phospholipid ratio, an indicator of relative amount of diabetogenic diglyceride species, was increased in the control ER group, but decreased in the whey ＋ Ca ER group （P 〈 0.001, vs obese）. ER on whey ＋ Ca diet also totally reversed the obesity induced increase in the relative level of lipotoxic cerarnides （P 〈 0.001, vs obese; P 〉 0.05, vs lean）. These changes were accompanied with up-regulated TCA cycle and pentose phosphate pathway rnetabolites. CONCLUSION： ER-induced changes on hepatic rnetabolornic profile can be significantly affected by dietary protein source. The therapeutic potential of whey protein and calcium should be further studied.

Effects of Dietary Energy Level and Source on Blood Metabolites,Hormone Secretion and Follicular Fluid Composition in Gilts

The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of dietary energy levels and sources on the blood metabolites,hormone secretion and the composition of follicular fluid in gilts.Fifty-four gilts with initial body weight of(59±4.2) kg were randomly allotted to six treatments.Treatments were low, normal,and high energy feeding levels,which were 87.5%,100%and 112.5%of recommendatory energy requirements by NRC(1998),respectively,and dietary energy sources(starch or fat).Blood samples and follicular fluids were collected on D18 and D19 of the second estrous cycle.The results showed that plasma concentrations of triglycerides and total cholesterol were higher in the fat group than that in the starch group(P【0.05),but those of glucose were similar between the two energy sources(P】0.05);dietary energy level exerted no effect on blood metabolites concentration(P】0.05).Gilts fed the high energy diet had a higher area under curve of plasma insulin(Insulin AUC),insulin-like growth factor-Ⅰ(IGF-Ⅰ) and leptin than did gilts fed the lower energy diet(P【0.05),but there was no significant difference between fat versus starch(P】0.05).Luteinizing hormone(LH) pulses were higher in gilts fed high energy rather than that in low energy diets(P】0.05),plasma concentration of estradiol(E2) was higher in the fat group than that in the starch group(P【0.05).The number of large follicles(diameter≥4 mm) and concentrations of IGF-Ⅰand E2 in follicular fluid were increasing significant as the level of energy increased(P【0.05),but the numbers of large follicles and follicular fluid composition were not affected by the source of dietary energy(P】0.05).The results indicate that gilts fed high energy diets had elevated plasma concentrations of metabolic hormones,IGF-Ⅰand LH secretion,and increased follicular fluid concentrations of IGF-Ⅰ,E2 and numbers of large follicles;gilts fed the dietary fat had a higher plasma concentration of cholesterol and E2.

Transcriptional changes in mesenteric and subcutaneous adipose tissue from Holstein cows in response to plane of dietary energy

Background： Dairy cows can readily overconsume dietary energy during most of the prepartum period, often leading to higher prepartal concentrations of insulin and glucose and excessive body fat deposition. The end result of these physiologic changes is greater adipose tissue lipolysis post-partum coupled with excessive hepatic lipid accumulation and compromised health. Although transcriptional regulation of the adipose response to energy availability is well established in non-ruminants, such regulation in cow adipose tissue depots remains poorly characterized.Results： Effects of ad-libitum access to high [HIGH; 1.62 Mcal/kg of dry matter（DM）] or adequate（CON; 1.35 Mcal/kg of DM） dietary energy for 8 wk on mesenteric（MAT） and subcutaneous（SAT） adipose tissue transcript profiles were assessed in non-pregnant non-lactating Holstein dairy cows using a 13,000-sequence annotated bovine oligonucleotide microarray. Statistical analysis revealed 409 and 310 differentially expressed genes（DEG） due to tissue and diet. Bioinformatics analysis was conducted using the Dynamic Impact Approach（DIA） with the KEGG pathway database. Compared with SAT, MAT had more active biological processes related to adipose tissue accumulation（adiponectin secretion） and signs of pro-inflammatory processes due to adipose tissue expansion and macrophage infiltration（generation of ceramides）. Feeding the HIGH diet led to changes in m RNA expression of genes associated with cell hypertrophy（regucalcin）, activation of adipogenesis（phospholipid phosphatase 1）,insulin signaling activation（neuraminidase 1） and angiogenesis（semaphorin 4 G, plexin B1）. Further, inflammation due to HIGH was underscored by m RNA expression changes associated with oxidative stress response（coenzyme Q3, methyltransferase）, ceramide synthesis（N-acylsphingosine amidohydrolase 1）, and insulin signaling（interferon regulatory factor 1, phosphoinositide-3-kinase regulatory subunit 1, retinoic acid receptor alpha）. Activation of ribosome in cows fed HIGH indicated the existence of greater adipocyte growth rate（M-phase phosphoprotein 10,NMD3 ribosome export adaptor）.Conclusions： The data indicate that long-term ad-libitum access to a higher-energy diet led to transcriptional changes in adipose tissue that stimulated hypertrophy and the activity of pathways associated with a slight but chronic inflammatory response. Further studies would be helpful in determining the extent to which m RNA results also occur at the protein level.

Variation of Morpho-Agronomic and Biomass Quality Traits in Elephant Grass for Energy Purposes According to Nitrogen Levels

Elephant grass is a tropical forage plant widely spread in Brazil, used mainly in the livestock sector and in cattle feeding. Because of its high productivity and photosynthetic capacity, this culture has also been considered an alternative source of renewable energy. Six clones of elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) were evaluated under five levels of nitrogen fertilization (100, 200, 400, 800, and 1600 kg·N·ha-1), in a randomized-block design with a split-plot arrangement with three replicates, from April 2010 to December 2012, in the city of Campos dos Goytacazes— RJ, Brazil. The objective was to obtain estimates of variation in morpho-agronomic traits and biomass quality. We observed that genotypes Cameroon-Piracicaba and Gua?u I/Z2 have great potential to be used, with maximum dry matter yields of 60.97 and 44.10 t·ha-1 per cut for energy purposes among the studied genotypes.

Metabolizable energy,nitrogen balance,and ileal digestibility of amino acids in quality protein maize for pigs

Background：To compare the nutritional value and digestibility of five quality protein maize（QPM） hybrids to that of white and yellow maize,two experiments were carried out in growing pigs.In experiment 1,the energy metabolizability and the nitrogen balance of growing pigs fed one of five QPM hybrid diets were compared against those of pigs fed white or yellow maize.In experiment 2,the apparent and standardized ileal digestibility（AID and SID,respectively） of proteins and amino acids from the five QPM hybrids were compared against those obtained from pigs fed white and yellow maize.In both experiments,the comparisons were conducted using contrasts.Results：The dry matter and nitrogen intakes were higher in the pigs fed the QPM hybrids（P 〈 0.05） than in the pigs fed white or yellow maize.Energy digestibility（P 〈 0.001） and metabolizability（P 〈 0.01） were higher in the pigs fed the white and yellow maize diets than in those fed the QPM diets.The AID of lysine was higher（P〈 0.01） in the QPM diets than in the white and yellow maize.The AIDs of leucine,isoleucine,valine,phenylalanine,and methionine were lower in the QPM diets than those of maize（white and yellow）（all P 〈 0.05）.Maize（white and yellow） had greater SIDs of leucine,isoleucine,valine,phenylalanine,glutamic acid,serine,alanine,tyrosine,and proline（P 〈 0.05）.Conclusions：Based on these results,it was concluded that QPM had a lower metabolizable energy content and a higher amount of digestible lysine than normal maize.

Effect of free Radicals from Wheat Seeds by Medium Energy Nitrogen Ion Irradiation on Chromosomal Aberration Erequencies

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ESR Studies of Free Radicals in Wheat Embryos Following Medium Energy Nitrogen Ion Exposure

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Energy and protein requirements for maintenance of Hu sheep during pregnancy

This study aimed to determine the effect of stage and level of feed intake on energy metabolism, carbon-nitrogen （C-N） balance, and methane emission to determine energy and protein requirements for maintenance of maternal body including pregnancy tissues during pregnancy using the method of C-N balance. Twenty-one ewes carrying twin fetuses were randomly divided into three groups of seven ewes each in the digestion and respirometry trial at d 40, 100, and 130 of gestation, respectively. Three groups were fed a mixed diet either for ad lib#urn intake, 70 or 50% of the ad libfum intake during pregnancy. The results showed that the apparent digestibility of C and N were increased as feeding levels decreased at each stage of gestation. The daily net energy requirements for maintenance （NEro） were 295.80, 310.09, and 323.59 kJ kg-1 BW0.75 （metabolic body weight） with a partial efficiency of metabolisable energy utilization for maintenance of 0.664, 0.644, and 0.620 at d 40, 100, and 130 of gestation, respectively. The daily net protein requirements for maintenance were 1.99, 2.35, and 2.99 g kg-1 BW0.75 at d 40, 100, and 130 of gestation, respectively. These results for the nutritional requirements of the net energy and protein may help to formulate more balanced diets for Hu sheep during pregnancy.

Interfacial engineering of graphitic carbon nitride(g-C_3N_4)-based metal sulfide heterojunction photocatalysts for energy conversion: A review

As one of the most appealing and attractive technologies, photocatalysis is widely used as a promising method to circumvent the environmental and energy problems. Due to its chemical stability and unique physicochemical, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) has become research hotspots in the community. However, g-C3N4 photocatalyst still suffers from many problems, resulting in unsatisfactory photocatalytic activity such as low specific surface area, high charge recombination and insufficient visible light utilization. Since 2009, g-C3N4-based heterostructures have attracted the attention of scientists worldwide for their greatly enhanced photocatalytic performance. Overall, this review summarizes the recent advances of g-C3N4-based nanocomposites modified with transition metal sulfide (TMS), including (1) preparation of pristine g-C3N4,(2) modification strategies of g-C3N4,(3) design principles of TMS-modified g-C3N4 heterostructured photocatalysts, and (4) applications in energy conversion. What is more, the characteristics and transfer mechanisms of each classification of the metal sulfide heterojunction system will be critically reviewed, spanning from the following categories:(1) Type I heterojunction,(2) Type II heterojunction,(3) p-n heterojunction,(4) Schottky junction and (5) Z-scheme heterojunction. Apart from that, the application of g-C3N4-based heterostructured photocatalysts in H2 evolution, CO2 reduction, N2 fixation and pollutant degradation will also be systematically presented. Last but not least, this review will conclude with invigorating perspectives, limitations and prospects for further advancing g-C3N4-based heterostructured photocatalysts toward practical benefits for a sustainable future.

Net energy yield and carbon footprint of summer corn under different N fertilizer rates in the North China Plain

Excessive use of N fertilizer in intensive agriculture can increase crop yield and at the same time cause high carbon（C） emissions.This study was conducted to determine optimized N fertilizer application for high grain yield and lower C emissions in summer corn（Zea mays L.）.A field experiment, including 0（N0）, 75（N75）, 150（N150）, 225（N225）, and 300（N300） kg N ha–1 treatments, was carried out during 2010–2012 in the North China Plain（NCP）.The results showed that grain yield, input energy, greenhouse gas（GHG） emissions, and carbon footprint（CF） were all increased with the increase of N rate, except net energy yield（NEY）.The treatment of N225 had the highest grain yield（10 364.7 kg ha–1） and NEY（6.8%）, but the CF（0.25） was lower than that of N300, which indicates that a rate of 225 kg N ha–1 can be optimal for summer corn in NCP.Comparing GHG emision compontents, N fertilizer（0–51.1%） was the highest and followed by electricity for irrigation（19.73–49.35%）.We conclude that optimazing N fertilizer application rate and reducing electricity for irrigation are the two key measures to increase crop yield, improve energy efficiency and decrease GHG emissions in corn production.

Effect of reduced energy density of close-up diets on dry matter intake,lactation performance and energy balance in multiparous Holstein cows

Energy intake prepartum is critically important to health, milk performance, and profitability of dairy cows. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of reduced energy density of dose-up diets on dry matter intake （DMI）, lactation performance and energy balance （EB） in multiparous Holstein cows which were housed in a free-stall barn and fed for ad libitum intake. Thirty-nine dry cows were blocked and assigned randomly to three groups fed a high energy density diet [HD, n = 13; 6.8 MJ of net energy for lactation （NEL）/kg; 14.0% crude protein （CP） ], or a middle energy density diet （MD, n = 13; 6.2 MJ NEh/kg; 14.0% CP）, or a low energy density diet （LD, n = 13; 5.4 MJ NEh/kg; 14.0% CP） from d 21 before expected day of calving. After parturition, all cows were fed the same lactation diet to d 70 in milk （DIM）. The DMI and NEE intake prepartum were decreased by the reduced energy density diets （P 〈 0.05）. The LD group consumed 1.3 last 24 h before calving. The milk yield and the postpartum kg/d （DM） more diet compared with HD group in the DMI were increased by the reduced energy density diet prepartum （P 〈 0.05）. The changes in BCS and BW prepartum and postpartum were not affected by prepartum diets HD group had higher milk fat content and lower lactose content compared with LD group during the first 3 wk of lactation （P 〈 0.05）. The energy consumption for HD, MD and LD groups were 149.8%, 126.2% and 101.1 % of their calculated energy requirements prepartum （P 〈 0.05）, and 72.7%, 73.1% and 7.5.2% during the first 4 wk postpartum, respectively. In conclusion, the low energy density prepartum diet was effective in controlling NF_L intake prepartum, and was beneficial in increasing DMI and milk yield, and alleviating negative EB postpartum.

Influences of dietary protein sources and crude protein levels on intracellular free amino acid profile in the longissimus dorsi muscle of finishing gilts

Background： The current study was carried out to determine effects of dietary protein source and crude protein（CP）level on carcass characteristics, meat quality, and muscle amino acid（AA） profile in finishing gilts. The experiment was designed as a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with two sources of dietary proteins（cottonseed meal, CSM vs. soybean meal, SBM） and two levels of CP（12 % vs. 14 %, as-fed basis）. Seventy-two crossbred gilts（89.5 ± 0.9 kg） were allotted to one of four dietary treatments in a randomized complete block design for a period of 28 d. All diets were formulated to be isoenergetic and similar concentrations of standardized ileal digestible essential AA covering the nutrient requirements of pigs.Results： Growth, carcass characteristics and meat quality were not affected by dietary protein source nor crude protein level（P ＆gt; 0.10） except that average daily feed intake was increased by CSM diets（P = 0.03）. Gilts offered reduced protein diets had lower muscle p H45min（P 〈 0.05）. Neither dietary protein source nor crude protein level influenced N deposition. However, reduced protein diets decreased N intake, N excretion, and serum urea nitrogen content, whilst improved N efficiency（P 〈 0.01）. CSM diets increased N intake（P = 0.04）,but did not depress N efficiency. The concentrations of phenylalanine, tryptophan, cysteine and tyrosine（P 〈 0.05） of the longissimus muscle were decreased when gilts offered CSM diets, while muscle intracellular free valine concentration was increased（P = 0.03）. The gilts offered reduced protein diets had greater intracellular concentrations of free methionine, lysine, and total AA in muscle（P 〈 0.05）.Conclusion： These results suggest that CSM could replace SBM as a primary protein source in finishing pig diets in terms of performance, N efficiency, carcass characteristics, and meat quality, but decrease the concentrations of muscle specific AA. Furthermore, the reduced protein diet played an important role in increasing muscle intracellular concentrations of specific free amino acids（FAA）, and in reducing the relative ratios of specific FAA to lysine in longissimus dorsi muscle of pig, whose biological meaning needs further studies.

Effects of dietary protein restriction on muscle fiber characteristics and m TORC1 pathway in the skeletal muscle of growing-finishing pigs

Background： To investigate the effects of dietary crude protein（CP） restriction on muscle fiber characteristics and key regulators related to protein deposition in skeletal muscle, a total of 18 growing-finishing pigs（62.30 ± 0.88 kg）were allotted to 3 groups and fed with the recommended adequate protein（AP, 16 % CP） diet, moderately restricted protein（MP, 13 % CP） diet and low protein（LP, 10 % CP） diet, respectively. The skeletal muscle of different locations in pigs, including longissimus dorsi muscle（LDM）, psoas major muscle（PMM） and biceps femoris muscle（BFM） were collected and analyzed.Results： Results showed that growing-finishing pigs fed the MP or AP diet improved（P 〈 0.01） the average daily gain and feed： gain ratio compared with those fed the LP diet, and the MP diet tended to increase（P = 0.09） the weight of LDM. Moreover, the ATP content and energy charge value were varied among muscle samples from different locations of pigs fed the reduced protein diets. We also observed that pigs fed the MP diet up-regulated（P 〈 0.05） muscular m RNA expression of all the selected key genes, except that myosin heavy chain（My HC） IIb,My HC IIx, while m RNA expression of ubiquitin ligases genes was not affected by dietary CP level. Additionally, the activation of mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1（m TORC1） pathway was stimulated（P 〈 0.05） in skeletal muscle of the pigs fed the MP or AP diet compared with those fed the LP diet.Conclusion： The results suggest that the pigs fed the MP diet could catch up to the growth performance and the LDM weight of the pigs fed the AP diet, and the underlying mechanism may be partly due to the alteration in energy status, modulation of muscle fiber characteristics and m TORC1 activation as well as its downstream effectors in skeletal muscle of different locations in growing-finishing pigs.

Influences of frequency on nitrogen fixation of dielectric barrier discharge in air

The influences of frequency on nitrogen fixation of dielectric barrier discharge in air were studied by electrical diagnostics, gas detection and infrared detection methods. The system power, nitrogen oxide concentration, voltage-current waveform, dielectric surface temperature distribution and filamentous discharge pictures were measured, and then the energy yield was calculated; paper studied their changing tendencies in the presence of frequency. Results show that frequency has strong influences on nitrogen fixation. When the parameters of reaction chamber and amplitude of applied voltage is fixed, with the increasing of frequency, the system power increases; in 5-10 kHz, nitrogen oxide gas concentration up to 1113.7 mg m-3, and 7 kHz is the optimal nitrogen fixation frequency whose energy yield is 20.5 mR （m3 W）-1.

Relationship between high dietary fat intake and Parkinson’s disease risk: a meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether dietary fat intake influences Parkinson’s disease risk. DATA SOURCES: We systematically surveyed the Embase and PubMed databases, reviewing manuscripts published prior to October 2018. The following terms were used:(“Paralysis agitans” OR “Parkinson disease” OR “Parkinson” OR “Parkinson’s” OR “Parkinson’s disease”) AND (“fat” OR “dietary fat” OR “dietary fat intake”). DATA SELECTION: Included studies were those with both dietary fat intake and Parkinson’s disease risk as exposure factors. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was adapted to investigate the quality of included studies. Stata V12.0 software was used for statistical analysis. OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcomes included the relationship between high total energy intake, high total fat intake, and Parkinson’s disease risk. The secondary outcomes included the relationship between different kinds of fatty acids and Parkinson’s disease risk. RESULTS: Nine articles met the inclusion criteria and were incorporated into this meta-analysis. Four studies scored 7 and the other five studies scored 9 on the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, meaning that all studies were of high quality. Meta-analysis results showed that high total energy intake was associated with an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease (P = 0.000, odds ratio (OR)= 1.49, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.26–1.75);in contrast, high total fat intake was not associated with Parkinson’s disease risk (P = 0.123, OR = 1.07, 95% CI: 0.91–1.25). Subgroup analysis revealed that polyunsaturated fatty acid intake (P = 0.010, OR = 1.03, 95% CI: 0.88–1.20) reduced the risk of Parkinson’s disease, while arachidonic acid (P = 0.026, OR = 1.15, 95% CI: 0.97–1.37) and cholesterol (P = 0.002, OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 0.92–1.29) both increased the risk of Parkinson’s disease. Subgroup analysis also demonstrated that, although the results were not significant, consumption of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (P = 0.071, OR = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.73–1.05),α-linolenic acid (P = 0.06, OR = 0.86, 95% CI: 0.72–1.02), and the n-3 to n-6 ratio (P = 0.458, OR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.75–1.06) were all linked with a trend toward reduced Parkinson’s disease risk. Monounsaturated fatty acid (P = 0.450, OR = 1.06, 95% CI: 0.91–1.23), n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (P = 0.100, OR = 1.15, 95% CI: 0.96–1.36) and linoleic acid (P = 0.053, OR = 1.11, 95% CI: 0.94–1.32) intakes were associated with a non-significant trend toward higher PD risk. Saturated fatty acid (P = 0.619, OR = 1.01, 95% CI: 0.87–1.18) intake was not associated with Parkinson’s disease. CONCLUSION: Dietary fat intake affects Parkinson’s disease risk, although this depends on the fatty acid subtype. Higher intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids may reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease, while higher cholesterol and arachidonic acid intakes may elevate Parkinson’s disease risk. However, further studies and evidence are needed to validate any link between dietary fat intake and Parkinson’s disease.

Rational catalyst design and mechanistic evaluation for electrochemical nitrogen reduction at ambient conditions

Ammonia(NH3), a carbon-free hydrogen carrier, is an important commodity for the food supply chain owing to its high energy capacity and ease of storage and transport. The Haber-Bosch process is currently the favored industrial method for large-scale ammonia production but requires energy-intensive and sophisticated infrastructure which hampers its utilization in a sustainable and decentralized system of manufacture.The electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction(eNRR) at ambient conditions holds great potential for sustainable production of ammonia using electricity generated from renewable energy sources such as solar and wind. However, this approach is limited by a low rate of ammonia production with high overpotential and the competing hydrogen evolution reaction(HER). For a better understanding and utilization of eNRR as a sustainable process, insight into rational catalyst design and mechanistic evaluations by a theoretically-directed experimental approach is imperative. Herein, recent insights into rational catalyst design and mechanisms, based on intrinsic and extrinsic catalytic activity are articulated.Following the elucidation of basic principles and mechanisms, a framework supplied by theoretical studies that lead to the optimal selection and development of eNRR catalysts is presented. Following a discussion of recently developed electrocatalysts for eNRR, we outline various recently-used theoretical and experimental methodologies to improve the intrinsic and extrinsic catalytic activity of advanced electrocatalysts.This review is anticipated to contribute to the development of active, selective, and efficient catalysts for nitrogen reduction.

Preliminary study of an open-air water-contacting discharge for direct nitrogen fixation

Efficient nitrogen fixation through a reactive plasma process attracts intense interest due to the environmental issues induced by the conventional Haber–Bosch method. In this work, we present a direct and simple fixation routine without any catalysts for nitrogen in open air using an atmospheric-pressure pin-to-solution plasma electrolytic system. Nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia as the nitrogen-derived chemicals in solution were analyzed as indicators under various discharge conditions to estimate the energy efficiency of this process. The results show that the nitrogen fixation process was much more efficient by the pin-positive discharge compared to the negative one. N chemicals preferred to be formed when the solution was of negative polarity. It was also found that, with the help of solution circulation, the energy efficiency was enhanced compared to that of static liquid. However, an inverse trend was observed with the increase of the discharge current. Further study by optical emission spectroscopy indicates the important roles of active N2* and water vapour and their derived species near the plasma–water interface in the fixation process.