Phytoextraction of nitrogen and phosphorus by crops grown in a heavily manured Dark Brown Chernozem under contrasting soil moisture conditions.

PubMed

Agomoh, Ikechukwu; Hao, Xiying; Zvomuya, Francis

2018-01-02

Phytoextraction of excess nutrients by crops in soils with a long history of manure application may be a viable option for reducing the nutrient levels. This greenhouse study examined the effectiveness of six growth cycles (40 d each) of barley, canola, corn, oat, pea, soybean, and triticale at extracting nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from a Dark Brown Chernozem that had received 180 Mg ha -1 (wet wt.) of beef cattle feedlot manure annually for 38 years. Moisture content during the study was maintained at either 100% or 50% soil field capacity (SFC). Repeated cropping resulted in an overall decrease in dry matter yield (DMY). The decrease in N and P uptake relative to Cycle 1 was fastest for the cereal grains and less pronounced for the two legumes. However, cumulative N uptake values were significantly greater for corn than the other crops under both moisture regimes. The reduction in soil N was greater under the 100% than the 50% SFC. These results indicate that repeated cropping can be a useful management practice for reducing N and P levels in a heavily manured soil. The extent of reduction will be greater for crops with high biomass production under adequate moisture supply.

Effects of sulfur and monensin concentrations on in vitro dry matter disappearance, hydrogen sulfide production, and volatile fatty acid concentrations in batch culture ruminal fermentations.

PubMed

Smith, D R; Dilorenzo, N; Leibovich, J; May, M L; Quinn, M J; Homm, J W; Galyean, M L

2010-04-01

Effects of monensin (MON) and S on in vitro fermentation and H(2)S production were evaluated in 2 experiments. In Exp. 1, 2 ruminally cannulated steers were adapted (>14 d) to a 75% concentrate diet [steam-flaked corn (SFC)-based], and ruminal fluid was collected approximately 4 h after feeding. Substrate composed (DM basis) of 85.2% SFC, 9% alfalfa hay, 5% cottonseed meal, and 0.8% urea was added with ruminal fluid and buffer to sealed 125-mL serum bottles to allow for gas collection. A Na(2)SO(4) solution was added to yield S equivalent to 0.2, 0.4, and 0.8% of substrate DM, and MON was included at 0, 2, 4, and 6 mg/L of culture volume. Bottle head-space gas was analyzed for H(2)S. No MON (P = 0.29) or MON x S interaction (P = 0.41) effects were detected for H(2)S production. Increasing S linearly increased (P < 0.01) H(2)S production (micromoles/g of fermented DM). The IVDMD (average 70.0%) was not affected by MON (P = 0.93), S (P = 0.18), or the MON x S interaction (P = 0.56). Total VFA concentrations were not affected by MON (P = 0.87), S (P = 0.14), or the MON x S interaction (P = 0.86), but increasing MON linearly decreased (P 21 d) to a 75% concentrate diet (SFC base) that contained 15% (DM basis) wet corn distillers grains plus solubles (WDGS) and MON at 22 mg/kg of DM. In vitro substrate DM was composed of 75.4% SFC, 15% WDGS, 9% alfalfa hay, and 0.6% urea, and S and MON concentrations were the same as in Exp. 1. No effects of MON (P = 0.93) or the MON x S interaction (P = 0.99) were noted for H(2)S production; however, increasing S linearly increased (P < 0.01) H(2)S production. No effects of MON (P = 0.16), S (P = 0.43), or the MON x S interaction (P = 0.10) were noted for IVDMD (average 70.9%). Total VFA concentrations were not affected by MON (P = 0.40), S (P = 0.26), or the MON x S interaction (P = 0.59). As in Exp. 1, increasing MON linearly decreased (P < 0.05) molar proportions of acetate, butyrate, and A:P and linearly increased (P < 0.01) propionate. Increasing S concentration increased in vitro H(2)S production, but S did not affect VFA concentrations and proportions. Monensin did not affect in vitro H(2)S production, and changes in VFA molar proportions were evident with MON regardless of S concentration.

SCARFACE encodes an ARF-GAP that is required for normal auxin efflux and vein patterning in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Sieburth, Leslie E; Muday, Gloria K; King, Edward J; Benton, Geoff; Kim, Sun; Metcalf, Kasee E; Meyers, Lindsay; Seamen, Emylie; Van Norman, Jaimie M

2006-06-01

To identify molecular mechanisms controlling vein patterns, we analyzed scarface (sfc) mutants. sfc cotyledon and leaf veins are largely fragmented, unlike the interconnected networks in wild-type plants. SFC encodes an ADP ribosylation factor GTPase activating protein (ARF-GAP), a class with well-established roles in vesicle trafficking regulation. Quadruple mutants of SCF and three homologs (ARF-GAP DOMAIN1, 2, and 4) showed a modestly enhanced vascular phenotype. Genetic interactions between sfc and pinoid and between sfc and gnom suggest a possible function for SFC in trafficking of auxin efflux regulators. Genetic analyses also revealed interaction with cotyledon vascular pattern2, suggesting that lipid-based signals may underlie some SFC ARF-GAP functions. To assess possible roles for SFC in auxin transport, we analyzed sfc roots, which showed exaggerated responses to exogenous auxin and higher auxin transport capacity. To determine whether PIN1 intracellular trafficking was affected, we analyzed PIN1:green fluorescent protein (GFP) dynamics using confocal microscopy in sfc roots. We found normal PIN1:GFP localization at the apical membrane of root cells, but treatment with brefeldin A resulted in PIN1 accumulating in smaller and more numerous compartments than in the wild type. These data suggest that SFC is required for normal intracellular transport of PIN1 from the plasma membrane to the endosome.

Comparison of high-performance liquid chromatography and supercritical fluid chromatography using evaporative light scattering detection for the determination of plasticizers in medical devices.

PubMed

Lecoeur, Marie; Decaudin, Bertrand; Guillotin, Yoann; Sautou, Valérie; Vaccher, Claude

2015-10-23

Recently, interest in supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) has increased due to its high throughput and the development of new system improving chromatographic performances. However, most papers dealt with fundamental studies and chiral applications and only few works described validation process of SFC method. Likewise, evaporative light scattering detection (ELSD) has been widely employed in liquid chromatography but only a few recent works presented its quantitative performances hyphenated with SFC apparatus. The present paper discusses about the quantitative performances of SFC-ELSD compared to HPLC-ELSD, for the determination of plasticizers (ATBC, DEHA, DEHT and TOTM) in PVC tubing used as medical devices. After the development of HPLC-ELSD, both methods were evaluated based on the total error approach using accuracy profile. The results show that HPLC-ELSD was more precise than SFC-ELSD but lower limits of quantitation were obtained by SFC. Hence, HPLC was validated in the ± 10% acceptance limits whereas SFC lacks of accuracy to quantify plasticizers. Finally, both methods were used to determine the composition of plasticized-PVC medical devices. Results demonstrated that SFC and HPLC both hyphenated with ELSD provided similar results. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Impact of CO2-solvent separators on the degradation of benzyl-2,3-dihydroxypiperidine-1-carboxylate during preparative supercritical fluid chromatographic (SFC) purification.

PubMed

Asokan, Kathiravan; Naidu, Harshavardhan; Madam, Ratalababu; Shaikh, Khaja Mohiuddin; Reddy, Manjunath; Kumar, Hemantha; Shirude, Pravin S; Rajendran, Muruganantham; Sarabu, Ramakanth; Wu, Dauh-Rurng; Bajpai, Lakshmikant; Zhang, Yingru

2017-12-29

During a preparative separation of the cis enantiomeric pair of benzyl-2,3-dihydroxypiperidine-1-carboxylate using supercritical-fluid chromatography (SFC) with methanol modifier, significant degradation of the products in the collected fractions was observed when a Waters SFC-350 ® (Milford, MA, USA) was used, but same was not observed when a Waters SFC-80q ® (Milford, MA, USA) was used. Through a systematic investigation, we discovered that the compound degraded over time under an acidic condition created by the formation of methyl carbonic acid from methanol and CO 2. The extent of the product degradation was dependent on the time and the concentration of CO 2 remained in the product fraction, which was governed by the efficiency of CO 2 -methanol separation during the fraction collection. Hence, we demonstrated that the different designs of CO 2 -solvent separator (high pressurized cyclone in Waters SFC-350 ® and low-pressurized vortexing separator in Waters SFC-80q ®® ) had a significant impact on the degradation of an acid-sensitive compound. The acidity caused by CO 2 in methanol was supported by diminished degradation after a nitrogen purging or after neutralizing the collected fractions with a base. Three different solutions to overcome the degradation problem of the acid sensitive compounds using SFC-350 ® with the high pressurized separator were investigated and demonstrated. The degraded products were isolated as four enantiomers and their relative stereochemistry were established based on 2D NMR data along with the plausible mechanism of degradation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparison of two modified coal ash ferric-carbon micro-electrolysis ceramic media for pretreatment of tetracycline wastewater.

PubMed

Yang, Kunlun; Jin, Yang; Yue, Qinyan; Zhao, Pin; Gao, Yuan; Wu, Suqing; Gao, Baoyu

2017-05-01

Application of modified sintering ferric-carbon ceramics (SFC) and sintering-free ferric-carbon ceramics (SFFC) based on coal ash and scrap iron for pretreatment of tetracycline (TET) wastewater was investigated in this article. Physical property, morphological character, toxic metal leaching content, and crystal component were studied to explore the application possibility of novel ceramics in micro-electrolysis reactors. The influences of operating conditions including influent pH, hydraulic retention time (HRT), and air-water ratio (A/W) on the removal of tetracycline were studied. The results showed that SFC and SFFC were suitable for application in micro-electrolysis reactors. The optimum conditions of SFC reactor were pH of 3, HRT of 7 h, and A/W of 10. For SFFC reactor, the optimum conditions were pH of 2, HRT of 7 h, and A/W of 15. In general, the TET removal efficiency of SFC reactor was better than that of SFFC reactor. However, the harden resistance of SFFC was better than that of SFC. Furthermore, the biodegradability of TET wastewater was improved greatly after micro-electrolysis pretreatment for both SFC and SFFC reactors.

Supercritical fluid chromatography for GMP analysis in support of pharmaceutical development and manufacturing activities.

PubMed

Hicks, Michael B; Regalado, Erik L; Tan, Feng; Gong, Xiaoyi; Welch, Christopher J

2016-01-05

Supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) has long been a preferred method for enantiopurity analysis in support of pharmaceutical discovery and development, but implementation of the technique in regulated GMP laboratories has been somewhat slow, owing to limitations in instrument sensitivity, reproducibility, accuracy and robustness. In recent years, commercialization of next generation analytical SFC instrumentation has addressed previous shortcomings, making the technique better suited for GMP analysis. In this study we investigate the use of modern SFC for enantiopurity analysis of several pharmaceutical intermediates and compare the results with the conventional HPLC approaches historically used for analysis in a GMP setting. The findings clearly illustrate that modern SFC now exhibits improved precision, reproducibility, accuracy and robustness; also providing superior resolution and peak capacity compared to HPLC. Based on these findings, the use of modern chiral SFC is recommended for GMP studies of stereochemistry in pharmaceutical development and manufacturing. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Library API for Z-Order Memory Layout

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bethel, E. Wes

This library provides a simple-to-use API for implementing an altnerative to traditional row-major order in-memory layout, one based on a Morton- order space filling curve (SFC) , specifically, a Z-order variant of the Morton order curve. The library enables programmers to, after a simple initialization step, to convert a multidimensional array from row-major to Z- order layouts, then use a single, generic API call to access data from any arbitrary (i,j,k) location from within the array, whether it it be stored in row- major or z-order format. The motivation for using a SFC in-memory layout is for improved spatial locality,more » which results in increased use of local high speed cache memory. The basic idea is that with row-major order layouts, a data access to some location that is nearby in index space is likely far away in physical memory, resulting in poor spatial locality and slow runtime. On the other hand, with a SFC-based layout, accesses that are nearby in index space are much more likely to also be nearby in physical memory, resulting in much better spatial locality, and better runtime performance. Numerous studies over the years have shown significant runtime performance gains are realized by using a SFC-based memory layout compared to a row-major layout, sometimes by as much as 50%, which result from the better use of the memory and cache hierarchy that are attendant with a SFC-based layout (see, for example, [Beth2012]). This library implementation is intended for use with codes that work with structured, array-based data in 2 or 3 dimensions. It is not appropriate for use with unstructured or point-based data.« less

SFC/MS in drug discovery at Pfizer, La Jolla

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bolaños, Ben; Greig, Michael; Ventura, Manuel; Farrell, William; Aurigemma, Christine M.; Li, Haitao; Quenzer, Terri L.; Tivel, Kathleen; Bylund, Jessica M. R.; Tran, Phuong; Pham, Catherine; Phillipson, Doug

2004-11-01

We report the use of supercritical fluid chromatography/mass spectrometry (SFC/MS) for numerous applications in drug discovery at Pfizer, La Jolla. Namely, SFC/MS has been heavily relied upon for analysis and purification of a diverse set of compounds from the in-house chemical library. Supporting high-speed SFC/MS quality control of the purified compounds is made possible at high flow rate SFC along with time-of-flight mass detection. The flexibility of SFC/MS systems has been extended with the integration of an atmospheric pressure photoionization source (APPI) for use with more non-polar compounds and enhancements in signal to noise. Further SFC/MS applications of note include chiral analysis for purification and assessment of enantiomers and SFC/MS analysis of difficult to separate hydrophobic peptides.

Widely-targeted quantitative lipidomics methodology by supercritical fluid chromatography coupled with fast-scanning triple quadrupole mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Takeda, Hiroaki; Izumi, Yoshihiro; Takahashi, Masatomo; Paxton, Thanai; Tamura, Shohei; Koike, Tomonari; Yu, Ying; Kato, Noriko; Nagase, Katsutoshi; Shiomi, Masashi; Bamba, Takeshi

2018-05-03

Lipidomics, the mass spectrometry-based comprehensive analysis of lipids, has attracted attention as an analytical approach to provide novel insight into lipid metabolism and to search for biomarkers. However, an ideal method for both comprehensive and quantitative analysis of lipids has not been fully developed. Herein, we have proposed a practical methodology for widely-targeted quantitative lipidome analysis using supercritical fluid chromatography fast-scanning triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry (SFC/QqQMS) and theoretically calculated a comprehensive lipid multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) library. Lipid classes can be separated by SFC with a normal phase diethylamine-bonded silica column with high-resolution, high-throughput, and good repeatability. Structural isomers of phospholipids can be monitored by mass spectrometric separation with fatty acyl-based MRM transitions. SFC/QqQMS analysis with an internal standard-dilution method offers quantitative information for both lipid class and individual lipid molecular species in the same lipid class. Additionally, data acquired using this method has advantages including reduction of misidentification and acceleration of data analysis. Using the SFC/QqQMS system, alteration of plasma lipid levels in myocardial infarction-prone rabbits to the supplementation of eicosapentaenoic acid was first observed. Our developed SFC/QqQMS method represents a potentially useful tool for in-depth studies focused on complex lipid metabolism and biomarker discovery. Published under license by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Comparing the selectivity and chiral separation of d- and l- fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl chloride protected amino acids in analytical high performance liquid chromatography and supercritical fluid chromatography; evaluating throughput, economic and environmental impact.

PubMed

Vera, C M; Shock, D; Dennis, G R; Farrell, W; Shalliker, R A

2017-04-14

The chiral separation of d- and l- FMOC amino acids was undertaken using the Lux Cellulose-1 polysaccharide based chiral column in HPLC (normal phase and reverse phase) and SFC conditions. This was done to compare the relative selectivity and separation between the three separation modes and to evaluate the potential benefits of SFC separations with regards to resolution, throughput, economic and environmental impact. It was established that the separation of d- and l- FMOC amino acids in SFC displayed behaviours that were similar to both normal phase and reversed phase, rather than distinctly one or the other. Additionally, although reversed phase conditions yielded significantly higher resolution values between enantiomers across the range of amino acids studied, improvements in selectivity in SFC via the introduction of higher concentrations of formic acid in the mobile phase allowed for better resolution per unit of time. Moreover since the SFC mobile phase is composed mostly of recyclable CO 2 , there is a reduction in organic solvent consumption, which minimises the economic and environmental costs. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Development of a supercritical fluid chromatography method with ultraviolet and mass spectrometry detection for the characterization of biomass fast pyrolysis bio oils.

PubMed

Crepier, Julien; Le Masle, Agnès; Charon, Nadège; Albrieux, Florian; Heinisch, Sabine

2017-08-11

The characterization of complex mixtures is a challenging issue for the development of innovative processes dedicated to biofuels and bio-products production. The huge number of compounds present in biomass fast pyrolysis oils combined with the large diversity of chemical functions represent a bottleneck as regards analytical technique development. For the extensive characterization of complex samples, supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) can be alternative to usual separation techniques such as gas (GC) or liquid chromatography (LC). In this study, an approach is proposed to define the best conditions for the SFC separation of a fast pyrolysis bio-oil. This approach was based on SFC data obtained directly from the bio-oil itself instead of selecting model compounds as usually done. SFC conditions were optimized by using three specific, easy-to-use and quantitative criteria aiming at maximizing the separation power. Polar stationary phases (ethylpyridine bonded silica) associated to a mix of acetonitrile and water as polarity modifier provided the best results, with more than 120 peaks detected in SFC-UV. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

5-Aminolevulinic acid with sodium ferrous citrate induces autophagy and protects cardiomyocytes from hypoxia-induced cellular injury through MAPK-Nrf-2-HO-1 signaling cascade

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhao, Mingyi; Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong General Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou; Department of Pediatrics, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha

Background: Hypoxia causes cardiac disease via oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. 5-Aminolevulinic acid in combination with sodium ferrous citrate (ALA/SFC) has been shown to up-regulate heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and decrease macrophage infiltration and renal cell apoptosis in renal ischemia injury mice. However, its underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate whether ALA/SFC could protect cardiomyocytes from hypoxia-induced apoptosis by autophagy via HO-1 signaling. Materials & methods: Murine atrial cardiomyocyte HL-1 cells were pretreated with ALA/SFC and then exposed to hypoxia. Results: ALA/SFC pretreatment significantly attenuated hypoxia-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis, reactive oxygen species production, and mitochondrial injury,more » while it increased cell viability and autophagy levels. HO-1 expression by ALA/SFC was associated with up-regulation and nuclear translocation of Nrf-2, whereas Nrf-2 siRNA dramatically reduced HO-1 expression. ERK1/2, p38, and SAPK/JNK pathways were activated by ALA/SFC and their specific inhibitors significantly reduced ALA/SFC-mediated HO-1 upregulation. Silencing of either Nrf-2 or HO-1and LY294002, inhibitor of autophagy, abolished the protective ability of ALA/AFC against hypoxia-induced injury and reduced ALA/SFC-induced autophagy. Conclusion: Taken together, our data suggest that ALA/SFC induces autophagy via activation of MAPK/Nrf-2/HO-1 signaling pathway to protect cardiomyocytes from hypoxia-induced apoptosis. - Highlights: • ALA/SFC attenuates hypoxia-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis, reactive oxygen species production, and mitochondrial injury. • ALA/SFC increases the heme oxygenase-1 expression via Nrf-2 and ERK1/2, p38, and SAPK/JNK pathways. • ALA/SFC induces autophagy and inhibition of autophagy prevent ALA/SFC-mediated suppression of hypoxia-induced injury.« less

Effects of 5-aminolevulinic acid supplementation on home-based walking training achievement in middle-aged depressive women: randomized, double-blind, crossover pilot study.

PubMed

Suzuki, Hiroshi; Masuki, Shizue; Morikawa, Akiyo; Ogawa, Yu; Kamijo, Yoshi-Ichiro; Takahashi, Kiwamu; Nakajima, Motowo; Nose, Hiroshi

2018-05-08

Depressive patients often experience difficulty in performing exercise due to physical and psychological barriers. We examined the effects of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) with sodium ferrous citrate (SFC) supplementation during home-based walking training in middle-aged depressive women. Nine outpatients [53 ± 8 (SD) yr] with major depressive disorder participated in the pilot study with randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover design. They underwent two trials for 7 days, each performing interval walking training (IWT) with ALA + SFC (ALA + SFC) or placebo supplement intake (PLC) intermittently with >a 10-day washout period. For the first 6 days of each trial, exercise intensity for IWT was measured by accelerometry. Before and after each trial, subjects underwent a graded cycling test, and lactate concentration in plasma ([Lac - ] p ), oxygen consumption rate ([Formula: see text]), and carbon dioxide production rate ([Formula: see text]) were measured with depression severity by the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). We found that the increases in [Lac - ] p , [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] during the test were attenuated only in ALA + SFC ([before vs. after] × workload; all, P < 0.01), accompanied by increased training days, impulse, and time at fast walking during IWT (all, P < 0.05) with decreased MADRS-score (P = 0.001). Thus, ALA + SFC supplementation increased IWT achievement to improve depressive symptoms in middle-aged women.

Multi-layer service function chaining scheduling based on auxiliary graph in IP over optical network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yixuan; Li, Hui; Liu, Yuze; Ji, Yuefeng

2017-10-01

Software Defined Optical Network (SDON) can be considered as extension of Software Defined Network (SDN) in optical networks. SDON offers a unified control plane and makes optical network an intelligent transport network with dynamic flexibility and service adaptability. For this reason, a comprehensive optical transmission service, able to achieve service differentiation all the way down to the optical transport layer, can be provided to service function chaining (SFC). IP over optical network, as a promising networking architecture to interconnect data centers, is the most widely used scenarios of SFC. In this paper, we offer a flexible and dynamic resource allocation method for diverse SFC service requests in the IP over optical network. To do so, we firstly propose the concept of optical service function (OSF) and a multi-layer SFC model. OSF represents the comprehensive optical transmission service (e.g., multicast, low latency, quality of service, etc.), which can be achieved in multi-layer SFC model. OSF can also be considered as a special SF. Secondly, we design a resource allocation algorithm, which we call OSF-oriented optical service scheduling algorithm. It is able to address multi-layer SFC optical service scheduling and provide comprehensive optical transmission service, while meeting multiple optical transmission requirements (e.g., bandwidth, latency, availability). Moreover, the algorithm exploits the concept of Auxiliary Graph. Finally, we compare our algorithm with the Baseline algorithm in simulation. And simulation results show that our algorithm achieves superior performance than Baseline algorithm in low traffic load condition.

Ultrahigh performance supercritical fluid chromatography of lipophilic compounds with application to synthetic and commercial biodiesel.

PubMed

Ashraf-Khorassani, M; Yang, J; Rainville, P; Jones, M D; Fountain, K J; Isaac, G; Taylor, L T

2015-03-01

Ultrahigh performance supercritical fluid chromatography (UHPSFC) in combination with sub-2μm particles and either diode array ultraviolet (UV), evaporative light scattering, (ELSD), or mass spectrometric (MS) detection has been shown to be a valuable technique for the determination of acylglycerols in soybean, corn, sesame, and tobacco seed oils. Excellent resolution on an un-endcapped single C18 column (3.0mm×150mm) with a mobile phase gradient of acetonitrile and carbon dioxide in as little as 10min served greatly as an improvement on first generation packed column SFC instrumentation. Unlike high resolution gas chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometric detection, UHPSFC/MS was determined to be a superior analytical tool for both separation and detection of mono-, di-, and tri-acylglycerols as well as free glycerol itself in biodiesel without derivatization. Baseline separation of residual tri-, di-, and mono-acylglycerols alongside glycerol at 0.05% (w/w) was easily obtained employing packed column SFC. The new analytical methodology was applied to both commercial B100 biodiesel (i.e. fatty acid methyl esters) derived from vegetable oil and to an "in-house" synthetic biodiesel (i.e. fatty acid ethyl esters) derived from tobacco seed oil and ethanol both before and after purification via column chromatography on bare silica. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A theoretical extension of the soil freezing curve paradigm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amiri, Erfan A.; Craig, James R.; Kurylyk, Barret L.

2018-01-01

Numerical models of permafrost evolution in porous media typically rely upon a smooth continuous relation between pore ice saturation and sub-freezing temperature, rather than the abrupt phase change that occurs in pure media. Soil scientists have known for decades that this function, known as the soil freezing curve (SFC), is related to the soil water characteristic curve (SWCC) for unfrozen soils due to the analogous capillary and sorptive effects experienced during both soil freezing and drying. Herein we demonstrate that other factors beyond the SFC-SWCC relationship can influence the potential range over which pore water phase change occurs. In particular, we provide a theoretical extension for the functional form of the SFC based upon the presence of spatial heterogeneity in both soil thermal conductivity and the freezing point depression of water. We infer the functional form of the SFC from many abrupt-interface 1-D numerical simulations of heterogeneous systems with prescribed statistical distributions of water and soil properties. The proposed SFC paradigm extension has the appealing features that it (1) is determinable from measurable soil and water properties, (2) collapses into an abrupt phase transition for homogeneous media, (3) describes a wide range of heterogeneity within a single functional expression, and (4) replicates the observed hysteretic behavior of freeze-thaw cycles in soils.

Chemical Synthesis Coxiella Burnetti Lipopolysaccharides: Structural Studies of Coxiella Burnetti Lipopolysaccharides.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-11-30

currently evaluating two instrumental techniques which seem highly appropriate to this LPS project, supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) and...NEW INSTRUMENTAL TECHNIQUES AND METHODS OF APPROACH 1. Supercritical Fluid Chromatography (SFC) ............... 6. 2. SFC and Mass Spectrometry...details are discussed below in the appropriate sections. B. NEW INSTRUMENTAL TECHNIQUES AND METHODS OF APPROACH 1. Supercritical Fluid Chromatography (SFC

Assessment of the SFC database for analysis and modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Centeno, Martha A.

1994-01-01

SFC is one of the four clusters that make up the Integrated Work Control System (IWCS), which will integrate the shuttle processing databases at Kennedy Space Center (KSC). The IWCS framework will enable communication among the four clusters and add new data collection protocols. The Shop Floor Control (SFC) module has been operational for two and a half years; however, at this stage, automatic links to the other 3 modules have not been implemented yet, except for a partial link to IOS (CASPR). SFC revolves around a DB/2 database with PFORMS acting as the database management system (DBMS). PFORMS is an off-the-shelf DB/2 application that provides a set of data entry screens and query forms. The main dynamic entity in the SFC and IOS database is a task; thus, the physical storage location and update privileges are driven by the status of the WAD. As we explored the SFC values, we realized that there was much to do before actually engaging in continuous analysis of the SFC data. Half way into this effort, it was realized that full scale analysis would have to be a future third phase of this effort. So, we concentrated on getting to know the contents of the database, and in establishing an initial set of tools to start the continuous analysis process. Specifically, we set out to: (1) provide specific procedures for statistical models, so as to enhance the TP-OAO office analysis and modeling capabilities; (2) design a data exchange interface; (3) prototype the interface to provide inputs to SCRAM; and (4) design a modeling database. These objectives were set with the expectation that, if met, they would provide former TP-OAO engineers with tools that would help them demonstrate the importance of process-based analyses. The latter, in return, will help them obtain the cooperation of various organizations in charting out their individual processes.

Impact of 5-aminolevulinic acid with iron supplementation on exercise efficiency and home-based walking training achievement in older women

PubMed Central

Masuki, Shizue; Morita, Atsumi; Kamijo, Yoshi-ichiro; Ikegawa, Shigeki; Kataoka, Yufuko; Ogawa, Yu; Sumiyoshi, Eri; Takahashi, Kiwamu; Tanaka, Tohru; Nakajima, Motowo

2015-01-01

A reduction in exercise efficiency with aging limits daily living activities. We examined whether 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) with sodium ferrous citrate (SFC) increased exercise efficiency and voluntary achievement of interval walking training (IWT) in older women. Ten women [65 ± 3(SD) yr] who had performed IWT for >12 mo and were currently performing IWT participated in this study. The study was conducted in a placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover design. All subjects underwent two trials for 7 days each in which they performed IWT with ALA+SFC (100 and 115 mg/day, respectively) or placebo supplement intake (CNT), intermittently with a 2-wk washout period. Before and after each trial, subjects underwent a graded cycling test at 27.0°C atmospheric temperature and 50% relative humidity, and oxygen consumption rate, carbon dioxide production rate, and lactate concentration in plasma were measured. Furthermore, for the first 6 days of each trial, exercise intensity for IWT was measured by accelerometry. We found that, in the ALA+SFC trial, oxygen consumption rate and carbon dioxide production rate during graded cycling decreased by 12% (P < 0.001) and 11% (P = 0.001) at every workload, respectively, accompanied by a 16% reduction in lactate concentration in plasma (P < 0.001), although all remained unchanged in the CNT trial (P > 0.2). All of the reductions were significantly greater in the ALA+SFC than the CNT trial (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the training days, impulse, and time at fast walking were 42% (P = 0.028), 102% (P = 0.027), and 69% (P = 0.039) higher during the ALA+SFC than the CNT intake period, respectively. Thus ALA+SFC supplementation augmented exercise efficiency and thereby improved IWT achievement in older women. PMID:26514619

DEMONSTRATION BULLETIN: SFC OLEOFILTRATION SYSTEM - INPLANT SYSTEMS, INC.

EPA Science Inventory

SFC Oleofiltration System (SFC System) is a hydrocarbon recovery technology that utilizes an amine-coated ceramic granule to separate suspended and mechanically emulsified hydrocarbons from aqueous solutions. The granules reportedly also separate some chemical emulsions and red...

Investigation on the emission quality, performance and combustion characteristics of the compression ignition engine fueled with environmental friendly corn oil methyl ester - Diesel blends.

PubMed

Nagaraja, S; Soorya Prakash, K; Sudhakaran, R; Sathish Kumar, M

2016-12-01

This paper deals with emission quality of diesel engine based on eco toxicological studies with different methods of environmental standard toxicity tests satisfy the Bharath and European emission norms. Based on the emission norms, Corn Oil Methyl Ester (COME) with diesel is tested in a compression ignition engine and the performance and combustion characteristics are discussed. The corn oil was esterified and the property of corn oil methyl ester was within the limits specified in ASTM D 6751-03. The COME was blended together with diesel in different proportion percentages along with B20, B40, B60, B80, and B100. The emission and performance tests for various blends of COME was carried out using single cylinder, four stroke diesel engine, and compared with the performance obtained with 100% diesel (D100). The results give clear information that COME has low exhaust emissions and increase in performance compared to D100 without any modifications. It gives better performance, which is nearer to the obtained results of D100. Specific Fuel Consumption (SFC) of B100 at the full load condition is found to be 4% lower than that of (D100). The maximum Brake Thermal Efficiency (BTE) of B100 is found to be 8.5% higher than that of the D100 at full load. Also, the maximum BTE of part load for different blends is varied from 5.9% to 7.45% which is higher than D100. The exhaust gas emissions like Carbon Monoxide (CO), Carbon Dioxide (CO 2 ), Hydro Carbon (HC) and Nitrogen Oxide (NO x ) are found to be 2.3 to 18.8% lower compared to D100 for part as well as full load. The heat release rate of biodiesel and it blends are found to 16% to 35% lower as compared to D100 for part load, where as for full load it is 21% lower than D100. The results showed that the test of emissions norms are well within the limits of Bharath VI and European VI and it leads to less pollution, less effect on green eco system and potential substitute to fossil fuels. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Importance of optimizing chromatographic conditions and mass spectrometric parameters for supercritical fluid chromatography/mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Fujito, Yuka; Hayakawa, Yoshihiro; Izumi, Yoshihiro; Bamba, Takeshi

2017-07-28

Supercritical fluid chromatography/mass spectrometry (SFC/MS) has great potential in high-throughput and the simultaneous analysis of a wide variety of compounds, and it has been widely used in recent years. The use of MS for detection provides the advantages of high sensitivity and high selectivity. However, the sensitivity of MS detection depends on the chromatographic conditions and MS parameters. Thus, optimization of MS parameters corresponding to the SFC condition is mandatory for maximizing performance when connecting SFC to MS. The aim of this study was to reveal a way to decide the optimum composition of the mobile phase and the flow rate of the make-up solvent for MS detection in a wide range of compounds. Additionally, we also showed the basic concept for determination of the optimum values of the MS parameters focusing on the MS detection sensitivity in SFC/MS analysis. To verify the versatility of these findings, a total of 441 pesticides with a wide polarity range (logP ow from -4.21 to 7.70) and pKa (acidic, neutral and basic). In this study, a new SFC-MS interface was used, which can transfer the entire volume of eluate into the MS by directly coupling the SFC with the MS. This enabled us to compare the sensitivity or optimum MS parameters for MS detection between LC/MS and SFC/MS for the same sample volume introduced into the MS. As a result, it was found that the optimum values of some MS parameters were completely different from those of LC/MS, and that SFC/MS-specific optimization of the analytical conditions is required. Lastly, we evaluated the sensitivity of SFC/MS using fully optimized analytical conditions. As a result, we confirmed that SFC/MS showed much higher sensitivity than LC/MS when the analytical conditions were fully optimized for SFC/MS; and the high sensitivity also increase the number of the compounds that can be detected with good repeatability in real sample analysis. This result indicates that SFC/MS has potential for practical use in the multiresidue analysis of a wide range of compounds that requires high sensitivity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hypernated supercritical fluid chromatography: potential application for car lubricant analysis.

PubMed

Lavison-Bompard, Gwenaelle; Bertoncini, Fabrice; Thiébaut, Didier; Beziau, Jean-François; Carrazé, Bernadette; Valette, Pascale; Duteurtre, Xavier

2012-12-28

Car lubricant additives are added to mineral or synthetic base stocks to improve viscosity and resistance to oxidation of the lubricant and to limit wear of engines. In previous papers related to this purpose, it was demonstrated that SFC allows the elution of common low molecular weight additives. Since their total resolution could not be achieved owing to the limited peak capacity of packed columns, the hyphenation of selective and informative detectors, atomic emission and mass spectrometry, were also carried out for identification. This paper describes the final implementation of a packed column SFC/FID-UV-AED-FTIR-MS system to contribute to the characterisation of both the base stock, mineral or semi-synthetic, and the low molecular weight additives. SFC/FID-UV-FTIR ensures the easy confirmation of the presence of esters in the base stock. Reference additives are used to demonstrate the performances of the multi hyphenated system prior to its implementation for their identification in packages and in formulated lubricants. Identification and partial structure elucidation of additives and families of additives in package and formulated car lubricants are presented: using combined information obtained from AED traces and FTIR chemigrams, chemical families of additives can be deduced. Then, the mass spectra can be interpreted in the elution zone of interest in order to go further in the determination of the additive molecular structure. The hypernated SFC system was also employed to follow the ageing of car lubricants. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An Energy Saving Green Plug Device for Nonlinear Loads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bloul, Albe; Sharaf, Adel; El-Hawary, Mohamed

2018-03-01

The paper presents a low cost a FACTS Based flexible fuzzy logic based modulated/switched tuned arm filter and Green Plug compensation (SFC-GP) scheme for single-phase nonlinear loads ensuring both voltage stabilization and efficient energy utilization. The new Green Plug-Switched filter compensator SFC modulated LC-Filter PWM Switched Capacitive Compensation Devices is controlled using a fuzzy logic regulator to enhance power quality, improve power factor at the source and reduce switching transients and inrush current conditions as well harmonic contents in source current. The FACTS based SFC-GP Device is a member of family of Green Plug/Filters/Compensation Schemes used for efficient energy utilization, power quality enhancement and voltage/inrush current/soft starting control using a dynamic error driven fuzzy logic controller (FLC). The device with fuzzy logic controller is validated using the Matlab / Simulink Software Environment for enhanced power quality (PQ), improved power factor and reduced inrush currents. This is achieved using modulated PWM Switching of the Filter-Capacitive compensation scheme to cope with dynamic type nonlinear and inrush cyclical loads..

Doing Mental Health Counseling: A Social Constructionist Re-Vision.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guterman, Jeffrey T.

1996-01-01

Drawing on social constructionism, presents a clinical model for mental health counseling called solution-focused counseling (SFC). SFC is distinguished from rational emotive behavior therapy in that SFC is presented as a process or framework for change rather than as a content to be learned. (EMK)

Enantioselective separation of biologically active basic compounds in ultra-performance supercritical fluid chromatography.

PubMed

Geryk, Radim; Kalíková, Květa; Schmid, Martin G; Tesařová, Eva

2016-08-17

The enantioseparation of basic compounds represent a challenging task in modern SFC. Therefore this work is focused on development and optimization of fast SFC methods suitable for enantioseparation of 27 biologically active basic compounds of various structures. The influences of the co-solvent type as well as different mobile phase additives on retention, enantioselectivity and enantioresolution were investigated. Obtained results confirmed that the mobile phase additives, especially bases (or the mixture of base and acid), improve peak shape and enhance enantioresolution. The best results were achieved with isopropylamine or the mixture of isopropylamine and trifluoroacetic acid as additives. In addition, the effect of temperature and back pressure were evaluated to optimize the enantioseparation process. The immobilized amylose-based chiral stationary phase, i.e. tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) derivative of amylose proved to be useful tool for the enantioseparation of a broad spectrum of chiral bases. The chromatographic conditions that yielded baseline enantioseparations of all tested compounds were discovered. The presented work can serve as a guide for simplifying the method development for enantioseparation of basic racemates in SFC. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Enantioselective Analytical- and Preparative-Scale Separation of Hexabromocyclododecane Stereoisomers Using Packed Column Supercritical Fluid Chromatography.

PubMed

Riddell, Nicole; Mullin, Lauren Gayle; van Bavel, Bert; Ericson Jogsten, Ingrid; McAlees, Alan; Brazeau, Allison; Synnott, Scott; Lough, Alan; McCrindle, Robert; Chittim, Brock

2016-11-10

Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) is an additive brominated flame retardant which has been listed in Annex A of the Stockholm Convention for elimination of production and use. It has been reported to persist in the environment and has the potential for enantiomer-specific degradation, accumulation, or both, making enantioselective analyses increasingly important. The six main stereoisomers of technical HBCDD (i.e., the (+) and (-) enantiomers of α-, β-, and γ-HBCDD) were separated and isolated for the first time using enantioselective packed column supercritical fluid chromatography (pSFC) separation methods on a preparative scale. Characterization was completed using published chiral liquid chromatography (LC) methods and elution profiles, as well as X-ray crystallography, and the isolated fractions were definitively identified. Additionally, the resolution of the enantiomers, along with two minor components of the technical product (δ- and ε-HBCDD), was investigated on an analytical scale using both LC and pSFC separation techniques, and changes in elution order were highlighted. Baseline separation of all HBCDD enantiomers was achieved by pSFC on an analytical scale using a cellulose-based column. The described method emphasizes the potential associated with pSFC as a green method of isolating and analyzing environmental contaminants of concern.

Topics in Chemical Instrumentation: An Introduction to Supercritical Fluid Chromatography--Part 2. Applications and Future Trends.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palmieri, Margo D.

1989-01-01

Discussed are selected application and future trends in supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC). The greatest application for SFC involves those analytes that are difficult to separate using GC or LC methods. Optimum conditions for SFC are examined. Provided are several example chromatograms. (MVL)

Anti-inflammatory effects of salmeterol/fluticasone propionate 50/250 mcg combination therapy in Japanese patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

PubMed Central

Asai, Kazuhisa; Kobayashi, Akihiro; Makihara, Yukio; Johnson, Malcolm

2015-01-01

Purpose Using sputum neutrophils as the primary measure, and other inflammation biomarkers, this study evaluated the anti-inflammatory effects of the combination salmeterol 50 mcg and fluticasone propionate 250 mcg (SFC 250) in Japanese patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Patients and methods Patients were treated in a randomized, double-blind, parallel group, placebo-controlled trial with SFC 250 twice daily (n=26) or placebo (n=26) for 12 weeks. At the start and end of treatment, inflammation biomarkers (sputum and serum), lung function, and health status (COPD Assessment Test [CAT] questionnaire) were measured. Results Although a numerical decrease in differential neutrophil count was observed from baseline, SFC 250 did not significantly reduce sputum neutrophils compared with placebo, nor were there significant changes from baseline in the other biomarkers (sputum or serum), lung function, or CAT, versus placebo. Squamous epithelial cell contamination in some sputum samples rendered them unacceptable for analysis, which reduced the sample size to n=19 (SFC 250) and n=10 (placebo). However, inclusion of contaminated samples did not affect the overall trend of the outcome. Ad hoc bootstrap statistical analysis showed a 27.9% (SFC 250) and 1.3% (placebo) decrease in sputum neutrophils. Sputum IL-8 decreased by 43.2% after SFC 250 but increased by 48.3% with placebo. Responder analyses showed 42% of patients had ≥20% decrease in neutrophils from baseline; and 47% of patients had a ≥200 pg/mL change in sputum IL-8 following SFC 250 versus 20% after placebo; both changes are considered clinically relevant. Conclusion This study provides additional information about inflammation in Japanese COPD patients and is the first to study the anti-inflammatory effects of SFC 250 in this context and population. In the primary analysis, SFC 250 did not produce significant changes from baseline in sputum neutrophil levels or other sputum or serum inflammatory markers compared with placebo. Secondary ad hoc statistical analysis showed that SFC 250 reduced the number of sputum neutrophils and IL-8 compared with placebo. PMID:25945045

Anti-inflammatory effects of salmeterol/fluticasone propionate 50/250 mcg combination therapy in Japanese patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

PubMed

Asai, Kazuhisa; Kobayashi, Akihiro; Makihara, Yukio; Johnson, Malcolm

2015-01-01

Using sputum neutrophils as the primary measure, and other inflammation biomarkers, this study evaluated the anti-inflammatory effects of the combination salmeterol 50 mcg and fluticasone propionate 250 mcg (SFC 250) in Japanese patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Patients were treated in a randomized, double-blind, parallel group, placebo-controlled trial with SFC 250 twice daily (n=26) or placebo (n=26) for 12 weeks. At the start and end of treatment, inflammation biomarkers (sputum and serum), lung function, and health status (COPD Assessment Test [CAT] questionnaire) were measured. Although a numerical decrease in differential neutrophil count was observed from baseline, SFC 250 did not significantly reduce sputum neutrophils compared with placebo, nor were there significant changes from baseline in the other biomarkers (sputum or serum), lung function, or CAT, versus placebo. Squamous epithelial cell contamination in some sputum samples rendered them unacceptable for analysis, which reduced the sample size to n=19 (SFC 250) and n=10 (placebo). However, inclusion of contaminated samples did not affect the overall trend of the outcome. Ad hoc bootstrap statistical analysis showed a 27.9% (SFC 250) and 1.3% (placebo) decrease in sputum neutrophils. Sputum IL-8 decreased by 43.2% after SFC 250 but increased by 48.3% with placebo. Responder analyses showed 42% of patients had ≥20% decrease in neutrophils from baseline; and 47% of patients had a ≥200 pg/mL change in sputum IL-8 following SFC 250 versus 20% after placebo; both changes are considered clinically relevant. This study provides additional information about inflammation in Japanese COPD patients and is the first to study the anti-inflammatory effects of SFC 250 in this context and population. In the primary analysis, SFC 250 did not produce significant changes from baseline in sputum neutrophil levels or other sputum or serum inflammatory markers compared with placebo. Secondary ad hoc statistical analysis showed that SFC 250 reduced the number of sputum neutrophils and IL-8 compared with placebo.

Constitutive relationships of prestressed steel fiber concrete membrane elements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoffman, Norman S.

Steel Fiber Concrete (SFC) displays certain tensile and shear characteristics which are beneficial for concrete that is loaded in a state of shear stress. For example, prestressed bridge beams carry shear load in their web by utilizing shear stirrups. If the properties of SFC can be better understood, then it may be possible to replace the shear stirrups with SFC. The first step in understanding this behavior is to develop a constitutive model for prestressed SFC. Two groups of full-scale prestressed steel fiber concrete (SFC) panels, with a nominal strength of 6 ksi, were tested in the Universal Element Testing machine at Thomas TC Hsu Structural Testing Laboratory to establish the effect of fiber and the level of prestress on the constitutive laws of fiber concrete and prestressing tendon. The specimens contained from 5 to 20 fully tensioned, low-relaxation grade 270 tendons. Fiber content ranged from 0.5% to 1.5% using high performance hooked end fibers. The first group of five panels, designated Group TEF, was used to determine the basic constitutive properties of prestressed SEC for use in the Softened Membrane Model (SMM). The constitutive model consists of smeared tensile and compressive stress strain relationships. An equation for softening with respect of both fiber content and tensile strain is presented. Also presented is a new equation for prestressed SFC in tension. It is notable that the behavior of prestressed SFC in tension displayed significant post-cracking tensile strength for fiber contents ranging from 0.5% to 1.5% by volume. Prior research on SFC using unreinforced dog-bone specimens, or prismatic specimens reinforced with only a single isolated tendon, are not capable of capturing SFC behavior afforded by the stress state, multiple load paths, and confinement situation available in full-scale panel assemblies. The second set of 5 test panels, designated Group TAF, was used to examine the properties of prestressed SFC under the conditions of pure shear. The constitutive model was incorporated into the softened membrane model framework and an analytic model was developed that was used to accurately predict the behavior of the specimens loaded in pure shear.

CERES SSF and SFC Edition 3A product issues

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2013-12-05

... order the CERES SSF and SFC Edition 3A products due to the discovery of an issue with the products.   In mid 2010 the CERES SSF ... ordered the CERES SSF and SFC Edition 3A products due to the discovery of an issue with the products. Due to these problems, we are ...

Simultaneous achiral-chiral analysis of pharmaceutical compounds using two-dimensional reversed phase liquid chromatography-supercritical fluid chromatography.

PubMed

Venkatramani, C J; Al-Sayah, Mohammad; Li, Guannan; Goel, Meenakshi; Girotti, James; Zang, Lisa; Wigman, Larry; Yehl, Peter; Chetwyn, Nik

2016-02-01

A new interface was designed to enable the coupling of reversed phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) and supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC). This online two-dimensional chromatographic system utilizing RPLC in the first dimension and SFC in the second was developed to achieve simultaneous achiral and chiral analysis of pharmaceutical compounds. The interface consists of an eight-port, dual-position switching valve with small volume C-18 trapping columns. The peaks of interest eluting from the first RPLC dimension column were effectively focused as sharp concentration pulses on small volume C-18 trapping column/s and then injected onto the second dimension SFC column. The first dimension RPLC separation provides the achiral purity result, and the second dimension SFC separation provides the chiral purity result (enantiomeric excess). The results are quantitative enabling simultaneous achiral, chiral analysis of compounds. The interface design and proof of concept demonstration are presented. Additionally, comparative studies to conventional SFC and case studies of the applications of 2D LC-SFC in pharmaceutical analysis is presented. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Efficacy and Safety of Indacaterol/Glycopyrronium (IND/GLY) Versus Salmeterol/Fluticasone in Chinese Patients with Moderate-to-Severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: The Chinese Cohort from the LANTERN Study.

PubMed

Zhong, Nanshan; Wang, Changzheng; Zhou, Xiangdong; Zhang, Nuofu; Humphries, Michael; Wang, Linda; Patalano, Francesco; Banerji, Donald

2016-12-01

Inhaled indacaterol/glycopyrronium fixed-dose combination (IND/GLY) is approved in over 80 countries, including the EU, Japan, Australia and Switzerland and the US. The LANTERN study evaluated the efficacy of IND/GLY compared with inhaled long-acting β 2 -agonist (LABA)/inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) or salmeterol/fluticasone (SFC) in patients with moderate-to-severe COPD with a history of ≤1 exacerbation in the previous year. Here we present the efficacy and safety of IND/GLY versus SFC in the Chinese cohort from the LANTERN study. LANTERN was a 26-week, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, parallel-group study conducted in patients with moderate-to-severe COPD with a history of ≤1 exacerbation in the previous year. The patients were randomized (1:1) to once-daily IND/GLY (110/50 μg) or twice-daily SFC (50/500 μg). The primary endpoint was non-inferiority of IND/GLY versus SFC in terms of trough FEV 1 . Of the total 744 patients randomized in the LANTERN study, 598 (80.4%) were from Mainland China and randomized to IND/GLY (n = 298) or SFC (n = 300), and 553 (92.5%) completed the study. IND/GLY showed superiority over SFC with a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in trough FEV 1 , FEV 1 AUC 0-4h , peak FEV 1 and trough forced vital capacity (FVC) change from the baseline. Annualized rate of moderate or severe COPD exacerbations was significantly lower (43%) with IND/GLY compared with SFC (rate ratio: 0.57, p = 0.015). Overall, adverse events were lower for IND/GLY (34.6%) versus SFC (43.1%). IND/GLY was superior in achieving bronchodilation versus SFC in a Chinese subgroup of patients from this study. Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT01709903.

Stochastic Flow Cascades

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eliazar, Iddo I.; Shlesinger, Michael F.

2012-01-01

We introduce and explore a Stochastic Flow Cascade (SFC) model: A general statistical model for the unidirectional flow through a tandem array of heterogeneous filters. Examples include the flow of: (i) liquid through heterogeneous porous layers; (ii) shocks through tandem shot noise systems; (iii) signals through tandem communication filters. The SFC model combines together the Langevin equation, convolution filters and moving averages, and Poissonian randomizations. A comprehensive analysis of the SFC model is carried out, yielding closed-form results. Lévy laws are shown to universally emerge from the SFC model, and characterize both heavy tailed retention times (Noah effect) and long-ranged correlations (Joseph effect).

TEAM (Technologies Enabling Agile Manufacturing) shop floor control requirements guide: Version 1.0

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1995-03-28

TEAM will create a shop floor control system (SFC) to link the pre-production planning to shop floor execution. SFC must meet the requirements of a multi-facility corporation, where control must be maintained between co-located facilities down to individual workstations within each facility. SFC must also meet the requirements of a small corporation, where there may only be one small facility. A hierarchical architecture is required to meet these diverse needs. The hierarchy contains the following levels: Enterprise, Factory, Cell, Station, and Equipment. SFC is focused on the top three levels. Each level of the hierarchy is divided into three basicmore » functions: Scheduler, Dispatcher, and Monitor. The requirements of each function depend on the hierarchical level in which it is to be used. For example, the scheduler at the Enterprise level must allocate production to individual factories and assign due-dates; the scheduler at the Cell level must provide detailed start and stop times of individual operations. Finally the system shall have the following features: distributed and open-architecture. Open architecture software is required in order that the appropriate technology be used at each level of the SFC hierarchy, and even at different instances within the same hierarchical level (for example, Factory A uses discrete-event simulation scheduling software, and Factory B uses an optimization-based scheduler). A distributed implementation is required to reduce the computational burden of the overall system, and allow for localized control. A distributed, open-architecture implementation will also require standards for communication between hierarchical levels.« less

Feasibility of correlating separation of ternary mixtures of neutral analytes via thin layer chromatography with supercritical fluid chromatography in support of green flash separations.

PubMed

Ashraf-Khorassani, M; Yan, Q; Akin, A; Riley, F; Aurigemma, C; Taylor, L T

2015-10-30

Method development for normal phase flash liquid chromatography traditionally employs preliminary screening using thin layer chromatography (TLC) with conventional solvents on bare silica. Extension to green flash chromatography via correlation of TLC migration results, with conventional polar/nonpolar liquid mixtures, and packed column supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) retention times, via gradient elution on bare silica with a suite of carbon dioxide mobile phase modifiers, is reported. Feasibility of TLC/SFC correlation is individually described for eight ternary mixtures for a total of 24 neutral analytes. The experimental criteria for TLC/SFC correlation was assumed to be as follows: SFC/UV/MS retention (tR) increases among each of the three resolved mixture components; while, TLC migration (Rf) decreases among the same resolved mixture components. Successful correlation of TLC to SFC was observed for most of the polar organic solvents tested, with the best results observed via SFC on bare silica with methanol as the CO2 modifier and TLC on bare silica with a methanol/dichloromethane mixture. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

CERES Monthly Gridded Single Satellite TOA and Surfaces/Clouds (SFC) data in HDF (CER_SFC_TRMM-PFM-VIRS_Beta4)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wielicki, Bruce A. (Principal Investigator)

The Monthly Gridded TOA/Surface Fluxes and Clouds (SFC) product contains a month of space and time averaged Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) data for a single scanner instrument. The SFC is also produced for combinations of scanner instruments. All instantaneous shortwave, longwave, and window fluxes at the Top-of-the-Atmosphere (TOA) and surface from the CERES SSF product for a month are sorted by 1-degree spatial regions and by the local hour of observation. The mean of the instantaneous fluxes for a given region-hour bin is determined and recorded on the SFC along with other flux statistics and scene information. These average fluxes are given for both clear-sky and total-sky scenes. The regional cloud properties are column averaged and are included on the SFC. [Location=GLOBAL] [Temporal_Coverage: Start_Date=1998-01-01; Stop_Date=2000-03-31] [Spatial_Coverage: Southernmost_Latitude=-90; Northernmost_Latitude=90; Westernmost_Longitude=-180; Easternmost_Longitude=100] [Data_Resolution: Latitude_Resolution=1 degree; Longitude_Resolution=1 degree; Horizontal_Resolution_Range=100 km - < 250 km or approximately 1 degree - < 2.5 degrees; Temporal_Resolution=1 hour; Temporal_Resolution_Range=Hourly - < Daily].

LANTERN: a randomized study of QVA149 versus salmeterol/fluticasone combination in patients with COPD.

PubMed

Zhong, Nanshan; Wang, Changzheng; Zhou, Xiangdong; Zhang, Nuofu; Humphries, Michael; Wang, Linda; Thach, Chau; Patalano, Francesco; Banerji, Donald

2015-01-01

The current Global initiative for chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) treatment strategy recommends the use of one or more bronchodilators according to the patient's airflow limitation, their history of exacerbations, and symptoms. The LANTERN study evaluated the effect of the long-acting β2-agonist (LABA)/long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) dual bronchodilator, QVA149 (indacaterol/glycopyrronium), as compared with the LABA/inhaled corticosteroid, salmeterol/fluticasone (SFC), in patients with moderate-to-severe COPD with a history of ≤1 exacerbation in the previous year. In this double-blind, double-dummy, parallel-group study, 744 patients with moderate-to-severe COPD with a history of ≤1 exacerbations in the previous year were randomized (1:1) to QVA149 110/50 μg once daily or SFC 50/500 μg twice daily for 26 weeks. The primary endpoint was noninferiority of QVA149 versus SFC for trough forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) at week 26. Overall, 676 patients completed the study. The primary objective of noninferiority between QVA149 and SFC in trough FEV1 at week 26 was met. QVA149 demonstrated statistically significant superiority to SFC for trough FEV1 (treatment difference [Δ]=75 mL; P<0.001). QVA149 demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in standardized area under the curve (AUC) from 0 hours to 4 hours for FEV1 (FEV1 AUC0-4h) at week 26 versus SFC (Δ=122 mL; P<0.001). QVA149 and SFC had similar improvements in transition dyspnea index focal score, St George Respiratory Questionnaire total score, and rescue medication use. However, QVA149 significantly reduced the rate of moderate or severe exacerbations by 31% (P=0.048) over SFC. Overall, the incidence of adverse events was comparable between QVA149 (40.1%) and SFC (47.4%). The incidence of pneumonia was threefold lower with QVA149 (0.8%) versus SFC (2.7%). These findings support the use of the LABA/LAMA, QVA149 as an alternative treatment, over LABA/inhaled corticosteroid, in the management of moderate-to-severe COPD patients (GOLD B and GOLD D) with a history of ≤1 exacerbation in the previous year.

Aeroelastic Stability of the LCTR2 Civil Tiltrotor

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-10-01

Airfoils MCP Maximum Continuous Power MRP Maximum Rated Power (take-off power) OGE Out of Ground Effect SFC Specific Fuel Consumption SLS Sea-Level...Ref. 6). Aircraft technology projections from the LCTR1 have been updated for the LCTR2 based on a service entry date of 2018. Table 1 summarizes...Length, ft 108.9 Wing span, ft 107.0 Wing loading, lb/ft2 107.4 Wing sweep −5.0 deg Engine power, hp 4×7500 SFC (at MRP , SLS), lb/hr/hp 0.373

Subsonic Performance of Ejector Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weil, Samuel

Combined cycle engines combining scramjets with turbo jets or rockets can provide efficient hypersonic flight. Ejectors have the potential to increase the thrust and efficiency of combined cycle engines near static conditions. A computer code was developed to support the design of a small-scale, turbine-based combined cycle demonstrator with an ejector, built around a commercially available turbojet engine. This code was used to analyze the performance of an ejector system built around a micro-turbojet. With the use of a simple ejector, net thrust increases as large as 20% over the base engine were predicted. Additionally the specific fuel consumption was lowered by 10%. Increasing the secondary to primary area ratio of the ejector lead to significant improvements in static thrust, specific fuel consumption (SFC), and propulsive efficiency. Further ejector performance improvements can be achieved by using a diffuser. Ejector performance drops off rapidly with increasing Mach number. The ejector has lower thrust and higher SFC than the turbojet core at Mach numbers above 0.2. When the nozzle chokes a significant drop in ejector performance is seen. When a diffuser is used, higher Mach numbers lead to choking in the mixer and a shock in the nozzle causing a significant decrease in ejector performance. Evaluation of different turbo jets shows that ejector performance depends significantly on the properties of the turbojet. Static thrust and SFC improvements can be achieved with increasing ejector area for all engines, but size of increase and change in performance at higher Mach numbers depend heavily on the turbojet. The use of an ejector in a turbine based combined cycle configuration also increases performance at static conditions with a thrust increase of 5% and SFC decrease of 5% for the tested configuration.

Cost-effectiveness of indacaterol/glycopyrronium in comparison with salmeterol/fluticasone combination for patients with moderate-to-severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a LANTERN population analysis from Singapore.

PubMed

Tee, Augustine; Chow, Wai Leng; Burke, Colin; Basavarajaiah, Guruprasad

2018-03-16

In light of the growing evidence base for better clinical results with the use of the dual bronchodilator indacaterol/glycopyrronium (IND/GLY) over inhaled corticosteroid-containing salmeterol/fluticasone combination (SFC), this study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of IND/GLY over SFC in patients with moderate-to-severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who are at low risk of exacerbations in the Singapore healthcare setting. A previously published patient-level simulation model was adapted for use in Singapore by applying local unit costs. The model was populated with clinical data from the LANTERN and ECLIPSE studies. Both costs and health outcomes were predicted for the lifetime horizon from a payer's perspective and were discounted at 3% per annum. Costs were expressed in 2015 USD. Uncertainty was assessed through probabilistic sensitivity analysis. Compared to SFC, use of IND/GLY increased mean life expectancy by 0.316 years and mean quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) by 0.246 years, and decreased mean total treatment costs (drug costs and management of associated events) by USD 1,474 over the entire lifetime horizon. IND/GLY was considered to be 100% cost-effective at a threshold of 1 × gross domestic product per capita. The probabilistic sensitivity analysis results showed that IND/GLY was 100% cost-effective at a threshold of USD 2,000 when compared to SFC. IND/GLY was estimated to be highly cost-effective compared to SFC in patients with moderate-to-severe COPD who are not at high risk of exacerbations in the Singapore healthcare setting.

Indacaterol/glycopyrronium is cost-effective compared to salmeterol/fluticasone in COPD: FLAME-based modelling in a Swedish population.

PubMed

Bjermer, Leif; van Boven, Job F M; Costa-Scharplatz, Madlaina; Keininger, Dorothy L; Gutzwiller, Florian S; Lisspers, Karin; Mahon, Ronan; Olsson, Petter; Roche, Nicolas

2017-12-11

This study assessed the cost-effectiveness of indacaterol/glycopyrronium (IND/GLY) versus salmeterol/fluticasone (SFC) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with moderate to very severe airflow limitation and ≥1 exacerbation in the preceding year. A previously published and validated patient-level simulation model was adapted using clinical data from the FLAME trial and real-world cost data from the ARCTIC study. Costs (total monetary costs comprising drug, maintenance, exacerbation, and pneumonia costs) and health outcomes (life-years (LYs), quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs)) were projected over various time horizons (1, 5, 10 years, and lifetime) from the Swedish payer's perspective and were discounted at 3% annually. Uncertainty in model input values was studied through one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. Subgroup analyses were also performed. IND/GLY was associated with lower costs and better outcomes compared with SFC over all the analysed time horizons. Use of IND/GLY resulted in additional 0.192 LYs and 0.134 QALYs with cost savings of €1211 compared with SFC over lifetime. The net monetary benefit (NMB) was estimated to be €8560 based on a willingness-to-pay threshold of €55,000/QALY. The NMB was higher in the following subgroups: severe (GOLD 3), high risk and more symptoms (GOLD D), females, and current smokers. IND/GLY is a cost-effective treatment compared with SFC in COPD patients with mMRC dyspnea grade ≥ 2, moderate to very severe airflow limitation, and ≥1 exacerbation in the preceding year.

A unified classification of stationary phases for packed column supercritical fluid chromatography.

PubMed

West, C; Lesellier, E

2008-05-16

The use of supercritical fluids as chromatographic mobile phases allows to obtain rapid separations with high efficiency on packed columns, which could favour the replacement of numerous HPLC methods by supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) ones. Moreover, despite some unexpected chromatographic behaviours, general retention rules are now well understood, and mainly depend on the nature of the stationary phase. The use of polar stationary phases improves the retention of polar compounds, when C18-bonded silica favours the retention of hydrocarbonaceous compounds. In this sense, reversed-phase and normal-phase chromatography can be achieved in SFC, as in HPLC. However, these two domains are clearly separated in HPLC due to the opposite polarity of the mobile phases used for each method. In SFC, the same mobile phase can be used with both polar and non-polar stationary phases. Consequently, the need for a novel classification of stationary phases in SFC appears, allowing a unification of the classical reversed- and normal-phase domains. In this objective, the paper presents the development of a five-dimensional classification based on retention data for 94-111 solutes, using 28 commercially available columns representative of three major types of stationary phases. This classification diagram is based on a linear solvation energy relationship, on the use of solvation vectors and the calculation of similarity factors between the different chromatographic systems. This classification will be of great help in the choice of the well-suited stationary phase, either in regards of a particular separation or to improve the coupling of columns with complementary properties.

Comprehensive two-dimensional chromatography with coupling of reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography and supercritical fluid chromatography.

PubMed

Stevenson, Paul G; Tarafder, Abhijit; Guiochon, Georges

2012-01-13

A 2D comprehensive chromatographic separation of blackberry sage fragrant oil was performed by using HPLC in the first dimension and SFC in the second. A C(18)-bonded silica column eluted with an ACN gradient was used in the HPLC dimension and an amino-bonded silica column eluted with ACN as a modifier in the SFC dimension. This 2D separation was completed in the off-line mode, the fractions from the HPLC column being collected and injected in the SFC column. The retention factors on the two columns have a -0.757 correlation coefficient. The method provides a practical peak capacity of 2400 in 280 min. The first eluted peaks in HPLC are the last ones eluted in SFC and vice versa. The results demonstrate that the coupling of an HPLC and an SFC separation have a great potential for 2D chromatographic separations. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

CERES Monthly Gridded Single Satellite TOA and Surfaces/Clouds (SFC) data in HDF (CER_SFC_Terra-FM2-MODIS_Edition2A)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wielicki, Bruce A. (Principal Investigator)

The Monthly Gridded TOA/Surface Fluxes and Clouds (SFC) product contains a month of space and time averaged Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) data for a single scanner instrument. The SFC is also produced for combinations of scanner instruments. All instantaneous shortwave, longwave, and window fluxes at the Top-of-the-Atmosphere (TOA) and surface from the CERES SSF product for a month are sorted by 1-degree spatial regions and by the local hour of observation. The mean of the instantaneous fluxes for a given region-hour bin is determined and recorded on the SFC along with other flux statistics and scene information. These average fluxes are given for both clear-sky and total-sky scenes. The regional cloud properties are column averaged and are included on the SFC. [Location=GLOBAL] [Temporal_Coverage: Start_Date=1998-01-01; Stop_Date=2003-12-31] [Spatial_Coverage: Southernmost_Latitude=-90; Northernmost_Latitude=90; Westernmost_Longitude=-180; Easternmost_Longitude=100] [Data_Resolution: Latitude_Resolution=1 degree; Longitude_Resolution=1 degree; Horizontal_Resolution_Range=100 km - < 250 km or approximately 1 degree - < 2.5 degrees; Temporal_Resolution=1 hour; Temporal_Resolution_Range=Hourly - < Daily].

CERES Monthly Gridded Single Satellite TOA and Surfaces/Clouds (SFC) data in HDF (CER_SFC_Terra-FM2-MODIS_Edition2C)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wielicki, Bruce A. (Principal Investigator)

The Monthly Gridded TOA/Surface Fluxes and Clouds (SFC) product contains a month of space and time averaged Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) data for a single scanner instrument. The SFC is also produced for combinations of scanner instruments. All instantaneous shortwave, longwave, and window fluxes at the Top-of-the-Atmosphere (TOA) and surface from the CERES SSF product for a month are sorted by 1-degree spatial regions and by the local hour of observation. The mean of the instantaneous fluxes for a given region-hour bin is determined and recorded on the SFC along with other flux statistics and scene information. These average fluxes are given for both clear-sky and total-sky scenes. The regional cloud properties are column averaged and are included on the SFC. [Location=GLOBAL] [Temporal_Coverage: Start_Date=1998-01-01; Stop_Date=2005-12-31] [Spatial_Coverage: Southernmost_Latitude=-90; Northernmost_Latitude=90; Westernmost_Longitude=-180; Easternmost_Longitude=100] [Data_Resolution: Latitude_Resolution=1 degree; Longitude_Resolution=1 degree; Horizontal_Resolution_Range=100 km - < 250 km or approximately 1 degree - < 2.5 degrees; Temporal_Resolution=1 hour; Temporal_Resolution_Range=Hourly - < Daily].

CERES Monthly Gridded Single Satellite TOA and Surfaces/Clouds (SFC) data in HDF (CER_SFC_Terra-FM1-MODIS_Edition2B)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wielicki, Bruce A. (Principal Investigator)

The Monthly Gridded TOA/Surface Fluxes and Clouds (SFC) product contains a month of space and time averaged Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) data for a single scanner instrument. The SFC is also produced for combinations of scanner instruments. All instantaneous shortwave, longwave, and window fluxes at the Top-of-the-Atmosphere (TOA) and surface from the CERES SSF product for a month are sorted by 1-degree spatial regions and by the local hour of observation. The mean of the instantaneous fluxes for a given region-hour bin is determined and recorded on the SFC along with other flux statistics and scene information. These average fluxes are given for both clear-sky and total-sky scenes. The regional cloud properties are column averaged and are included on the SFC. [Location=GLOBAL] [Temporal_Coverage: Start_Date=1998-01-01; Stop_Date=2003-10-31] [Spatial_Coverage: Southernmost_Latitude=-90; Northernmost_Latitude=90; Westernmost_Longitude=-180; Easternmost_Longitude=100] [Data_Resolution: Latitude_Resolution=1 degree; Longitude_Resolution=1 degree; Horizontal_Resolution_Range=100 km - < 250 km or approximately 1 degree - < 2.5 degrees; Temporal_Resolution=1 hour; Temporal_Resolution_Range=Hourly - < Daily].

CERES Monthly Gridded Single Satellite TOA and Surfaces/Clouds (SFC) data in HDF (CER_SFC_Aqua-FM3-MODIS_Edition2A)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wielicki, Bruce A. (Principal Investigator)

The Monthly Gridded TOA/Surface Fluxes and Clouds (SFC) product contains a month of space and time averaged Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) data for a single scanner instrument. The SFC is also produced for combinations of scanner instruments. All instantaneous shortwave, longwave, and window fluxes at the Top-of-the-Atmosphere (TOA) and surface from the CERES SSF product for a month are sorted by 1-degree spatial regions and by the local hour of observation. The mean of the instantaneous fluxes for a given region-hour bin is determined and recorded on the SFC along with other flux statistics and scene information. These average fluxes are given for both clear-sky and total-sky scenes. The regional cloud properties are column averaged and are included on the SFC. [Location=GLOBAL] [Temporal_Coverage: Start_Date=1998-01-01; Stop_Date=2005-12-31] [Spatial_Coverage: Southernmost_Latitude=-90; Northernmost_Latitude=90; Westernmost_Longitude=-180; Easternmost_Longitude=100] [Data_Resolution: Latitude_Resolution=1 degree; Longitude_Resolution=1 degree; Horizontal_Resolution_Range=100 km - < 250 km or approximately 1 degree - < 2.5 degrees; Temporal_Resolution=1 hour; Temporal_Resolution_Range=Hourly - < Daily].

Separation of furostanol saponins by supercritical fluid chromatography.

PubMed

Yang, Jie; Zhu, Lingling; Zhao, Yang; Xu, Yongwei; Sun, Qinglong; Liu, Shuchen; Liu, Chao; Ma, Baiping

2017-10-25

Supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) has good separation efficiency and is suitable for separating weakly polar compounds. Furostanol saponins, as an important kind of steroidal saponins, generally have two sugar chains, which are polar and hydrophilic. The hydroxyl group at the C-22 position of furostanol saponins is active and easily reacts with lower alcohols under appropriate conditions. The separation of hydrophilic furostanol saponins was tested by SFC in this study. The effects of chromatographic conditions on the separation of the mixed furostanol saponins and their hydroxyl derivatives at the C-22 position were studied. The conditions for SFC, which included different column polarity, modifier, additive, and column temperature, were tested. After optimization, the mixed 10 similar structures of furostanol saponins were separated in 22min on the Diol column at a temperature of 40°C. The mobile phase was CO 2 (mobile phase A) and methanol (containing 0.2% NH 3 ∙H 2 O and 3% H 2 O) (mobile phase B). The backpressure was maintained isobarically at 11.03MPa. SFC was found to be effective in separating the furostanol saponins that shared the same aglycone but varied in sugar chains. SFC was sensitive to the number and type of sugars. The resolution of furostanol saponin isomers was not ideal. The extract of Dioscorea zingiberensis C. H. Wright was profiled by SFC-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The main saponins of the extract were well separated. Therefore, SFC could be used for separating hydrophilic furostanol saponins and analyzing traditional Chinese medicines that mainly contained steroidal saponins. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Paleomagnetism of Neoproterozoic cap carbonates of the Sao Francisco and Amazonian cratons, Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trindade, R. I. F.; Dagrella-Filho, M. S.; Figueiredo, F. T.; Font, E.; Babinski, M.; Nogueira, A. C. R.; Riccomini, C.

2003-04-01

The low-latitude paleomagnetic record of some Neoproterozoic glacial successions has long been used as an evidence for dramatic changes in Earth climate (Snowball Earth events). But the test for such events demands a global-scale paleomagnetic database in the Neoproterozoic glacial/carbonate successions. In order to better constrain these extreme climatic events, an extensive paleomagnetic survey has been conducted in carbonates that cap the Neoproterozoic glacial rocks of the Sao Francisco (SFC) and Amazonian (AMC) cratons, Brazil. In the SFC, sampling was performed at 104 sites (horizontal beds) distributed at two sectors (north and south), about 1.000 km apart, within the stable area of the craton. In the AMC, sampling included 15 sites in undeformed, sub-horizontal beds, and 25 sites along the limbs of regional folds in the margin of the craton. After paleomagnetic cleaning, most samples from both SFC and AMC yielded similar PGVs (mean SFC: 32°N, 322°E (A95=2.8, K=65.3); mean AMC: 31°N, 336°E (A95=6.8, K=46.2)). Pb-Pb ages around 520 Ma for SFC samples, a negative fold-test for AMC samples, and the coincidence of these poles with 520 Ma Gondwanan reference poles after rotation of South America to Africa, suggest a continental-scale remagnetization by this time. Some sites from both cratons, however, seem to have not been affected by the Cambrian remagnetization. Two mean poles were calculated for SFC and AMC for which consistent reversals could be recorded, suggesting a primary nature for the characteristic magnetization (mean SFC pole: 66°S, 198°E (A95=5.4, K=47.5); mean AMC pole: 77°S, 66°E (A95=8.8, K=47.7)). These results indicate a moderate latitude (51°) for the SFC Bebedouro (Sturtian) glaciation and a low latitude (24°) for the AMC Puga (Varanger) glaciation, and reinforces the hypothesis of Neoproterozoic global-scale ice-ages.

Applications of Space-Filling-Curves to Cartesian Methods for CFD

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aftosmis, Michael J.; Berger, Marsha J.; Murman, Scott M.

2003-01-01

The proposed paper presents a variety novel uses of Space-Filling-Curves (SFCs) for Cartesian mesh methods in 0. While these techniques will be demonstrated using non-body-fitted Cartesian meshes, most are applicable on general body-fitted meshes -both structured and unstructured. We demonstrate the use of single O(N log N) SFC-based reordering to produce single-pass (O(N)) algorithms for mesh partitioning, multigrid coarsening, and inter-mesh interpolation. The intermesh interpolation operator has many practical applications including warm starts on modified geometry, or as an inter-grid transfer operator on remeshed regions in moving-body simulations. Exploiting the compact construction of these operators, we further show that these algorithms are highly amenable to parallelization. Examples using the SFC-based mesh partitioner show nearly linear speedup to 512 CPUs even when using multigrid as a smoother. Partition statistics are presented showing that the SFC partitions are, on-average, within 10% of ideal even with only around 50,000 cells in each subdomain. The inter-mesh interpolation operator also has linear asymptotic complexity and can be used to map a solution with N unknowns to another mesh with M unknowns with O(max(M,N)) operations. This capability is demonstrated both on moving-body simulations and in mapping solutions to perturbed meshes for finite-difference-based gradient design methods.

Which dietary patterns are more likely to be associated with aspects of eco-sustainable food behaviours in Italy?

PubMed

Scalvedi, Maria Luisa; Turrini, Aida; Saba, Anna

2017-12-04

Sustainable food consumption (SFC) policies need further investigation into eating habits to improve interventions to encourage shifting to new consumption patterns respectful of human rights, environment and health. Reversing the usual approach focussed on sustainable consumer, the present study investigates how different eating patterns relate to eco-sustainable food. A cluster analysis was carried out on consumption frequencies of food groups recorded in an Italian national survey on 3004 respondents, providing four eating habit segments, further investigated as for sustainable food attitude and behaviour. Openness to eco-sustainable food is found mostly in the more balanced diet segment, accounting for about one third of the adult Italian population. Inaccessibility, non-affordability, unhealthy diet and a lack of information still negatively condition eating habits to the detriment of more sustainable consumption. These findings could support SFC stakeholders in targeting policies and strategies based on diversified approaches to enhance awareness of SFC issues.

Poly(butylene terephthalate) based novel achiral stationary phase investigated under supercritical fluid chromatography conditions.

PubMed

Nagai, Kanji; Shibata, Tohru; Shinkura, Satoshi; Ohnishi, Atsushi

2018-05-11

Poly(butylene terephthalate) based novel stationary phase (SP), composed of planar aromatic phenyl group together with ester group monomer units, was designed for supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) use. As expected from its structure, this phase shows planarity recognition of isomeric aromatics and closely similar compounds. Interestingly, for most analytes, the retention behavior of this SP is significantly distinct from that of the 2-ethylpyridine based SPs which is among the most well-known SFC dedicated phases. Although the poly(butylene terephthalate) is coated on silica gel, the performance of the column did not change by using extended range modifiers such as THF, dichloromethane or ethyl acetate and column robustness was confirmed by cycle durability testing. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Biferrocene-Based Diphosphine Ligands: Synthesis and Application of Walphos Analogues in Asymmetric Hydrogenations

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

A total of four biferrocene-based Walphos-type ligands have been synthesized, structurally characterized, and tested in the rhodium-, ruthenium- and iridium-catalyzed hydrogenation of alkenes and ketones. Negishi coupling conditions allowed the biferrocene backbone of these diphosphine ligands to be built up diastereoselectively from the two nonidentical and nonracemic ferrocene fragments (R)-1-(N,N-dimethylamino)ethylferrocene and (SFc)-2-bromoiodoferrocene. The molecular structures of (SFc)-2-bromoiodoferrocene, the coupling product, two ligands, and the two complexes ([PdCl2(L)] and [RuCl(p-cymene)(L)]PF6) were determined by X-ray diffraction. The structural features of complexes and the catalysis results obtained with the newly synthesized biferrocene-based ligands were compared with those of the corresponding Walphos ligands. PMID:23457421

Dietary saturated fat/cholesterol, but not unsaturated fat or starch, induces C-reactive protein associated early atherosclerosis and ectopic fat deposition in diabetic pigs

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Diabetes is thought to accelerate cardiovascular disease depending on the type of diet. This study in diabetic subjects was performed to investigate the metabolic, inflammatory and cardiovascular effects of nutritional components typically present in a Western, Mediterranean or high glycaemic diet. Methods Streptozotocin-diabetic pigs (~45 kg) were fed for 10 weeks supplemental (40% of dietary energy) saturated fat/cholesterol (SFC), unsaturated fat (UF) or starch (S) in an eucaloric dietary intervention study. Results Fasting plasma total, LDL and HDL cholesterol concentrations were 3-5 fold higher (p < 0.01) in SFC compared to UF and S pigs. Fasting plasma NEFA concentrations (mmol/L) were highest (p < 0.05) in SFC (1.09 ± 0.17), intermediate in UF (0.80 ± 0.14) and lowest in S pigs (0.58 ± 0.14) whereas plasma glucose (~13 mmol/L), triglyceride (~0.5 mmol/L) and insulin (~24 pmol/L) concentrations were comparable among SFC, UF and S pigs. The postprandial response area under the curves (AUC, 0-4 h) for glucose but not for insulin and triglyceride responses were intermediate in SFC (617 ± 144) and lowest (p < 0.05) in UF (378 ± 157) compared to S pigs (925 ± 139). Fasting hepatic glucose production, hepatic and peripheral insulin sensitivity and blood pressure were not different among pigs. C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations (mg/L) were highest (p < 0.05) in SFC (25 ± 4), intermediate in S (21 ± 3) and lowest in UF pigs (14 ± 2). Liver weights, liver and muscle triglyceride concentrations, and the surface area of aorta fatty streaks were highest (p < 0.01) in SFC pigs. A positive correlation between postprandial plasma CRP and aorta fatty streaks was observed in SFC pigs (R2 = 0.95). Retroperitoneal fat depot weight (g) was intermediate in SFC (260 ± 72), lowest in S (135 ± 51) and highest (p < 0.05) in UF (571 ± 95) pigs. Conclusion Dietary saturated fat/cholesterol induces inflammation, atherosclerosis and ectopic fat deposition whereas an equally high dietary unsaturated fat load does not induce these abnormalities and shows beneficial effects on postprandial glycaemia in diabetic pigs. PMID:21756316

Dietary saturated fat/cholesterol, but not unsaturated fat or starch, induces C-reactive protein associated early atherosclerosis and ectopic fat deposition in diabetic pigs.

PubMed

Koopmans, Sietse J; Dekker, Ruud; Ackermans, Mariette T; Sauerwein, Hans P; Serlie, Mireille J; van Beusekom, Heleen M M; van den Heuvel, Mieke; van der Giessen, Wim J

2011-07-14

Diabetes is thought to accelerate cardiovascular disease depending on the type of diet. This study in diabetic subjects was performed to investigate the metabolic, inflammatory and cardiovascular effects of nutritional components typically present in a Western, Mediterranean or high glycaemic diet. Streptozotocin-diabetic pigs (~45 kg) were fed for 10 weeks supplemental (40% of dietary energy) saturated fat/cholesterol (SFC), unsaturated fat (UF) or starch (S) in an eucaloric dietary intervention study. Fasting plasma total, LDL and HDL cholesterol concentrations were 3-5 fold higher (p < 0.01) in SFC compared to UF and S pigs. Fasting plasma NEFA concentrations (mmol/L) were highest (p < 0.05) in SFC (1.09 ± 0.17), intermediate in UF (0.80 ± 0.14) and lowest in S pigs (0.58 ± 0.14) whereas plasma glucose (~13 mmol/L), triglyceride (~0.5 mmol/L) and insulin (~24 pmol/L) concentrations were comparable among SFC, UF and S pigs. The postprandial response area under the curves (AUC, 0-4 h) for glucose but not for insulin and triglyceride responses were intermediate in SFC (617 ± 144) and lowest (p < 0.05) in UF (378 ± 157) compared to S pigs (925 ± 139). Fasting hepatic glucose production, hepatic and peripheral insulin sensitivity and blood pressure were not different among pigs. C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations (mg/L) were highest (p < 0.05) in SFC (25 ± 4), intermediate in S (21 ± 3) and lowest in UF pigs (14 ± 2). Liver weights, liver and muscle triglyceride concentrations, and the surface area of aorta fatty streaks were highest (p < 0.01) in SFC pigs. A positive correlation between postprandial plasma CRP and aorta fatty streaks was observed in SFC pigs (R(2) = 0.95). Retroperitoneal fat depot weight (g) was intermediate in SFC (260 ± 72), lowest in S (135 ± 51) and highest (p < 0.05) in UF (571 ± 95) pigs. Dietary saturated fat/cholesterol induces inflammation, atherosclerosis and ectopic fat deposition whereas an equally high dietary unsaturated fat load does not induce these abnormalities and shows beneficial effects on postprandial glycaemia in diabetic pigs. © 2011 Koopmans et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

Supercritical fluid chromatography coupled with in-source atmospheric pressure ionization hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry for compound speciation.

PubMed

Cho, Yunju; Choi, Man-Ho; Kim, Byungjoo; Kim, Sunghwan

2016-04-29

An experimental setup for the speciation of compounds by hydrogen/deuterium exchange (HDX) with atmospheric pressure ionization while performing chromatographic separation is presented. The proposed experimental setup combines the high performance supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) system that can be readily used as an inlet for mass spectrometry (MS) and atmospheric pressure photo ionization (APPI) or atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) HDX. This combination overcomes the limitation of an approach using conventional liquid chromatography (LC) by minimizing the amount of deuterium solvents used for separation. In the SFC separation, supercritical CO2 was used as a major component of the mobile phase, and methanol was used as a minor co-solvent. By using deuterated methanol (CH3OD), AP HDX was achieved during SFC separation. To prove the concept, thirty one nitrogen- and/or oxygen-containing standard compounds were analyzed by SFC-AP HDX MS. The compounds were successfully speciated from the obtained SFC-MS spectra. The exchange ions were observed with as low as 1% of CH3OD in the mobile phase, and separation could be performed within approximately 20min using approximately 0.24 mL of CH3OD. The results showed that SFC separation and APPI/APCI HDX could be successfully performed using the suggested method. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

SFC-MS/MS as an orthogonal technique for improved screening of polar analytes in anti-doping control.

PubMed

Parr, Maria Kristina; Wuest, Bernhard; Naegele, Edgar; Joseph, Jan F; Wenzel, Maxi; Schmidt, Alexander H; Stanic, Mijo; de la Torre, Xavier; Botrè, Francesco

2016-09-01

HPLC is considered the method of choice for the separation of various classes of drugs. However, some analytes are still challenging as HPLC shows limited resolution capabilities for highly polar analytes as they interact insufficiently on conventional reversed-phase (RP) columns. Especially in combination with mass spectrometric detection, limitations apply for alterations of stationary phases. Some highly polar sympathomimetic drugs and their metabolites showed almost no retention on different RP columns. Their retention remains poor even on phenylhexyl phases that show different selectivity due to π-π interactions. Supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) as an orthogonal separation technique to HPLC may help to overcome these issues. Selected polar drugs and metabolites were analyzed utilizing SFC separation. All compounds showed sharp peaks and good retention even for the very polar analytes, such as sulfoconjugates. Retention times and elution orders in SFC are different to both RP and HILIC separations as a result of the orthogonality. Short cycle times could be realized. As temperature and pressure strongly influence the polarity of supercritical fluids, precise regulation of temperature and backpressure is required for the stability of the retention times. As CO2 is the main constituent of the mobile phase in SFC, solvent consumption and solvent waste are considerably reduced. Graphical Abstract SFC-MS/MS vs. LC-MS/MS.

Improved Fractal Space Filling Curves Hybrid Optimization Algorithm for Vehicle Routing Problem.

PubMed

Yue, Yi-xiang; Zhang, Tong; Yue, Qun-xing

2015-01-01

Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) is one of the key issues in optimization of modern logistics system. In this paper, a modified VRP model with hard time window is established and a Hybrid Optimization Algorithm (HOA) based on Fractal Space Filling Curves (SFC) method and Genetic Algorithm (GA) is introduced. By incorporating the proposed algorithm, SFC method can find an initial and feasible solution very fast; GA is used to improve the initial solution. Thereafter, experimental software was developed and a large number of experimental computations from Solomon's benchmark have been studied. The experimental results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the HOA.

Improved Fractal Space Filling Curves Hybrid Optimization Algorithm for Vehicle Routing Problem

PubMed Central

Yue, Yi-xiang; Zhang, Tong; Yue, Qun-xing

2015-01-01

Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) is one of the key issues in optimization of modern logistics system. In this paper, a modified VRP model with hard time window is established and a Hybrid Optimization Algorithm (HOA) based on Fractal Space Filling Curves (SFC) method and Genetic Algorithm (GA) is introduced. By incorporating the proposed algorithm, SFC method can find an initial and feasible solution very fast; GA is used to improve the initial solution. Thereafter, experimental software was developed and a large number of experimental computations from Solomon's benchmark have been studied. The experimental results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the HOA. PMID:26167171

Applications of Space-Filling-Curves to Cartesian Methods for CFD

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aftosmis, M. J.; Murman, S. M.; Berger, M. J.

2003-01-01

This paper presents a variety of novel uses of space-filling-curves (SFCs) for Cartesian mesh methods in CFD. While these techniques will be demonstrated using non-body-fitted Cartesian meshes, many are applicable on general body-fitted meshes-both structured and unstructured. We demonstrate the use of single theta(N log N) SFC-based reordering to produce single-pass (theta(N)) algorithms for mesh partitioning, multigrid coarsening, and inter-mesh interpolation. The intermesh interpolation operator has many practical applications including warm starts on modified geometry, or as an inter-grid transfer operator on remeshed regions in moving-body simulations Exploiting the compact construction of these operators, we further show that these algorithms are highly amenable to parallelization. Examples using the SFC-based mesh partitioner show nearly linear speedup to 640 CPUs even when using multigrid as a smoother. Partition statistics are presented showing that the SFC partitions are, on-average, within 15% of ideal even with only around 50,000 cells in each sub-domain. The inter-mesh interpolation operator also has linear asymptotic complexity and can be used to map a solution with N unknowns to another mesh with M unknowns with theta(M + N) operations. This capability is demonstrated both on moving-body simulations and in mapping solutions to perturbed meshes for control surface deflection or finite-difference-based gradient design methods.

Predicting Factors of Chronic Subdural Hematoma Following Surgical Clipping in Unruptured and Ruptured Intracranial Aneurysm.

PubMed

Kwon, Min-Yong; Kim, Chang-Hyun; Lee, Chang-Young

2016-09-01

The aim of this study is to analyze the differences in the incidence, predicting factors, and clinical course of chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) following surgical clipping between unruptured (UIA) and ruptured intracranial aneurysm (RIA). We conducted a retrospective analysis of 752 patients (UIA : 368 and RIA : 384) who underwent surgical clipping during 8 years. The incidence and predicting factors of CSDH development in the UIA and RIA were compared according to medical records and radiological data. The incidence of postoperative CSDH was higher in the UIA (10.9%) than in the RIA (3.1%) (p=0.000). In multivariate analysis, a high Hounsfield (HF) unit (blood clots) for subdural fluid collection (SFC), persistence of SFC ≥5 mm and male sex in the UIA and A high HF unit for SFC and SFC ≥5 mm without progression to hydrocephalus in the RIA were identified as the independent predicting factors for CSDH development (p<0.05). There were differences in the incidence and predicting factors for CSDH following surgical clipping between UIA and RIA. Blood clots in the subdural space and persistence of SFC ≥5 mm were predicting factors in both UIA and RIA. However, progression to hydrocephalus may have in part contributed to low CSDH development in the RIA. We suggest that cleaning of blood clots in the subdural space and efforts to minimize SFC ≥5 mm at the end of surgery is helpful to prevent CSDH following aneurysmal clipping.

QTL analysis of cotton fiber length in advanced backcross populations derived from a cross between Gossypium hirsutum and G. mustelinum.

PubMed

Wang, Baohua; Draye, Xavier; Zhuang, Zhimin; Zhang, Zhengsheng; Liu, Min; Lubbers, Edward L; Jones, Don; May, O Lloyd; Paterson, Andrew H; Chee, Peng W

2017-06-01

QTLs for fiber length mapped in three generations of advanced backcross populations derived from crossing Gossypium hirsutum and Gossypium mustelinum showed opportunities to improve elite cottons by introgression from wild relatives. The molecular basis of cotton fiber length in crosses between Gossypium hirsutum and Gossypium mustelinum was dissected using 21 BC 3 F 2 and 12 corresponding BC 3 F 2:3 and BC 3 F 2:4 families. Sixty-five quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were detected by one-way analysis of variance. The QTL numbers detected for upper-half mean length (UHM), fiber uniformity index (UI), and short fiber content (SFC) were 19, 20, and 26 respectively. Twenty-three of the 65 QTLs could be detected at least twice near adjacent markers in the same family or near the same markers across different families/generations, and 32 QTLs were detected in both one-way variance analyses and mixed model-based composite interval mapping. G. mustelinum alleles increased UHM and UI and decreased SFC for five, one, and one QTLs, respectively. In addition to the main-effect QTLs, 17 epistatic QTLs were detected which helped to elucidate the genetic basis of cotton fiber length. Significant among-family genotypic effects were detected at 18, 16, and 16 loci for UHM, UI, and SFC, respectively. Six, two, and two loci showed genotype × family interaction for UHM, UI and SFC, respectively, illustrating complexities that might be faced in introgression of exotic germplasm into cultivated cotton. Co-location of many QTLs for UHM, UI, and SFC accounted for correlations among these traits, and selection of these QTLs may improve the three traits simultaneously. The simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers associated with G. mustelinum QTLs will assist breeders in transferring and maintaining valuable traits from this exotic source during cultivar development.

What are the current solutions for interfacing supercritical fluid chromatography and mass spectrometry?

PubMed

Guillarme, Davy; Desfontaine, Vincent; Heinisch, Sabine; Veuthey, Jean-Luc

2018-04-15

Mass spectrometry (MS) is considered today as one of the most popular detection methods, due to its high selectivity and sensitivity. In particular, this detector has become the gold standard for the analysis of complex mixtures such as biological samples. The first successful SFC-MS hyphenation was reported in the 80's, and since then, several ionization sources, mass analyzers and interfacing technologies have been combined. Due to the specific physicochemical properties and compressibility of the SFC mobile phase, directing the column effluent into the ionization source is more challenging than in LC. Therefore, some specific interfaces have to be employed in SFC-MS, to i) avoid (or at least limit) analytes precipitation due to CO 2 decompression, when the SFC mobile phase is not anymore under backpressure control, ii) achieve adequate ionization yield, even with a low proportion of MeOH in the mobile phase and iii) preserve the chromatographic integrity (i.e. maintaining retention, selectivity, and efficiency). The goal of this review is to describe the various SFC-MS interfaces and highlight the most favorable ones in terms of reliability, flexibility, sensitivity and user-friendliness. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cultivation characteristics and gene expression profiles of Aspergillus oryzae by membrane-surface liquid culture, shaking-flask culture, and agar-plate culture.

PubMed

Imanaka, Hiroyuki; Tanaka, Soukichi; Feng, Bin; Imamura, Koreyoshi; Nakanishi, Kazuhiro

2010-03-01

We cultivated a filamentous fungus, Aspergillus oryzae IAM 2706 by three different cultivation methods, i.e., shaking-flask culture (SFC), agar-plate culture (APC), and membrane-surface liquid culture (MSLC), to elucidate the differences of its behaviors by different cultivation methods under the same media, by measuring the growth, secretion of proteases and alpha-amylase, secreted protein level, and gene transcriptional profile by the DNA microarray analysis. The protease activities detected by MSLC and APC were much higher than that by SFC, using both modified Czapek-Dox (mCD) and dextrin-peptone-yeast extract (DPY) media. The alpha-amylase activity was detected in MSLC and APC in a much larger extent than that in SFC when DPY medium was used. On the basis of SDS-PAGE analyses and N-terminal amino acid sequences, 6 proteins were identified in the supernatants of the culture broths using DPY medium, among which oryzin (alkaline protease) and alpha-amylase were detected at a much higher extent for APC and MSLC than those for SFC while only oryzin was detected in mCD medium, in accordance with the activity measurements. A microarray analysis for the fungi cultivated by SFC, APC, and MSLC using mCD medium was carried out to elucidate the differences in the gene transcriptional profile by the cultivation methods. The gene transcriptional profile obtained for the MSLC sample showed a similar tendency to the APC sample while it was quite different from that for the SFC sample. Most of the genes specifically transcribed in the MSLC sample versus those in the SFC sample with a 10-fold up-regulation or higher were unknown or predicted proteins. However, transcription of oryzin gene was only slightly up-regulated in the MSLC sample and that of alpha-amylase gene, slightly down-regulated. Copyright 2009 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Indacaterol/glycopyrronium versus salmeterol/fluticasone in Asian patients with COPD at a high risk of exacerbations: results from the FLAME study

PubMed Central

Wedzicha, Jadwiga A; Zhong, Nanshan; Ichinose, Masakazu; Humphries, Michael; Fogel, Robert; Thach, Chau; Patalano, Francesco; Banerji, Donald

2017-01-01

Background The FLAME study demonstrated that indacaterol/glycopyrronium (IND/GLY), the fixed-dose combination of a long-acting β2-agonist (LABA, IND) and a long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA, GLY), was superior to salmeterol/fluticasone combination (SFC) in preventing exacerbations in COPD patients with a high risk of exacerbations. In this study, we report a prespecified analysis of the efficacy and safety of IND/GLY versus SFC in Asian patients from the FLAME study. Patients and methods Patients from Asian centers with moderate-to-very severe COPD and ≥1 exacerbation in the previous year from the 52-week, randomized FLAME study were included. IND/GLY was compared versus SFC for effects on exacerbations, lung function (forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV1] and forced vital capacity [FVC]), health status (St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire [SGRQ]), rescue medication use, and safety. Results A total of 510 Asian patients (IND/GLY, n=250 or SFC, n=260) were included. Compared to the overall FLAME population, the Asian cohort had more males, a shorter duration of COPD, fewer patients using inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) at screening, fewer current smokers, and more patients with very severe COPD. IND/GLY significantly reduced the rate of moderate/severe exacerbations (rate ratio: 0.75; 95% confidence interval: 0.58–0.97; P=0.027) and prolonged time to first moderate/severe exacerbation versus SFC (hazard ratio: 0.77; 95% confidence interval: 0.59–1.01; P=0.055). Predose trough FEV1 and FVC significantly improved in Asian patients (P<0.001). IND/GLY improved SGRQ for COPD (SGRQ-C score; P=0.006) and reduced rescue medication use (P=0.058) at week 52. Pneumonia incidence was 3.6% with IND/GLY and 7.7% with SFC (P=0.046). Conclusion In exacerbating Asian COPD patients, IND/GLY was more effective than SFC. PMID:28176893

Indacaterol/glycopyrronium versus salmeterol/fluticasone in Asian patients with COPD at a high risk of exacerbations: results from the FLAME study.

PubMed

Wedzicha, Jadwiga A; Zhong, Nanshan; Ichinose, Masakazu; Humphries, Michael; Fogel, Robert; Thach, Chau; Patalano, Francesco; Banerji, Donald

2017-01-01

The FLAME study demonstrated that indacaterol/glycopyrronium (IND/GLY), the fixed-dose combination of a long-acting β 2 -agonist (LABA, IND) and a long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA, GLY), was superior to salmeterol/fluticasone combination (SFC) in preventing exacerbations in COPD patients with a high risk of exacerbations. In this study, we report a prespecified analysis of the efficacy and safety of IND/GLY versus SFC in Asian patients from the FLAME study. Patients from Asian centers with moderate-to-very severe COPD and ≥1 exacerbation in the previous year from the 52-week, randomized FLAME study were included. IND/GLY was compared versus SFC for effects on exacerbations, lung function (forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV 1 ] and forced vital capacity [FVC]), health status (St George's Respiratory Questionnaire [SGRQ]), rescue medication use, and safety. A total of 510 Asian patients (IND/GLY, n=250 or SFC, n=260) were included. Compared to the overall FLAME population, the Asian cohort had more males, a shorter duration of COPD, fewer patients using inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) at screening, fewer current smokers, and more patients with very severe COPD. IND/GLY significantly reduced the rate of moderate/severe exacerbations (rate ratio: 0.75; 95% confidence interval: 0.58-0.97; P =0.027) and prolonged time to first moderate/severe exacerbation versus SFC (hazard ratio: 0.77; 95% confidence interval: 0.59-1.01; P =0.055). Predose trough FEV 1 and FVC significantly improved in Asian patients ( P <0.001). IND/GLY improved SGRQ for COPD (SGRQ-C score; P =0.006) and reduced rescue medication use ( P =0.058) at week 52. Pneumonia incidence was 3.6% with IND/GLY and 7.7% with SFC ( P =0.046). In exacerbating Asian COPD patients, IND/GLY was more effective than SFC.

Lipidomics by Supercritical Fluid Chromatography

PubMed Central

Laboureur, Laurent; Ollero, Mario; Touboul, David

2015-01-01

This review enlightens the role of supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) in the field of lipid analysis. SFC has been popular in the late 1980s and 1990s before almost disappearing due to the commercial success of liquid chromatography (LC). It is only 20 years later that a regain of interest appeared when new commercial instruments were introduced. As SFC is fully compatible with the injection of extracts in pure organic solvent, this technique is perfectly suitable for lipid analysis and can be coupled with either highly universal (UV or evaporative light scattering) or highly specific (mass spectrometry) detection methods. A short history of the use of supercritical fluids as mobile phase for the separation oflipids will be introduced first. Then, the advantages and drawbacks of SFC are discussed for each class of lipids (fatty acyls, glycerolipids, glycerophospholipids, sphingolipids, sterols, prenols, polyketides) defined by the LIPID MAPS consortium. PMID:26090714

Hyphenation of supercritical fluid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry for fast determination of four aflatoxins in edible oil.

PubMed

Lei, Fang; Li, Chenglong; Zhou, Shuang; Wang, Dan; Zhao, Yunfeng; Wu, Yongning

2016-08-01

Aflatoxins (AFTs) are of great concern all over the world. Supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) has the advantage of fast, high resolution and excellent compatibility with a broad range of organic solvents and samples, thus hyphenating SFC with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) can be used for the easy and fast determination of AFTs in edible oils. Edible oil was spiked with isotope-labeled aflatoxin standards, diluted with hexane and extracted with acetonitrile. The extraction was directly loaded to an SFC apparatus and separated on a UPC(2) 2-EP column with CO2 -methanol gradient elution. A post-column make-up flow was introduced to facilitate mass spectrometry performance, and the mixture was analyzed by MS/MS with an electrospray ionization (ESI) source. The SFC conditions including separation column, modifier and sample solvent were optimized, and the four target aflatoxins were baseline separated. The ESI interface parameters were also investigated, implicating the make-up flow as a critical factor for sensitive determination by SFC-MS/MS. The LOQs for the AFTs were 0.05-0.12 μg L(-1) , while the RSDs were lower than 8.5%. Supercritical fluid chromatography was successfully coupled to tandem mass spectrometry to establish a simple, fast and sensitive method for the analysis of four aflatoxins in edible oil. This shows the combination of SFC-MS/MS has great potential in determination of trace contaminants in food. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Predicting Factors of Chronic Subdural Hematoma Following Surgical Clipping in Unruptured and Ruptured Intracranial Aneurysm

PubMed Central

Kwon, Min-Yong; Kim, Chang-Hyun

2016-01-01

Objective The aim of this study is to analyze the differences in the incidence, predicting factors, and clinical course of chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) following surgical clipping between unruptured (UIA) and ruptured intracranial aneurysm (RIA). Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of 752 patients (UIA : 368 and RIA : 384) who underwent surgical clipping during 8 years. The incidence and predicting factors of CSDH development in the UIA and RIA were compared according to medical records and radiological data. Results The incidence of postoperative CSDH was higher in the UIA (10.9%) than in the RIA (3.1%) (p=0.000). In multivariate analysis, a high Hounsfield (HF) unit (blood clots) for subdural fluid collection (SFC), persistence of SFC ≥5 mm and male sex in the UIA and A high HF unit for SFC and SFC ≥5 mm without progression to hydrocephalus in the RIA were identified as the independent predicting factors for CSDH development (p<0.05). Conclusion There were differences in the incidence and predicting factors for CSDH following surgical clipping between UIA and RIA. Blood clots in the subdural space and persistence of SFC ≥5 mm were predicting factors in both UIA and RIA. However, progression to hydrocephalus may have in part contributed to low CSDH development in the RIA. We suggest that cleaning of blood clots in the subdural space and efforts to minimize SFC ≥5 mm at the end of surgery is helpful to prevent CSDH following aneurysmal clipping. PMID:27651863

Instrument modifications that produced reduced plate heights <2 with sub-2 μm particles and 95% of theoretical efficiency at k=2 in supercritical fluid chromatography.

PubMed

Berger, Terry A

2016-04-29

The concept of peak fidelity was shown to be helpful in modeling tubing and detector cell dimensions. Connection tubing and flow cell variances were modeled to determine appropriate internal ID's, lengths, and volumes. A low dispersion plumbing configuration, based on these calculations, was assembled to replace the standard plumbing and produced the reported results. The modifications made were straightforward using commercially available parts. The full theoretical efficiency of a 3×100 mm column packed with 1.8 μm totally porous particles was achieved for the first time in supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC). Peak fidelity of >0.95 was maintained to below k=2. A reduced plate height as low as 1.87 was measured. Thus, true "ultra high performance" SFC was achieved, with the results a major improvement from all previous SFC reports. Since there were no efficiency losses, none could be attributed to thermal gradients caused by the expansion of the fluid over large pressure drops, under the conditions used. Similarly, changes in diffusion coefficients caused by significant decreases in density during expansion are apparently balanced by the increase in linear velocity, keeping the ratio between the diffusion coefficient and the linear velocity a constant. Changing modifier concentration to change retention was shown to not be a significant problem. All these issues have been a concern in the past. Diffusion coefficients, and viscosity data needs to be collected at high pressures before the actual limits of SFC can be discovered. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Streamflow characteristics from modelled runoff time series: Importance of calibration criteria selection

USGS Publications Warehouse

Poole, Sandra; Vis, Marc; Knight, Rodney; Seibert, Jan

2017-01-01

Ecologically relevant streamflow characteristics (SFCs) of ungauged catchments are often estimated from simulated runoff of hydrologic models that were originally calibrated on gauged catchments. However, SFC estimates of the gauged donor catchments and subsequently the ungauged catchments can be substantially uncertain when models are calibrated using traditional approaches based on optimization of statistical performance metrics (e.g., Nash–Sutcliffe model efficiency). An improved calibration strategy for gauged catchments is therefore crucial to help reduce the uncertainties of estimated SFCs for ungauged catchments. The aim of this study was to improve SFC estimates from modeled runoff time series in gauged catchments by explicitly including one or several SFCs in the calibration process. Different types of objective functions were defined consisting of the Nash–Sutcliffe model efficiency, single SFCs, or combinations thereof. We calibrated a bucket-type runoff model (HBV – Hydrologiska Byråns Vattenavdelning – model) for 25 catchments in the Tennessee River basin and evaluated the proposed calibration approach on 13 ecologically relevant SFCs representing major flow regime components and different flow conditions. While the model generally tended to underestimate the tested SFCs related to mean and high-flow conditions, SFCs related to low flow were generally overestimated. The highest estimation accuracies were achieved by a SFC-specific model calibration. Estimates of SFCs not included in the calibration process were of similar quality when comparing a multi-SFC calibration approach to a traditional model efficiency calibration. For practical applications, this implies that SFCs should preferably be estimated from targeted runoff model calibration, and modeled estimates need to be carefully interpreted.

National Guard Posture Statement 2010. America’s Indispensable Force

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

Michael T. Fuga, AS* SSG Carl R. Fuller, GA SPC Marcus S. Futrell, GA CSM Marilyn L. Gabbard, IA SGT Jerry L. Ganey Jr., GA SGT Seth K. Garceau, IA...Timoteo, NJ SPC Eric L. Toth, KY SSG Robin L. Towns Sr., MD SPC Seth R. Trahan, LA SPC Quoc Binh Tran, CA SSG Philip L. Travis, GA CW4 Chester W. Troxel...SFC Charles H. Warren, GA 1SG William T. Warren, AR SFC Mark C. Warren, OR SPC Glenn J. Watkins , CA MSG Davy N. Weaver, GA SGT Matthew A. Webber, MI SFC

Fast separation of triterpenoid saponins using supercritical fluid chromatography coupled with single quadrupole mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Huang, Yang; Zhang, Tingting; Zhou, Haibo; Feng, Ying; Fan, Chunlin; Chen, Weijia; Crommen, Jacques; Jiang, Zhengjin

2016-03-20

Triterpenoid saponins (TSs) are the most important components of some traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) and have exhibited valuable pharmacological properties. In this study, a rapid and efficient method was developed for the separation of kudinosides, stauntosides and ginsenosides using supercritical fluid chromatography coupled with single quadrupole mass spectrometry (SFC-MS). The separation conditions for the selected TSs were carefully optimized after the initial screening of eight stationary phases. The best compromise for all compounds in terms of chromatographic performance and MS sensitivity was obtained when water (5-10%) and formic acid (0.05%) were added to the supercritical carbon dioxide/MeOH mobile phase. Beside the composition of the mobile phase, the nature of the make-up solvent for interfacing SFC with MS was also evaluated. Compared to reversed phase liquid chromatography, the SFC approach showed higher resolution and shorter running time. The developed SFC-MS methods were successfully applied to the separation and identification of TSs present in Ilex latifolia Thunb., Panax quinquefolius L. and Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer. These results suggest that this SFC-MS approach could be employed as a useful tool for the quality assessment of natural products containing TSs as active components. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Integrating a post-column makeup pump into preparative supercritical fluid chromatography systems to address stability and recovery issues during purifications.

PubMed

Bajpai, Lakshmikant; Naidu, Harshavardhan; Asokan, Kathiravan; Shaik, Khaja Mohiddin; Kaspady, Mahammed; Arunachalam, Piramanayagam; Wu, Dauh-Rurng; Mathur, Arvind; Sarabu, Ramakanth

2017-08-18

Purification of many pharmaceutical compounds by supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) has always been challenging because of degradation of compound during the isolation step in the presence of acidic or basic modifiers in the mobile phase. Stability of such acid or base-sensitive compounds could be improved by post-column addition of a solvent containing base or acid modifier as counter ion through a make-up pump respectively to neutralize the compound fraction without affecting the resolution. One such case study has been presented in this work where the stability of a base-sensitive compound was addressed by the addition of acidic co-solvent through the make-up pump. Details of this setup and the investigation of degradation of the in-house base-sensitive compound are discussed in this paper. In addition, poor retentivity and low recovery of many non-polar compounds in SFC eluting under low co-solvent percentage is another major concern. Even though the desired separation could be achieved with low percentage of co-solvent, it's difficult to get the proper recovery after purification due to precipitation of the sample and significant aerosol formation inside the cyclone. We have demonstrated the first-time use of a post-column make-up pump on SFC 350 system to introduce additional solvent prior to cyclone to avoid the precipitation, reduce the aerosol formation and thus improve the recovery of non-polar compounds eluting under less than 10% of co-solvent. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Supercritical fluid chromatography versus high performance liquid chromatography for enantiomeric and diastereoisomeric separations on coated polysaccharides-based stationary phases: Application to dihydropyridone derivatives.

PubMed

Hoguet, Vanessa; Charton, Julie; Hecquet, Paul-Emile; Lakhmi, Chahinaze; Lipka, Emmanuelle

2018-05-11

For analytical applications, SFC has always remained in the shadow of LC. Analytical enantioseparation of eight dihydropyridone derivatives, was run in both High Performance Liquid Chromatography and Supercritical Fluid Chromatography. Four polysaccharide based chiral stationary phases namely amylose and cellulose tris(3, 5-dimethylphenylcarbamate), amylose tris((S)-α-phenylethylcarbamate) and cellulose tris(4-methylbenzoate) with four mobile phases consisted of either n-hexane/ethanol or propan-2-ol (80:20 v:v) or carbon dioxide/ethanol or propan-2-ol (80:20 v:v) mixtures were investigated under same operatory conditions (temperature and flow-rate). The elution strength, enantioselectivity and resolution were compared in the two methodologies. For these compounds, for most of the conditions, HPLC afforded shorter retention times and a higher resolution than SFC. HPLC appears particularly suitable for the separation of the compounds bearing two chiral centers. For instance compound 7 was baseline resolved on OD-H CSP under n-Hex/EtOH 80/20, with resolution values equal to 2.98, 1.55, 4.52, between the four stereoisomers in less than 17 min, whereas in SFC, this latter is not fully separated in 23 min under similar eluting conditions. After analytical screenings, the best conditions were transposed to semi-preparative scale. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cost Effectiveness of the Long-Acting β2-Adrenergic Agonist (LABA)/Long-Acting Muscarinic Antagonist Dual Bronchodilator Indacaterol/Glycopyrronium Versus the LABA/Inhaled Corticosteroid Combination Salmeterol/Fluticasone in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Analyses Conducted for Canada, France, Italy, and Portugal.

PubMed

Reza Maleki-Yazdi, M; Molimard, Mathieu; Keininger, Dorothy L; Gruenberger, Jean-Bernard; Carrasco, Joao; Pitotti, Claudia; Sauvage, Elsa; Chehab, Sara; Price, David

2016-10-01

The objective of this study was to assess the cost effectiveness of the dual bronchodilator indacaterol/glycopyrronium (IND/GLY) compared with salmeterol/fluticasone combination (SFC) in patients with moderate-to-severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who had a history of one or no exacerbations in the previous year, in Canada, France, Italy, and Portugal. A patient-level simulation was developed to compare the costs and outcomes of IND/GLY versus SFC based on data from the LANTERN trial (NCT01709903). Monte-Carlo simulation methods were employed to follow individual patients over various time horizons. Population and efficacy inputs were derived from the LANTERN trial. Considering the payers' perspective, only direct costs were included. Costs and health outcomes were discounted annually at 3.0 % for all countries. Unit costs were taken from publically available sources with all costs converted to euros (€). The cost base year was 2015. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were undertaken to test the robustness of the model results. IND/GLY was found to be the dominant (more effective and less costly) treatment option compared with SFC in all four countries. The use of IND/GLY was associated with mean total cost savings per patient over a lifetime of €6202, €1974, €1611, and €220 in Canada, France, Italy, and Portugal, respectively. Sensitivity analysis showed that exacerbation rates had the largest impact on incremental costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). The probability of IND/GLY being cost effective was estimated to be >95 % for thresholds above €5000/QALY. In patients with moderate to severe COPD, IND/GLY is likely to be a cost-effective treatment alternative compared with SFC.

Exterior egg quality as affected by enrichment resources layout in furnished laying-hen cages.

PubMed

Li, Xiang; Chen, Donghua; Meng, Fanyu; Su, Yingying; Wang, Lisha; Zhang, Runxiang; Li, Jianhong; Bao, Jun

2017-10-01

This study aimed to investigate the effects of enrichment resources (a perch, dustbath, and nest) layout in furnished laying-hen cages (FC) on exterior quality of eggs. One hundred and sixty-eight (168) Hy-Line Brown laying hens at 16 weeks of age were randomly distributed to four treatments: small furnished cages (SFC), medium furnished cages type I (MFC-I), medium furnished cages type II (MFC-II), and medium furnished cages type III (MFC-III). Each treatment had 4 replicates or cages with 6 hens for SFC (24 birds for each SFC) and 12 hen/cage for MFC-I, -II, and -III (48 birds for each MFC-I, -II and -III). Following a 2-week acclimation, data collection started at 18 weeks of age and continued till 52 weeks of age. Dirtiness of egg surface or cracked shell as indicators of the exterior egg quality were recorded each week. The results showed that the proportion of cracked or dirty eggs was significantly affected by the FC type (p<0.01) in that the highest proportion of cracked or dirty eggs was found in MFC-I and the lowest proportion of dirty eggs in SFC. The results of this showed that furnished cage types affected both dirty eggs and cracked eggs (p<0.01). The results also indicated that not nest but dustbath lead to more dirty eggs. Only MFC-I had higher dirty eggs at nest than other FC (p< 0.01). The results of dirty eggs in MFC-I and MFC-II compared with SFC and MFC-III seemed suggest that a low position of dustbath led to more dirty eggs. SFC design affected exterior egg quality and the low position of dustbath in FC resulted in higher proportion of dirty eggs.

Characterization of Coconut Oil Fractions Obtained from Solvent Fractionation Using Acetone.

PubMed

Sonwai, Sopark; Rungprasertphol, Poonyawee; Nantipipat, Nantinee; Tungvongcharoan, Satinee; Laiyangkoon, Nantikan

2017-09-01

This work was aimed to study the solvent fraction of coconut oil (CNO). The fatty acid and triacylglycerol compositions, solid fat content (SFC) and the crystallization properties of CNO and its solid and liquid fractions obtained from fractionation at different conditions were investigated using various techniques. CNO was dissolved in acetone (1:1 w/v) and left to crystallize isothermally at 10°C for 0.5, 1 and 2 h and at 12°C for 2, 3 and 6 h. The solid fractions contained significantly lower contents of saturated fatty acids of ≤ 10 carbon atoms but considerably higher contents of saturated fatty acids with > 12 carbon atoms with respect to those of CNO and the liquid fractions. They also contained higher contents of high-melting triacylglycerol species with carbon number ≥ 38. Because of this, the DSC crystallization onset temperatures and the crystallization peak temperatures of the solid fractions were higher than CNO and the liquid fractions. The SFC values of the solid fractions were significantly higher than CNO at all measuring temperatures before reaching 0% just below the body temperature with the fraction obtained at 12°C for 2 h exhibiting the highest SFC. On the contrary, the SFC values of the liquid fractions were lower than CNO. The crystallization duration exhibited strong influence on the solid fractions. There was no effect on the crystal polymorphic structure possibly because CNO has β'-2 as a stable polymorph. The enhanced SFC of the solid fractions would allow them to find use in food applications where a specific melting temperature is desired such as sophisticated confectionery fats, and the decreased SFC of the liquid fractions would provide them with a higher cold stability which would be useful during extended storage time.

NCEP Air Quality Forecast(AQF) Verification. NOAA/NWS/NCEP/EMC

Science.gov Websites

Southwest Desert All regions PROD All regions PARA Select averaged hour: 8 hr sfc average 1 hr sfc average Select forecast four: Diurnal period 01-24 hr by day 25-48 hr by day Select statistic type: BIAS RMSE

CF6 jet engine performance deterioration results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lewis, R. J.; Humerickhouse, C. E.; Paas, J. E.

1978-01-01

The use of the performance baseline from the flight planning manual as a reference to measure changes in cruise fuel flow rates was discussed. For the CF6-6D engine, the introduction of design changes for performance and durability reasons was seen to introduce an average increment relative to this baseline of 3.2% WFM increase at Nl, 2.5% Fn increase at Nl, 0.8% specific fuel consumption (SFC) increase at Fn, and 7 C EGT increase at Nl, while maintaining sufficient SFC margin of the delivered airplane. The effect of revenue service deterioration and performance restoration relative to the reference was shown to be an adder on top of these design effects. A schematic of typical CF6-6D performance through revenue service and airline maintenance is presented in terms of percent cruise SFC relative to an airline datum point (average level upon entering revenue service). The typical changes in SFC margin are shown for airline revenue service through for installations and refurbishments.

Optimization and characterization of condensation nucleation light scattering detection coupled with supercritical fluid chromatography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Shaoping

This dissertation is an investigation of two aspects of coupling condensation nucleation light scattering detection (CNLSD) with supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC). In the first part, it was demonstrated that CNLSD was compatible with packed column SFC using either pure CO2 or organic solvent modified CO2 as mobile phases. Factors which were expected to affect the interface between SFC and CNLSD were optimized for the detector to reach low detection limits. With SFC using pure CO2 as mobile phase, the detection limit of CNLSD with SFC was observed to be at low nanogram levels, which was at the same level of flame ionization detection (FID) coupled with SFC. For SFC using modified CO2 as mobile phase, detection limits at the picogram level were observed for CNLSD at optimal conditions, which were at least ten times lower than those reached by evaporative light scattering detection. In the second part, particle size distributions of aerosols produced from rapid expansion of supercritical solutions were measured with a scanning mobility particle sizer. The effect of the factors, which were investigated in the first part for their effects on signal intensities and signal to noise ratios (S/N), on particle size distributions (PSDs) of both analyte and background were investigated. Whenever possible, both particle sizes and particle number obtained from PSDs were used to explain the optimization results. In general, PSD data support the observations made in the first part. The detection limits of CNLSD obtained were much higher than predicted. PSDs did not provide direct explanation of this problem. The amount of analyte deposited in the transport tubing, evaporated to gas phase, and condensed to form particles was determined experimentally. Almost no analyte was found in the gas phase. Less than 3% was found in the particle forms. The vast majority of analyte was lost in the transport tubing, especially in the short distance after supercritical fluid expansion. A mechanism was proposed to explain the loss of analyte in the transport tubing.

A field investigation of concrete overlays containing latex, silica fume, or Pyrament cement.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1996-01-01

This study evaluated latex-modified concretes (LMC) and concretes containing silica fume (SFC) or Pyrament-blended cement (PBCC) in bridge deck overlays in the field. The condition of the overlays was monitored for 4 years. LMC and SFC were placed in...

Effects of supercritical fluid chromatography conditions on enantioselectivity and performance of polyproline-derived chiral stationary phases.

PubMed

Novell, Arnau; Méndez, Alberto; Minguillón, Cristina

2015-07-17

The chromatographic behaviour and performance of four polyproline-derived chiral stationary phases (CSPs) were tested using supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC). A series of structurally related racemic compounds, whose enantioseparation was proved to be sensitive to the type of mobile phase used in NP-HPLC, were chosen to be tested in the SFC conditions. Good enantioselection ability was shown by the CSPs for the analytes tested in the new conditions. Resolution, efficiency and analysis time, were considerably improved with respect to NP-HPLC when CO2/alcohol mobile phases were used. Monolithic columns clearly show enhanced chromatographic parameters and improved performance respect to their bead-based counterparts. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Measurement of the intracellular ph in human stomach cells: a novel approach to evaluate the gastric acid secretory potential of coffee beverages.

PubMed

Weiss, Carola; Rubach, Malte; Lang, Roman; Seebach, Elisabeth; Blumberg, Simone; Frank, Oliver; Hofmann, Thomas; Somoza, Veronika

2010-02-10

As the consumption of coffee beverages sometimes is reported to cause gastric irritation, for which an increased stomach acid secretion is one of the promoting factors, different processing technologies such as steam-treatment have been developed to reduce putative stomach irritating compounds. There is evidence-based data neither on the effect of detailed processing variations nor on individual coffee components affecting the proton secretory activity (PSA). This work aimed at developing a screening model suitable for investigating the effects of commercial coffee beverages and components thereof on human parietal cells. Human gastric cancer cells (HGT-1) were treated with reconstituted freeze-dried coffee beverages prepared from customary coffee products such as regular coffee (RC, n = 4), mild bean coffee (MBC, n = 5), stomach friendly coffee (SFC, n = 4), and SFC decaffeinated (SFCD, n = 3). PSA was analyzed by flow cytometry using the pH-sensitive dye SNARF-AM. Treatment of the cells with MBC did not result in a PSA different from RC treatment (p

Strong cation exchange-type chiral stationary phase for enantioseparation of chiral amines in subcritical fluid chromatography.

PubMed

Wolrab, Denise; Kohout, Michal; Boras, Mario; Lindner, Wolfgang

2013-05-10

A new strong cation exchange type chiral stationary phase (SCX CSP) based on a syringic acid amide derivative of trans-(R, R)-2-aminocyclohexanesulfonic acid was applied to subcritical fluid chromatography (SFC) for separation of various chiral basic drugs and their analogues. Mobile phase systems consisting of aliphatic alcohols as polar modifiers and a broad range of amines with different substitution patterns and lipophilicity were employed to evaluate the impact on the SFC retention and selectivity characteristics. The observed results point to the existence of carbonic and carbamic acid salts formed as a consequence of reactions occurring between carbon dioxide, the alcoholic modifiers and the amine species present in the sub/supercritical fluid medium, respectively. Evidence is provided that these species are essential for affecting ion exchange between the strongly acidic chiral selector units and the basic analytes, following the well-established stoichiometric displacement mechanisms. Specific trends were observed when different types of amines were used as basic additives. While ammonia gave rise to the formation of the most strongly eluting carbonic and carbamic salt species, simple tertiary amines consistently provided superior levels of enantioselectivity. Furthermore, trends in the chiral SFC separation characteristics were investigated by the systematic variation of the modifier content and temperature. Different effects of additives are interpreted in terms of changes in the relative concentration of the transient ionic species contributing to analyte elution, with ammonia-derived carbamic salts being depleted at elevated temperatures by decomposition. Additionally, in an effort to optimize SFC enantiomer separation conditions for selected analytes, the impact of the type of the organic modifier, temperature, flow rate and active back pressure were also investigated. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

SITE TECHNOLOGY CAPSULE: INPLANT SYSTEMS, INC. SFC 0.5 OLEOFILTRATION SYSTEM

EPA Science Inventory

Oleofiltration is used to separate suspended, emulsified and a portion of dissolved hydrocarbons from water. The InPlant Systems, Inc., SFC 0.5 Oleofiltration System was demonstrated under the SITE Program in June 1994 at a Superfund site in Florida that was contaminated with 29,...

SEPARATION OF OCTYLPHENOL POLYETHER ALCOHOLS SURFACTANTS BY CAPILLARY COLUMN SFC AND HPLC

EPA Science Inventory

Separation of nonionic octylphenol polyether alcohols (OPA) by supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) and HPLC is described. Using a density programming and a 50-μm i.d. capillary column, a total of 18 group oligomers was separated. The effects of the operating parameters, such...

Army Communicator. Volume 28, Number 3, Fall 2003

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-01-01

receive training from the Cisco Academy. SFC Kathleen O’Meara, an adminis- trative specialist, said her MOS will soon be merged with others. SFC O’Meara...successfully completed.” SGT William Leyden , US Army Japan G6 section, talked about working on teams and with Mr. Tsuhako. “It’s nice. (The system

Ketamine metabolites with antidepressant effects: Fast, economical, and eco-friendly enantioselective separation based on supercritical-fluid chromatography (SFC) and single quadrupole MS detection.

PubMed

Fassauer, Georg M; Hofstetter, Robert; Hasan, Mahmoud; Oswald, Stefan; Modeß, Christina; Siegmund, Werner; Link, Andreas

2017-11-30

Increasing evidence accumulates that metabolites of the dissociative anesthetic ketamine contribute considerably to the biological effects of this drug and could be developed as next generation antidepressants, especially for acute treatment of patients with therapy-refractory major depression. Analytical methods for the simultaneous determination of the plethora of hydroxylated, dehydrogenated and/or demethylated compounds formed after administration of ketamine hydrochloride are a prerequisite for future clinical investigations and a deeper understanding of the individual role of the isomers of these metabolites. In this study, we present development and validation of a method based on supercritical-fluid chromatography (SFC) coupled to single quadrupole MS detection that allows the separation of ketamine as well as all of its relevant metabolites detected in urine of healthy volunteers. Inherently to SFC methods, the run times of the novel protocol are four times shorter than in a comparable HPLC method, the use of organic solvents is reduced and we were able to demonstrate and validate the successful enantioselective separation and quantification of R- and S-ketamine, R- and S-norketamine, R- and S-dehydronorketamine and (2R,6R)- and (2S,6S)-hydroxynorketamine isomers differing in either constitution, stereochemistry, or both, in one run. The developed method may be useful in investigating the antidepressant efficacy of ketamine in clinical trials. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Preparative supercritical fluid chromatography: A powerful tool for chiral separations.

PubMed

Speybrouck, David; Lipka, Emmanuelle

2016-10-07

In 2012, the 4 biggest pharmaceutical blockbusters were pure enantiomers and separating racemic mixtures is now frequently a key step in the development of a new drug. For a long time, preparative liquid chromatography was the technique of choice for the separation of chiral compounds either during the drug discovery process to get up to a hundred grams of a pure enantiomer or during the clinical trial phases needing kilograms of material. However the advent of supercritical Fluid Chromatography (SFC) in the 1990s has changed things. Indeed, the use of carbon dioxide as the mobile phase in SFC offers many advantages including high flow rate, short equilibration time as well as low solvent consumption. Despite some initial teething troubles, SFC is becoming the primary method for preparative chiral chromatography. This article will cover recent developments in preparative SFC for the separation of enantiomers, reviewing several aspects such as instrumentation, chiral stationary phases, mobile phases or purely preparative considerations including overloading, productivity or large scale chromatography. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Tribology behavior on scratch tests: Effects of yield strength

DOE PAGES

Feng, Biao

2017-03-07

In this paper, a three-dimensional (3D) scratch model is proposed to investigate the effects of yield strength of both coatings and substrates. With the help of combined Coulomb and plastic friction, the obtained results comprehensively interpret the experimental phenomena in most metals that with the growth of hardness after heat treatment the scratch friction coefficient (SFC) increases. This interpretation could not be done before. Scratch tests on the surface with or without the coating are discussed. Without the coating the SFC increases due to the decrease of the area with plastic slippage and/or the increase of friction stress during themore » increase of the yield strength in the material. With a softer substrate the friction stress decreases but the SFC increases, which is caused by the growth of the entire contact area and surface deformation. Conversely, with a stronger substrate the SFC decreases due to an intensified plastic slippage In conclusion, the obtained results pave a new way to understanding the effects of yield strength on scratch tests, interpret experimental phenomena, and should be helpful for an optimum design in experiments.« less

Tribology behavior on scratch tests: Effects of yield strength

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Feng, Biao

In this paper, a three-dimensional (3D) scratch model is proposed to investigate the effects of yield strength of both coatings and substrates. With the help of combined Coulomb and plastic friction, the obtained results comprehensively interpret the experimental phenomena in most metals that with the growth of hardness after heat treatment the scratch friction coefficient (SFC) increases. This interpretation could not be done before. Scratch tests on the surface with or without the coating are discussed. Without the coating the SFC increases due to the decrease of the area with plastic slippage and/or the increase of friction stress during themore » increase of the yield strength in the material. With a softer substrate the friction stress decreases but the SFC increases, which is caused by the growth of the entire contact area and surface deformation. Conversely, with a stronger substrate the SFC decreases due to an intensified plastic slippage In conclusion, the obtained results pave a new way to understanding the effects of yield strength on scratch tests, interpret experimental phenomena, and should be helpful for an optimum design in experiments.« less

The Safety and Tolerability of 5-Aminolevulinic Acid Phosphate with Sodium Ferrous Citrate in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Bahrain

PubMed Central

Al-Saber, Feryal; Aldosari, Waleed; Alselaiti, Mariam; Khalfan, Hesham; Kaladari, Ahmed; Khan, Ghulam; Harb, George; Rehani, Riyadh; Kudo, Sizuka; Koda, Aya; Tanaka, Tohru

2016-01-01

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is prevalent especially in Gulf countries and poses serious long-term risks to patients. A multifaceted treatment approach can include nutritional supplements with antioxidant properties such as 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) with sodium ferrous citrate (SFC). This prospective, randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled, dose escalating pilot clinical trial assessed the safety of 5-ALA with SFC at doses up to 200 mg 5-ALA/229.42 mg SFC per day in patients living in Bahrain with type 2 diabetes mellitus that was uncontrolled despite the use of one or more antidiabetic drugs. Fifty-three patients (n = 53) from 3 sites at one center were enrolled by Dr. Feryal (Site #01), Dr. Hesham (Site #02), and Dr. Waleed (Site #03) (n = 35, 5-ALA-SFC; n = 18, placebo). There was no significant difference in incidence of adverse events reported, and the most frequent events reported were gastrointestinal in nature, consistent with the known safety profile of 5-ALA in patients with diabetes. No significant changes in laboratory values and no difference in hypoglycemia between patients receiving 5-ALA and placebo were noted. Overall, the current results support that use of 5-ALA-SFC up to 200 mg per day taken as 2 divided doses is safe in patients taking concomitant oral antidiabetic medications and may offer benefits in the diabetic population. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02481141. PMID:27738640

Possibilities and limitations of the kinetic plot method in supercritical fluid chromatography.

PubMed

De Pauw, Ruben; Desmet, Gert; Broeckhoven, Ken

2013-08-30

Although supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) is becoming a technique of increasing importance in the field of analytical chromatography, methods to compare the performance of SFC-columns and separations in an unbiased way are not fully developed. The present study uses mathematical models to investigate the possibilities and limitations of the kinetic plot method in SFC as this easily allows to investigate a wide range of operating pressures, retention and mobile phase conditions. The variable column length (L) kinetic plot method was further investigated in this work. Since the pressure history is identical for each measurement, this method gives the true kinetic performance limit in SFC. The deviations of the traditional way of measuring the performance as a function of flow rate (fixed back pressure and column length) and the isopycnic method with respect to this variable column length method were investigated under a wide range of operational conditions. It is found that using the variable L method, extrapolations towards other pressure drops are not valid in SFC (deviation of ∼15% for extrapolation from 50 to 200bar pressure drop). The isopycnic method provides the best prediction but its use is limited when operating closer towards critical point conditions. When an organic modifier is used, the predictions are improved for both methods with respect to the variable L method (e.g. deviations decreases from 20% to 2% when 20mol% of methanol is added). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of dietary concentration of wet distillers grains on performance by newly received beef cattle, in vitro gas production and volatile fatty acid concentrations, and in vitro dry matter disappearance.

PubMed

Smith, D R; Ponce, C H; Dilorenzo, N; Quinn, M J; May, M L; MacDonald, J C; Luebbe, M K; Bondurant, R G; Galyean, M L

2013-06-01

Three studies were designed to evaluate effects of wet distillers grains with solubles (WDGS) on health and performance of newly received beef cattle, in vitro gas production, molar proportions and total concentrations of VFA, and IVDMD. In Exp. 1 and 2, 219 (BW = 209 kg, SE = 2.2 kg; Exp. 1) and 200 beef steers (BW = 186 kg, SE = 3.2 kg; Exp. 2) were used in randomized complete block design receiving studies. The 4 dietary treatments (DM basis) were a 65% concentrate, steam-flaked corn (SFC)-based receiving diet without WDGS (CON) or diets that contained 12.5, 25.0, or 37.5% WDGS. There were no differences among the 4 receiving diets in BW (P ≥ 0.61), ADG (P ≥ 0.75), DMI (P ≥ 0.27), and G:F (P ≥ 0.35), or in the proportion of cattle treated for morbidity from bovine respiratory disease in either of the 2 experiments. In Exp. 3, in vitro methods were used to determine the effects of WDGS on IVDMD, total gas production, and molar proportions and total concentrations of VFA. Substrates used for the incubations contained the same major components as the diets used in Exp. 1, with ruminal fluid obtained from steers fed a 60% concentrate diet. Total gas production was less (P = 0.03) for the average of the 3 WDGS substrates than for CON, with a linear decrease (P = 0.01) in total gas production as WDGS concentration increased in the substrates. In contrast to gas production, IVDMD was greater for the average of the 3 WDGS concentrations vs. CON (P ≤ 0.05) at 6 and 12 h and increased (P ≤ 0.02) with increasing WDGS concentration at 6 (linear and quadratic) and 12 h (linear) of incubation. At 48 h, there was a quadratic effect (P = 0.05) on IVDMD, with the greatest value for 25% WDGS. Molar proportion of butyrate increased linearly (P < 0.01) as the concentration of WDGS increased in the substrate, and the average of the 3 substrates containing WDGS had a greater proportion of butyrate (P = 0.03) than CON. Performance data from Exp. 1 and 2 indicate that including WDGS in the SFC-based diets for newly received cattle can be an effective at concentrations up to 37.5% of the DM. In vivo measurements are needed to corroborate the in vitro fermentation changes noted with addition of WDGS.

Comparison of liquid and supercritical fluid chromatography mobile phases for enantioselective separations on polysaccharide stationary phases.

PubMed

Khater, Syame; Lozac'h, Marie-Anne; Adam, Isabelle; Francotte, Eric; West, Caroline

2016-10-07

Analysis and production of enantiomerically pure compounds is a major topic of interest when active pharmaceutical ingredients are concerned. Enantioselective chromatography has become a favourite both at the analytical and preparative scales. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) are dominating the scene and are often seen as complementary techniques. Nowadays, for economic and ecologic reasons, SFC may be preferred over normal-phase HPLC (NPLC) as it allows significant reductions in solvent consumption. However, the transfer of NPLC methods to SFC is not always straightforward. In this study, we compare the retention of achiral molecules and separation of enantiomers under supercritical fluid (carbon dioxide with ethanol or isopropanol) and liquid normal-phase (heptane with ethanol or isopropanol) elution modes with polysaccharide stationary phases in order to explore the differences between the retention and enantioseparation properties between the two modes. Chemometric methods (namely quantitative structure-retention relationships and discriminant analysis) are employed to compare the results obtained on a large set of analytes (171 achiral probes and 97 racemates) and gain some understanding on the retention and separation mechanisms. The results indicate that, contrary to popular belief, carbon dioxide - solvent SFC mobile phases are often weaker eluents than liquid mobile phases. It appears that SFC and NPLC elution modes provide different retention mechanisms. While some enantioseparations are unaffected, facilitating the transfer between the two elution modes, other enantioseparations may be drastically different due to different types and strength of interactions contributing to enantioselectivity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Arrangements for Assuring and Improving the Quality of Provision and Services in Scotland's Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Education Scotland, 2016

2016-01-01

The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) with Education Scotland is introducing new arrangements for assuring and improving the quality of provision delivered by Scotland's colleges commencing in AY 2016-17. The arrangements have been developed by Education Scotland and SFC at the end of a four-year cycle of external arrangements for review of colleges.…

75th Ranger Regiment Nutrition Program

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-07-15

75th Ranger Regiment Nutrition Program LTC Russ Kotwal CPT Nick Barringer Medical Director Dietician SFC Cesar Veliz SFC Justin...Siple Medical Training Culinary Advisor Warfighter Nutrition Conference USUHS, Bethesda, MD 15 JULY 2008 Report Documentation Page Form...DATES COVERED - 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 75th Ranger Regiment Nutrition Program 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT

Identification of the main mechanisms involved in the tolerance and bioremediation of Cr(VI) by Bacillus sp. SFC 500-1E.

PubMed

Ontañon, Ornella M; Fernandez, Marilina; Agostini, Elizabeth; González, Paola S

2018-06-01

Chromium pollution is a problem that affects different areas worldwide and, therefore, must be solved. Bioremediation is a promising alternative to treat environmental contamination, but finding bacterial strains able to tolerate and remove different contaminants is a major challenge, since most co-polluted sites contain mixtures of organic and inorganic substances. In the present work, Bacillus sp. SFC 500-1E, isolated from the bacterial consortium SFC 500-1 native to tannery sediments, showed tolerance to various concentrations of different phenolic compounds and heavy metals, such as Cr(VI). This strain was able to efficiently remove Cr(VI), even in the presence of phenol. The detection of the chrA gene suggested that Cr(VI) extrusion could be a mechanism that allowed this strain to tolerate the heavy metal. However, reduction through cytosolic NADH-dependent chromate reductases may be the main mechanism involved in the remediation. The information provided in this study about the mechanisms through which Bacillus sp. SFC 500-1E removes Cr(VI) should be taken into account for the future application of this strain as a possible candidate to remediate contaminated environments.

SFC-APLI-(TOF)MS: Hyphenation of Supercritical Fluid Chromatography to Atmospheric Pressure Laser Ionization Mass Spectrometry.

PubMed

Klink, Dennis; Schmitz, Oliver Johannes

2016-01-05

Atmospheric-pressure laser ionization mass spectrometry (APLI-MS) is a powerful method for the analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules, which are ionized in a selective and highly sensitive way via resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization. APLI was presented in 2005 and has been hyphenated successfully to chromatographic separation techniques like high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography (GC). In order to expand the portfolio of chromatographic couplings to APLI, a new hyphenation setup of APLI and supercritical-fluid chromatography (SFC) was constructed and aim of this work. Here, we demonstrate the first hyphenation of SFC and APLI in a simple designed way with respect to different optimization steps to ensure a sensitive analysis. The new setup permits qualitative and quantitative determination of native and also more polar PAH molecules. As a result of the altered ambient characteristics within the source enclosure, the quantification of 1-hydroxypyrene (1-HP) in human urine is possible without prior derivatization. The limit of detection for 1-HP by SFC-APLI-TOF(MS) was found to be 0.5 μg L(-1), which is lower than the 1-HP concentrations found in exposed persons.

Chromatographic resolution of closely related species in pharmaceutical chemistry: dehalogenation impurities and mixtures of halogen isomers.

PubMed

Regalado, Erik L; Zhuang, Ping; Chen, Yadan; Makarov, Alexey A; Schafer, Wes A; McGachy, Neil; Welch, Christopher J

2014-01-07

In recent years, the use of halogen-containing molecules has proliferated in the pharmaceutical industry, where the incorporation of halogens, especially fluorine, has become vitally important for blocking metabolism and enhancing the biological activity of pharmaceuticals. The chromatographic separation of halogen-containing pharmaceuticals from associated isomers or dehalogenation impurities can sometimes be quite difficult. In an attempt to identify the best current tools available for addressing this important problem, a survey of the suitability of four chromatographic method development platforms (ultra high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC), core shell HPLC, achiral supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) and chiral SFC) for separating closely related mixtures of halogen-containing pharmaceuticals and their dehalogenated isosteres is described. Of the 132 column and mobile phase combinations examined for each mixture, a small subset of conditions were found to afford the best overall performance, with a single UHPLC method (2.1 × 50 mm, 1.9 μm Hypersil Gold PFP, acetonitrile/methanol based aqueous eluents containing either phosphoric or perchloric acid with 150 mM sodium perchlorate) affording excellent separation for all samples. Similarly, a survey of several families of closely related halogen-containing small molecules representing the diversity of impurities that can sometimes be found in purchased starting materials for synthesis revealed chiral SFC (Chiralcel OJ-3 and Chiralpak IB, isopropanol or ethanol with 25 mM isobutylamine/carbon dioxide) as well as the UHPLC (2.1 × 50 mm, 1.8 μm ZORBAX RRHD Eclipse Plus C18 and the Gold PFP, acetonitrile/methanol based aqueous eluents containing phosphoric acid) as preferred methods.

Strong interferon-gamma mediated cellular immunity to scrub typhus demonstrated using a novel whole cell antigen ELISpot assay in rhesus macaques and humans.

PubMed

Sumonwiriya, Manutsanun; Paris, Daniel H; Sunyakumthorn, Piyanate; Anantatat, Tippawan; Jenjaroen, Kemajittra; Chumseng, Suchintana; Im-Erbsin, Rawiwan; Tanganuchitcharnchai, Ampai; Jintaworn, Suthatip; Blacksell, Stuart D; Chowdhury, Fazle R; Kronsteiner, Barbara; Teparrukkul, Prapit; Burke, Robin L; Lombardini, Eric D; Richards, Allen L; Mason, Carl J; Jones, James W; Day, Nicholas P J; Dunachie, Susanna J

2017-09-01

Scrub typhus is a febrile infection caused by the obligate intracellular bacterium Orientia tsutsugamushi, which causes significant morbidity and mortality across the Asia-Pacific region. The control of this vector-borne disease is challenging due to humans being dead-end hosts, vertical maintenance of the pathogen in the vector itself, and a potentially large rodent reservoir of unclear significance, coupled with a lack of accurate diagnostic tests. Development of an effective vaccine is highly desirable. This however requires better characterization of the natural immune response of this neglected but important disease. Here we implement a novel IFN-γ ELISpot assay as a tool for studying O. tsutsugamushi induced cellular immune responses in an experimental scrub typhus rhesus macaque model and human populations. Whole cell antigen for O. tsutsugamushi (OT-WCA) was prepared by heat inactivation of Karp-strain bacteria. Rhesus macaques were infected intradermally with O. tsutsugamushi. Freshly isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from infected (n = 10) and uninfected animals (n = 5) were stimulated with OT-WCA, and IFN-γ secreting cells quantitated by ELISpot assay at five time points over 28 days. PBMC were then assayed from people in a scrub typhus-endemic region of Thailand (n = 105) and responses compared to those from a partially exposed population in a non-endemic region (n = 14), and to a naïve population in UK (n = 12). Mean results at Day 0 prior to O. tsutsugamushi infection were 12 (95% CI 0-25) and 15 (2-27) spot-forming cells (SFC)/106 PBMC for infected and control macaques respectively. Strong O. tsutsugamushi-specific IFN-γ responses were seen post infection, with ELISpot responses 20-fold higher than baseline at Day 7 (mean 235, 95% CI 200-270 SFC/106 PBMC), 105-fold higher at Day 14 (mean 1261, 95% CI 1,097-1,425 SFC/106 PBMC), 125-fold higher at Day 21 (mean 1,498, 95% CI 1,496-1,500 SFC/106 PBMC) and 118-fold higher at Day 28 (mean 1,416, 95% CI 1,306-1,527 SFC/106 PBMC). No significant change was found in the control group at any time point compared to baseline. Humans from a scrub typhus endemic region of Thailand had mean responses of 189 (95% CI 88-290) SFC/106 PBMC compared to mean responses of 40 (95% CI 9-71) SFC/106 PBMC in people from a non-endemic region and 3 (95% CI 0-7) SFC/106 PBMC in naïve controls. In summary, this highly sensitive assay will enable field immunogenicity studies and further characterization of the host response to O. tsutsugamushi, and provides a link between human and animal models to accelerate vaccine development.

Improvement of simultaneous Cr(VI) and phenol removal by an immobilised bacterial consortium and characterisation of biodegradation products.

PubMed

Ontañon, Ornella M; González, Paola S; Barros, Germán G; Agostini, Elizabeth

2017-07-25

Microbial bioremediation emerged some decades ago as an eco-friendly technology to restore polluted sites. Traditionally, the search for microorganisms suitable for bioremediation has been based on the selection of isolated strains able to remove a specific type of pollutant. However, this strategy has now become obsolete, since co-pollution is a global reality. Thus, current studies attempt to find bacterial cultures capable of coping with a mixture of organic and inorganic compounds. In this sense, the bacterial consortium SFC 500-1 has demonstrated efficiency for Cr(VI) and phenol removal, both of which are found in many industrial wastewaters. In the present study, the ability of SFC 500-1 for simultaneous removal was improved through its entrapment in a Ca-alginate matrix. This strategy led to an increased removal of Cr(VI), which was partially reduced to Cr(III). Immobilised cells were able to tolerate and degrade phenol up to 1,500mg/l at high rates, forming catechol and cis,cis-muconate as oxidation intermediates. Successful removal potential through 5 cycles of reuse, as well as after long-term storage, was another important advantage of the immobilised consortium. These characteristics make SFC 500-1 an interesting system for potential application in the biotreatment of co-polluted effluents. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Supercritical fluid chromatography for separation and preparation of tautomeric 7-epimeric spiro oxindole alkaloids from Uncaria macrophylla.

PubMed

Yang, Wenzhi; Zhang, Yibei; Pan, Huiqin; Yao, Changliang; Hou, Jinjun; Yao, Shuai; Cai, Luying; Feng, Ruihong; Wu, Wanying; Guo, Dean

2017-02-05

Increasing challenge arising from configurational interconversion in aqueous solvent renders it rather difficult to isolate high-purity tautomeric reference standards and thus largely hinders the holistic quality control of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Spiro oxindole alkaloids (SOAs), as the markers for the medicinal Uncaria herbs, can easily isomerize in polar or aqueous solvent via a retro-Mannich reaction. In the present study, supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) is utilized to separate and isolate two pairs of 7-epimeric SOAs, including rhynchophylline (R) and isorhynchophylline (IR), corynoxine (C) and corynoxine B (CB), from Uncaria macrophylla. Initially, the solvent that can stabilize SOA epimers was systematically screened, and acetonitrile was used to dissolve and as the modifier in SFC. Then, key parameters of ultra-high performance SFC (ultra-performance convergence chromatography, UPC 2 ), comprising stationary phase, additive in modifier, column temperature, ABPR pressure, and flow rate, were optimized in sequence. Two isocratic UPC 2 methods were developed on the achiral Torus 1-AA and Torus Diol columns, suitable for UV and MS detection, respectively. MCI gel column chromatography fractionated the U. macrophylla extract into two mixtures (R/IR and C/CB). Preparative SFC, using a Viridis Prep Silica 2-EP OBD column and acetonitrile-0.2% diethylamine in CO 2 as the mobile phase, was finally employed for compound purification. As a result, the purity of four SOA compounds was all higher than 95%. Different from reversed-phase HPLC, SFC, by use of water-free mobile phase (inert CO 2 and aprotic modifier), provides a solution to rapid analysis and isolation of tautomeric reference standards for quality control of TCM. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ultra-high performance supercritical fluid chromatography hyphenated to atmospheric pressure chemical ionization high resolution mass spectrometry for the characterization of fast pyrolysis bio-oils.

PubMed

Crepier, Julien; Le Masle, Agnès; Charon, Nadège; Albrieux, Florian; Duchene, Pascal; Heinisch, Sabine

2018-06-01

Extensive characterization of complex mixtures requires the combination of powerful analytical techniques. A Supercritical Fluid Chromatography (SFC) method was previously developed, for the specific case of fast pyrolysis bio oils, as an alternative to gas chromatography (GC and GC × GC) or liquid chromatography (LC and LC × LC), both separation methods being generally used prior to mass spectrometry (MS) for the characterization of such complex matrices. In this study we investigated the potential of SFC hyphenated to high resolution mass spectrometry (SFC-HRMS) for this characterization using Negative ion Atmospheric Pressure Chemical ionization ((-)APCI) for the ionization source. The interface between SFC and (-)APCI/HRMS was optimized from a mix of model compounds with the objective of maximizing the signal to noise ratio. The main studied parameters included both make-up flow-rate and make-up composition. A methodology for the treatment of APCI/HRMS data is proposed. This latter allowed for the identification of molecular formulae. Both SFC-APCI/HRMS method and data processing method were applied to a mixture of 36 model compounds, first analyzed alone and then spiked in a bio-oil. In both cases, 19 compounds could be detected. Among them 9 could be detected in a fast pyrolysis bio-oil by targeted analysis. The whole procedure was applied to the characterization of a bio-oil using helpful representations such as mass-plots, van Krevelen diagrams and heteroatom class distributions. Finally the results were compared with those obtained with a Fourier Transform ion-cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer (FT-ICR/MS). Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Immunochemical and biological characterization of outer membrane proteins of Porphyromonas endodontalis.

PubMed Central

Ogawa, T; Kuribayashi, S; Shimauchi, H; Toda, T; Hamada, S

1992-01-01

Outer membrane proteins (OMP) of Porphyromonas endodontalis HG 370 (ATCC 35406) were prepared from the cell envelope fraction of the organisms. The cell envelope that had been obtained by sonication of the whole cells was extracted in 2% lithium dodecyl sulfate and then successively chromatographed with Sephacryl S-200 HR and DEAE-Sepharose Fast Flow. Two OMP fractions, OMP-I and OMP-II, were obtained, and their immunochemical properties and induction of specific antibodies were examined. The OMP-I preparation consisted of a major protein with an apparent molecular mass of 31 kDa and other moderate to minor proteins of 40.3, 51.4, 67, and 71.6 kDa, while the OMP-II preparation contained 14-, 15.5-, 27-, and 44-kDa proteins as revealed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic analysis. OMP-I was found to form hydrophilic diffusion pores by incorporation into artificial liposomes composed of egg yolk phosphatidylcholine and dicetylphosphate, indicating that OMP-I exhibited significant porin activity. However, the liposomes containing heat-denatured OMP-I were scarcely active. Spontaneous and antigen-specific immunoglobulin M (IgM)-, IgG-, and IgA-secreting spot-forming cells (SFC) enzymatically dissociated into single-cell suspensions from chronically inflamed periapical tissues and were enumerated by enzyme-linked immunospot assay. In patients with radicular cysts or dental granulomas, the major isotype of spontaneous SFC was IgG. In radicular cysts, the OMP-II-specific IgG SFC represented 0.13% of the total IgG SFC, while the antigen-specific IgA or IgM SFC was not observed. It was also found that none of these mononuclear cells produced antibodies specific for OMP-I or lipopolysaccharide of P. endodontalis. Images PMID:1328059

Advanced instrumental methods for analyzing organics in solid waste: The use of gas chromatography/matrix isolation infrared spectroscopy (GC/MIIR) and supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) for waste characterization

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Raphaelian, L.A.; Boparai, A.S.; Schneider, J.F.

1987-01-01

Objectives of this research project were: (1) to enhance the capabilities of analyzing the complex mixtures found in coal wastes by using gas chromatography/matrix isolation infrared spectroscopy (GC/MIIR); (2) to separate, by supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC), the complex mixtures found in coal wastes into a few, less-complex mixtures so that analysis by gas chromatography (GC/MS) and GC/MIIR would be simplified. Preliminary results are presented for the mass spectra and infrared spectra of xylene isomers, gas chromatogram of 12 C/sub 2/-Napthalenes, averaged IR spectrum and a comparison of matrix isolation with light-pipe infrared spectra. A SFC chromatogram of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbonsmore » is also presented. 2 refs., 5 figs.« less

Organization of the Army Postal Service

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-06-30

Statistical Clerk. The report is used on occasion by Miss M. A. Nicholas , Transportation Specialist (Nail), and Mr. R. D. Harbert, Chief, DAAG-MAT for mail...b. SFC G. E. Riep, Transportation NCOIC, and Miss M. A. Nicholas , iLansportatior Specialist (Mail), monitoi the report for situations indicative of a...D. Harbert, Chief, DAAG-MAT; Miss M. A. Nicholas , Transportation Specialist (Mail); and SFC G. E. Reip, Transportation NCO, coordinate with the Air

Experimental and theoretical study of light scattering by individual mature red blood cells by use of scanning flow cytometry and a discrete dipole approximation.

PubMed

Yurkin, Maxim A; Semyanov, Konstantin A; Tarasov, Peter A; Chernyshev, Andrei V; Hoekstra, Alfons G; Maltsev, Valeri P

2005-09-01

Elastic light scattering by mature red blood cells (RBCs) was theoretically and experimentally analyzed by use of the discrete dipole approximation (DDA) and scanning flow cytometry (SFC), respectively. SFC permits measurement of the angular dependence of the light-scattering intensity (indicatrix) of single particles. A mature RBC is modeled as a biconcave disk in DDA simulations of light scattering. We have studied the effect of RBC orientation related to the direction of the light incident upon the indicatrix. Numerical calculations of indicatrices for several axis ratios and volumes of RBC have been carried out. Comparison of the simulated indicatrices and indicatrices measured by SFC showed good agreement, validating the biconcave disk model for a mature RBC. We simulated the light-scattering output signals from the SFC with the DDA for RBCs modeled as a disk-sphere and as an oblate spheroid. The biconcave disk, the disk-sphere, and the oblate spheroid models have been compared for two orientations, i.e., face-on and rim-on incidence, relative to the direction of the incident beam. Only the oblate spheroid model for rim-on incidence gives results similar to those of the rigorous biconcave disk model.

Additive free preparative chiral SFC separations of 2,2-dimethyl-3-aryl-propanoic acids.

PubMed

Wu, Dauh-Rurng; Yip, Shiuhang Henry; Li, Peng; Sun, Dawn; Kempson, James; Mathur, Arvind

2016-11-30

A series of racemic 2,2-dimethyl-3-aryl-propanoic acids were resolved by chiral supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) without the use of an acidic additive, trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). The use of additive-free protic methanol as co-solvent in CO 2 was expanded to successfully resolve other series of carboxylic acid containing racemates. Large-scale SFC of racemic acid 4, 3-(1-(4-fluorophenyl)-1H-indazol-5-yl)-2,2-dimethyl-3-phenylpropanoic acid, in methanol without TFA as additive on both Chiralpak AD-H and Chiralcel OJ-H will be discussed, along with impact on throughput and solvent consumption. Investigation of co-solvent effect on peak sharpening of acid racemate 20, 2-(2-chloro-9-fluoro-5H-chromeno[2,3-b]pyridin-5-yl)-2-methylpropanoic acid, without TFA further indicated that methanol in CO 2 provided improved peak shape compared with isopropanol (IPA) and acetonitrile. Finally, we discuss the resolution of basic aromatic chiral amines without the addition of basic additives such as diethylamine (DEA) and application of this protocol for the large-scale SFC separation of weakly basic indazole-containing racemate 14, methyl 3-(1H-indazol-5-yl)-2,2-dimethyl-3-phenylpropanoate, in methanol without DEA. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Does temperature nudging overwhelm aerosol radiative effects in regional integrated climate models?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Jian; Glotfelty, Timothy; Yahya, Khairunnisa; Alapaty, Kiran; Yu, Shaocai

2017-04-01

Nudging (data assimilation) is used in many regional integrated meteorology-air quality models to reduce biases in simulated climatology. However, in such modeling systems, temperature changes due to nudging could compete with temperature changes induced by radiatively active and hygroscopic short-lived tracers leading to two interesting dilemmas: when nudging is continuously applied, what are the relative sizes of these two radiative forces at regional and local scales? How do these two forces present in the free atmosphere differ from those present at the surface? This work studies these two issues by converting temperature changes due to nudging into pseudo radiative effects (PRE) at the surface (PRE_sfc), in troposphere (PRE_atm), and at the top of atmosphere (PRE_toa), and comparing PRE with the reported aerosol radiative effects (ARE). Results show that the domain-averaged PRE_sfc is smaller than ARE_sfc estimated in previous studies and this work, but could be significantly larger than ARE_sfc at local scales. PRE_atm is also much smaller than ARE_atm. These results indicate that appropriate nudging methodology could be applied to the integrated models to study aerosol radiative effects at continental/regional scales, but it should be treated with caution for local scale applications.

Supercritical fluid chromatographic resolution of water soluble isomeric carboxyl/amine terminated peptides facilitated via mobile phase water and ion pair formation.

PubMed

Patel, M A; Riley, F; Ashraf-Khorassani, M; Taylor, L T

2012-04-13

Both analytical scale and preparative scale packed column supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) have found widespread applicability for chiral separations of multiple polar pharmaceutical candidates. However, SFC is rapidly becoming an achiral technique. More specifically, ion pair SFC is finding greater utility for separation of ionic analytes such as amine salts and organic sulfonates. The key to this success is, in part, the incorporation of additives such as trifluoroacetic acid and ammonium acetate into the mobile phase in association with a wide variety of both bonded silica stationary phases and high purity bare silica. Ion pairing SFC coupled with evaporative light scattering detection and mass spectrometric detection is presented here for the separation of water soluble, uncapped, isomeric peptide pairs that differ in amino acid arrangement. The separation is best achieved on either diol-bonded silica or bare silica with 1-5% (w/w) water as a significant ingredient in the mobile phase. Nitrogenous stationary phases such as 2-ethylpyridine, which had been very successful for the separation of capped peptides failed to yield the desired separation regardless of the mobile phase composition. A HILIC type retention mechanism is postulated for the separation of both isomeric uncapped peptide pairs. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A strong-focusing 800 MeV cyclotron for high-current applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pogue, N.; Assadi, S.; Badgley, K.; Comeaux, J.; Kellams, J.; McInturff, A.; McIntyre, P.; Sattarov, A.

2013-04-01

A superconducting strong-focusing cyclotron (SFC) is being developed for high-current applications. It incorporates four innovations. Superconducting quarter-wave cavities are used to provide >20 MV/turn acceleration. The orbit separation is thereby opened so that bunch-bunch interactions between successive orbits are eliminated. Quadrapole focusing channels are incorporated within the sectors so that alternating-gradient strong-focusing transport is maintained throughout. Dipole windings on the inner and outer orbits provide enhanced control for injection and extraction of bunches. Finally each sector magnet is configured as a flux-coupled stack of independent apertures, so that any desired number of independent cyclotrons can be integrated within a common footprint. Preliminary simulations indicate that each SFC should be capable of accelerating 10 mA CW to 800 MeV with very low loss and >50% energy efficiency. A primary motivation for SFC is as a proton driver for accelerator-driven subcritical fission in a molten salt core. The cores are fueled solely with the transuranics from spent nuclear fuel from a conventional nuclear power plant. The beams from one SFC stack would destroy all of the transuranics and long-lived fission products that are produced by a GWe reactor [1]. This capability offers the opportunity to close the nuclear fuel cycle and provide a path to green nuclear energy.

Stego on FPGA: An IWT Approach

PubMed Central

Ramalingam, Balakrishnan

2014-01-01

A reconfigurable hardware architecture for the implementation of integer wavelet transform (IWT) based adaptive random image steganography algorithm is proposed. The Haar-IWT was used to separate the subbands namely, LL, LH, HL, and HH, from 8 × 8 pixel blocks and the encrypted secret data is hidden in the LH, HL, and HH blocks using Moore and Hilbert space filling curve (SFC) scan patterns. Either Moore or Hilbert SFC was chosen for hiding the encrypted data in LH, HL, and HH coefficients, whichever produces the lowest mean square error (MSE) and the highest peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR). The fixated random walk's verdict of all blocks is registered which is nothing but the furtive key. Our system took 1.6 µs for embedding the data in coefficient blocks and consumed 34% of the logic elements, 22% of the dedicated logic register, and 2% of the embedded multiplier on Cyclone II field programmable gate array (FPGA). PMID:24723794

Dietary protein quality and quantity affect lactational responses to corn distillers grains: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Hollmann, M; Allen, M S; Beede, D K

2011-04-01

Diet fermentability influences lactational responses to feeding corn distillers grains (CDG) to dairy cows. However, some measures of diet fermentability are inherently related to the concentration and characteristics of corn-based ingredients in the ration. Corn-based feeds have poor protein quality, unable to meet the essential AA requirements of lactating cows. We conducted a meta-analysis of treatment means (n=44) from the scientific literature to evaluate responses in milk yield (MY) and milk true protein concentration and yield to dietary CDG. The test variable was the difference in response between the CDG diet mean and the control diet mean (0% CDG) within experiment. Fixed variables were CDG concentration of the diet [% of dietary dry matter (DM)] and crude protein (CP) concentration and fractions of CP based on origin (corn-based versus non-corn-based feeds) of control and CDG diets. Diets with CDG ranged from 4 to 42% CDG, DM basis. Non-corn-based dietary CP averaged 6.3±3.32% of total DM. Milk yield and milk true protein yield responses to added CDG were maximized when approximately 8.5% of the total dietary DM was non-corn-based CP. Milk yield response peaked for higher-producing cows (>30.0 kg MY/cow per day) at 4.3% dietary corn-based CP, but decreased linearly for lower-producing cows (<30.0 kg MY/cow per day) as corn-based dietary CP increased. Milk true protein yield response decreased as corn-based dietary CP concentration increased but milk true protein concentration response was not decreased when CDG diets had more than 6.5% dietary non-corn-based CP. Overall, 8.5% dietary non-corn-based CP was necessary in lactation diets to maximize lactational responses to dietary CDG. The necessity of dietary non-corn-based CP to maximize milk and milk protein yields limits the amount of dietary corn-based CP, including that from CDG, which can be included in rations without overfeeding N. Copyright © 2011 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Methodology for Multidisciplinary Decision Making for a Surface Combatant Main Engine Selection Problem

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

nautical miles per hour ONR Office of Naval Research OPC overall propulsive coefficient RS repairable at sea SFC specific fuel consumption SHP shaft...fmSFC SHP hp =  (2.3) Overall Propulsive Coefficient ( OPC ) The overall propulsive coefficient is equal to the ratio between the effective...horsepower (EHP), and the total installed shaft horsepower (SHP) delivered by the main engine [6]. OPC can be determined using the following relationship

Polarization radiation in the planetary atmosphere delimited by a heterogeneous diffusely reflecting surface

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strelkov, S. A.; Sushkevich, T. A.

1983-01-01

Spatial frequency characteristics (SFC) and the scattering functions were studied in the two cases of a uniform horizontal layer with absolutely black bottom, and an isolated layer. The mathematical model for these examples describes the horizontal heterogeneities in a light field with regard to radiation polarization in a three dimensional planar atmosphere, delimited by a heterogeneous surface with diffuse reflection. The perturbation method was used to obtain vector transfer equations which correspond to the linear and nonlinear systems of polarization radiation transfer. The boundary value tasks for the vector transfer equation that is a parametric set and one dimensional are satisfied by the SFC of the nonlinear system, and are expressed through the SFC of linear approximation. As a consequence of the developed theory, formulas were obtained for analytical calculation of albedo in solving the task of dissemination of polarization radiation in the planetary atmosphere with uniform Lambert bottom.

El Sistema de Formas en Colores for Teaching Grammar in Spanish

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nailon, James

2010-01-01

Sistema de formas en colores (SFC) is a symbols-based system for teaching Spanish grammatical structures and concepts within a communicative context in the elementary school. The (ACTFL) Standards for Foreign Language Learning: Preparing for the 21st Century states that, "While grammar and vocabulary are essential tools for communication, it is…

Structural Characterisation of Acetogenins from Annona muricata by Supercritical Fluid Chromatography Coupled to High-Resolution Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

PubMed

Laboureur, Laurent; Bonneau, Natacha; Champy, Pierre; Brunelle, Alain; Touboul, David

2017-11-01

Acetogenins are plant polyketides known to be cytotoxic and proposed as antitumor candidates. They are also suspected to be alimentary neurotoxins. Their occurrence as complex mixtures renders their dereplication and structural identification difficult using liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry and efforts are required to improve the methodology. To develop a supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry method, involving lithium post-column cationisation, for the structural characterisation of Annonaceous acetogenins in crude extracts. The seeds of Annona muricata L. were extracted with methanol. Supercritical fluid chromatography of the extract, using a 2-ethylpyridine stationary phase column, was monitored using a high-resolution quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Lithium iodide was added post-column in the make-up solvent. For comparison, the same extract was analysed using high-pressure liquid chromatography coupled to the same mass spectrometer, with a column based on solid core particles. Sensitivity was similar for both HPLC and SFC approaches. Retention behaviour and fragmentation pathways of three different isomer groups are described. A previously unknown group of acetogenins was also evidenced for the first time. The use of SFC-MS/MS allows the reduction of the time of analysis, of environmental impact and an increase in the chromatographic resolution, compared to liquid chromatography. This new methodology enlightened a new group of acetogenins, isomers of montanacin-D. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Supercritical fluid chromatography-photodiode array detection-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry as a framework for impurity fate mapping in the development and manufacture of drug substances.

PubMed

Pirrone, Gregory F; Mathew, Rose M; Makarov, Alexey A; Bernardoni, Frank; Klapars, Artis; Hartman, Robert; Limanto, John; Regalado, Erik L

2018-03-30

Impurity fate and purge studies are critical in order to establish an effective impurity control strategy for approval of the commercial filing application of new medicines. Reversed phase liquid chromatography-diode array-mass spectrometry (RPLC-DAD-MS) has traditionally been the preferred tool for impurity fate mapping. However, separation of some reaction mixtures by LC can be very problematic requiring combination LC-UV for area % analysis and a different LC-MS method for peak identification. In addition, some synthetic intermediates might be chemically susceptible to the aqueous conditions used in RPLC separations. In this study, the use of supercritical fluid chromatography-photodiode array-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (SFC-PDA-ESIMS) for fate and purge of two specified impurities in the 1-uridine starting material from the synthesis of a bis-piv 2'keto-uridine, an intermediate in the synthesis of uprifosbuvir, a treatment under investigation for chronic hepatitis C infection. Readily available SFC instrumentation with a Chiralpak IC column (4.6 × 150 mm, 3 μm) and ethanol: carbon dioxide based mobile phase eluent enabled the separation of closely related components from complex reaction mixtures where RLPC failed to deliver optimal chromatographic performance. These results illustrate how SFC combined with PDA and ESI-MS detection can become a powerful tool for direct impurity fate mapping across multiple reaction steps. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Impacts of Extraction Methods in the Rapid Determination of Atrazine Residues in Foods using Supercritical Fluid Chromatography and Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay: Microwave Solvent vs. Supercritical Fluid Extractions

PubMed Central

El-Saeid, Mohamed H.; Kanu, Ijeoma; Anyanwu, Ebere C.; Saleh, Mahmoud A.

2005-01-01

It is an accepted fact that many food products that we eat today have the possibility of being contaminated by various chemicals used from planting to processing. These chemicals have been shown to cause illnesses for which some concerned government agencies have instituted regulatory mechanisms to minimize the risks and the effects on humans. It is for these concerns that reliable and accurate rapid determination techniques are needed to effect proper regulatory standards for the protection of people's nutritional health. This paper, therefore, reports the comparative evaluation of the extraction methods in the determination of atrazine (commonly used in agricultural as a herbicide) residues in foods using supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) techniques. Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and microwave solvent extraction (MSE) methods were used to test samples of frozen vegetables, fruit juice, and jam from local food markets in Houston. Results showed a high recovery percentage of atrazine residues using supercritical fluid coupled with ELISA and SFC than with MSE. Comparatively, however, atrazine was detected 90.9 and 54.5% using SFC and ELISA techniques, respectively. ELISA technique was, however, less time consuming, lower in cost, and more sensitive with low detection limit of atrazine residues than SFC technique. PMID:15674445

Effects of corn particle size and source on performance of lactating cows fed direct-cut grass-legume forage.

PubMed

Reis, R B; Emeterio, F S; Combs, D K; Satter, L D; Costa, H N

2001-02-01

We conducted two experiments to evaluate the effects of corn supplementation, source of corn, and corn particle size on performance and nutrient utilization of lactating dairy cows. In experiment 1, treatments were 1) direct-cut grass-legume forage without supplement, 2) direct-cut forage plus 10 kg DM of ground dry shelled corn-based concentrate, and 3) direct-cut forage plus 10 kg DM of coarsely ground high moisture ear corn-based concentrate. In experiment 2, treatments were 1) direct-cut grass-legume forage plus 10 kg DM of ground dry shelled corn-based concentrate, 2) direct-cut forage plus 10 kg DM of coarsely ground high moisture ear corn-based concentrate, and 3) direct-cut forage plus 10 kg of DM finely ground high moisture ear corn-based concentrate. Both experiments were designed as 3 x 3 Latin squares replicated three times. In experiment 1, yields of milk and milk protein increased with concentrate supplementation, but were not affected by source of corn. Solids-corrected milk yield tended to increase with grain supplementation. Dry matter intake increased with concentrate supplementation, but was not affected by source of corn or corn particle size. Corn supplements decreased ruminal pH and acetate to propionate ratio and increased ruminal propionate concentration. Grain supplements reduced ruminal ammonia concentration, increased concentration of urine allantoin, and increased the urinary allantoin to creatinine ratio. In the second study, fine grinding of high moisture corn reduced fecal starch plus free glucose levels and tended to increase its apparent digestibility. In both experiments, starch plus free glucose intake was higher on the diets with dry corn, but its utilization was not affected by source of corn.

Performance Optimization of the NASA Large Civil Tiltrotor

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-07-01

Continuous Power MRP Maximum Rated Power (take-off power) OEI One Engine Inoperative OGE Out of Ground Effect SFC Specific Fuel Consumption SLS Sea...for the LCTR2 based on a service entry date of 2018. Table 1 summarizes the nominal mission, and Table 2 lists key design values (the initial values...Aeroflightdynamics Directorate (AFDD), RDECOM (Ref. 4). RC designs are based upon a physics- based synthesis process calibrated to a database of

Optimization of a two-dimensional liquid chromatography-supercritical fluid chromatography-mass spectrometry (2D-LC-SFS-MS) system to assess "in-vivo" inter-conversion of chiral drug molecules.

PubMed

Goel, Meenakshi; Larson, Eli; Venkatramani, C J; Al-Sayah, Mohammad A

2018-05-01

Enantioselective analysis is an essential requirement during the pharmaceutical development of chiral drug molecules. In pre-clinical and clinical studies, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandates the assessment of "in vivo" inter-conversion of chiral drugs to determine their physiological effects. In-vivo analysis of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and its potential metabolites could be quite challenging due to their low abundance (ng/mL levels) and matrix interferences. Therefore, highly selective and sensitive analytical techniques are required to separate the API and its metabolites from the matrix components and one another. Additionally, for chiral APIs, further analytical separation is required to resolve the API and its potential metabolites from their corresponding enantiomers. In this work, we demonstrate the optimization of our previously designed two-dimensional liquid chromatography-supercritical fluid chromatography-mass spectrometry (2D-LC-SFC -MS) system to achieve 10 ng/mL detection limit [1]. The first LC dimension, used as a desalting step, could efficiently separate the API from its potential metabolites and matrix components. The API and its metabolites were then trapped/focused on small trapping columns and transferred onto the second SFC dimension for chiral separation. Detection can be achieved by ultra-violet (UV) or MS detection. Different system parameters such as column dimensions, transfer volumes, trapping column stationary phase, system tubing internal diameter (i.d.), and detection techniques, were optimized to enhance the sensitivity of the 2D-LC-SFC-MS system. The limit of detection was determined to be 10 ng/mL. An application is described where a mouse hepatocyte treated sample was analyzed using the optimized 2D-LC-SFC-MS system with successful assessment of the ratio of API to its metabolite (1D-LC), as well as the corresponding enantiomeric excess values (% e.e.) of each (2D-SFC). Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sunflower cake as a natural composite: composition and plastic properties.

PubMed

Geneau-Sbartaï, Céline; Leyris, Juliette; Silvestre, Françoise; Rigal, Luc

2008-12-10

Nowadays, the end-of-life of plastic products and the decrease of fossil energy are great environmental problems. Moreover, with the increase of food and nonfood transformations of renewable resources, the quantities of agro-industrial byproducts and wastes increase hugely. These facts allow the development of plastic substitutes made from agro-resources. Many researches show the feasibility of molding biopolymers extracted from plants like a common polymeric matrix. Other natural macromolecules are used like fillers into polyolefins, for example. However, limited works present results about the transformation of a natural blend of biopolymers into a plastic material. The aim of this study is the determination of the composition of sunflower cake (SFC) and also the characterization of its components. These were identified by chemical and biochemical analysis often used in agricultural or food chemistry. Most of the extraction and purification processes modify the macrostructure of several biopolymers (e.g., denaturation of proteins, cleavage or creation of weak bonds, etc.). So, the composition of different parts of the sunflower seed (husk, kernel, and also protein isolate) was determined, and the plasticlike properties of their components were studied with thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and a dynamic mechanical thermal analysis apparatus. Finally, this indirect way of characterization showed that SFC can be considered a natural composite. In SFC, several components like lignocellulosic fibers [40%/dry matter (DM)], which essentially come from the husk of sunflower seed, can act as fillers. However, other biopolymers like globulins ( approximately 30% of the 30% of sunflower seed proteins/DM of SFC) can be shaped as a thermoplastic-like material because this kind of protein has a temperature of glass transition and a temperature of denaturation that seems to be similar to a melting temperature. These proteins have also viscoelastic properties. Moreover, SFC has similar rheological properties and other physicochemical properties compatible with shaping or molding behaviors of plastic-processing machinery.

Effects of Furnished Cage Type on Behavior and Welfare of Laying Hens.

PubMed

Li, Xiang; Chen, Donghua; Li, Jianhong; Bao, Jun

2016-06-01

This study was conducted to compare the effects of layout of furniture (a perch, nest, and sandbox) in cages on behavior and welfare of hens. Two hundred and sixteen Hyline Brown laying hens were divided into five groups (treatments) with four replicates per group: small furnished cages (SFC), medium furnished cages type I (MFC-I), medium furnished cages type II (MFC-II), and medium furnished cages type III (MFC-III) and conventional cages (CC). The experiment started at 18 week of age and finished at 52 week of age. Hens' behaviors were filmed during the following periods: 8:00 to 10:00; 13:00 to 14:00; 16:00 to 17:00 on three separate days and two hens from each cage were measured for welfare parameters at 50 wk of age. The results showed that feeding and laying of all hens showed no effect by cage type (p>0.05), and the hens in the furnished cages had significantly lower standing and higher walking than CC hens (p<0.05). The birds in MFC-III had significant higher preening, scratching and feather-pecking behavior than in the other cages (p<0.05). No difference in nesting behavior was found in the hens between the furnished cages (p>0.05). The hens in MFC-I, -II, and -III showed a significant higher socializing behavior than SFC and CC (p<0.05). The lowest perching was for the hens in SFC and the highest perching found for the hens in MFC-III. Overall, the hens in CC showed poorer welfare conditions than the furnished cages, in which the feather condition score, gait score and tonic immobility duration of the hens in CC was significantly higher than SFC, MFC-I, MFC-II, and MFC-III (p<0.05). In conclusion, the furnished cage design affected both behavior and welfare states of hens. Overall, MFC-III cage design was better than SFC, MFC-I, and MFC-II cage designs.

Effects of Furnished Cage Type on Behavior and Welfare of Laying Hens

PubMed Central

Li, Xiang; Chen, Donghua; Li, Jianhong; Bao, Jun

2016-01-01

This study was conducted to compare the effects of layout of furniture (a perch, nest, and sandbox) in cages on behavior and welfare of hens. Two hundred and sixteen Hyline Brown laying hens were divided into five groups (treatments) with four replicates per group: small furnished cages (SFC), medium furnished cages type I (MFC-I), medium furnished cages type II (MFC-II), and medium furnished cages type III (MFC-III) and conventional cages (CC). The experiment started at 18 week of age and finished at 52 week of age. Hens’ behaviors were filmed during the following periods: 8:00 to 10:00; 13:00 to 14:00; 16:00 to 17:00 on three separate days and two hens from each cage were measured for welfare parameters at 50 wk of age. The results showed that feeding and laying of all hens showed no effect by cage type (p>0.05), and the hens in the furnished cages had significantly lower standing and higher walking than CC hens (p<0.05). The birds in MFC-III had significant higher preening, scratching and feather-pecking behavior than in the other cages (p<0.05). No difference in nesting behavior was found in the hens between the furnished cages (p>0.05). The hens in MFC-I, −II, and −III showed a significant higher socializing behavior than SFC and CC (p<0.05). The lowest perching was for the hens in SFC and the highest perching found for the hens in MFC-III. Overall, the hens in CC showed poorer welfare conditions than the furnished cages, in which the feather condition score, gait score and tonic immobility duration of the hens in CC was significantly higher than SFC, MFC-I, MFC-II, and MFC-III (p<0.05). In conclusion, the furnished cage design affected both behavior and welfare states of hens. Overall, MFC-III cage design was better than SFC, MFC-I, and MFC-II cage designs. PMID:26954171

Tiotropium and salmeterol/fluticasone combination do not cause oxygen desaturation in COPD.

PubMed

Andò, Filippo; Ruggeri, Paolo; Girbino, Giuseppe; Cazzola, Mario

2008-06-01

It has been documented that tiotropium is less likely to induce oxygen desaturation in stable COPD patients compared to long-acting beta2-agonists (LABAs) and combined administration of a LABA and an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) reduces the potential for acute effects of LABA on blood-gas tensions. In this study, we have compared the acute effects of tiotropium 18 microg and salmeterol/fluticasone combination (SFC) 50/250 microg on arterial blood gases in 20 patients with stable COPD. Each subject was studied on 2 days, separated from one another by at least 4 days. Blood specimens were taken just before the inhalation and at 15, 30, 60, 180 and 360 min after inhalation of each treatment, and spirometry was performed at the same time points. As expected, both treatments significantly improved FEV1 (greatest changes were 0.20 L, 95% CI: 0.13-0.27 at 360 min after tiotropium; and 0.13 L, 95% CI: 0.06-0.19 at 180 min after SFC). The greatest mean changes from baseline in PaO2 were -1.7 (95% CI: -4.0 to 0.6)mmHg, p=0.134, after tiotropium; -0.8 (95% CI: -2.2 to 0.6)mmHg, after SFC. Both changes were observed after 15 min. Both drugs caused a small decrease in PaCO2 (greater changes: -1.9 (95% CI -3.2 to -0.6)mmHg, p=0.005 at 60 min after tiotropium; and -2.4 (95% CI: -3.5 to -1.3) mmHg, p=0.0002 at 180 min after SFC). These results indicate that both tiotropium and SFC are able to induce a significant long-last bronchodilation without affecting arterial blood gases. Moreover, they confirm that the impact of tiotropium on PaO2 is small and without clinical significance and the addition of a LABA to an ICS can reduce the potentially dangerous acute effect of the LABA on blood gases.

Cost-effectiveness of the LABA/LAMA dual bronchodilator indacaterol/glycopyrronium in a Swedish healthcare setting.

PubMed

Price, David; Keininger, Dorothy; Costa-Scharplatz, Madlaina; Mezzi, Karen; Dimova, Maria; Asukai, Yumi; Ställberg, Björn

2014-12-01

Indacaterol/glycopyrronium (IND/GLY) is a once-daily inhaled fixed-dose combination of indacaterol (IND), a long-acting β2-adrenergic agonist (LABA), and glycopyrronium (GLY), a long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) for use as maintenance treatment to relieve symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adults. To determine the economic benefits of IND/GLY compared with the free combination of indacaterol and glycopyrronium (IND + GLY), and with the fixed-dose combination of salmeterol/fluticasone (SFC), in a moderate-to-severe COPD population with low-exacerbation risk. The model-based analysis extrapolated results up to lifetime time horizon and calculated costs per quality-adjusted life year. Assuming equal efficacy, a cost-minimisation analysis compared IND/GLY vs IND + GLY using model inputs from the double-blind, randomised SHINE trial. The double-blind, randomised ILLUMINATE and TORCH trials were used to analyse cost-effectiveness versus SFC. To consider ICS-related pneumonia events, published odds ratio comparing an ICS-exposed group to a control group of COPD patients was used. Direct and indirect drug costs as well as drug acquisition costs (in Swedish Krona [SEK]) were derived from published Swedish sources. Cost and effects were discounted with 3%. Uncertainty was assessed by one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses (PSA). IND/GLY was cost-saving vs IND + GLY with incremental savings of SEK (EUR) 768 (85), and 3309 (368) per patient over one and five years. IND/GLY was found to be less costly and more effective compared to SFC with cost savings of SEK (EUR) 2744 (303), 8854 (976), 13,938 (1536), 27,495 (3031) and 43,033 (4744) over one, three, five, ten years and lifetime. The PSA indicated that all iterations produced dominant results for IND/GLY. IND/GLY is cost-minimising vs IND + GLY and dominates SFC in the maintenance treatment of COPD patients in Sweden. Encouraging dual bronchodilator therapy over an ICS-containing combination results in lower total costs and better outcomes compared to combination therapy including fluticasone in moderate-to-severe COPD patients with low exacerbation risk. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High resolution mapping of soil organic carbon stocks using remote sensing variables in the semi-arid rangelands of eastern Australia.

PubMed

Wang, Bin; Waters, Cathy; Orgill, Susan; Gray, Jonathan; Cowie, Annette; Clark, Anthony; Liu, De Li

2018-07-15

Efficient and effective modelling methods to assess soil organic carbon (SOC) stock are central in understanding the global carbon cycle and informing related land management decisions. However, mapping SOC stocks in semi-arid rangelands is challenging due to the lack of data and poor spatial coverage. The use of remote sensing data to provide an indirect measurement of SOC to inform digital soil mapping has the potential to provide more reliable and cost-effective estimates of SOC compared with field-based, direct measurement. Despite this potential, the role of remote sensing data in improving the knowledge of soil information in semi-arid rangelands has not been fully explored. This study firstly investigated the use of high spatial resolution satellite data (seasonal fractional cover data; SFC) together with elevation, lithology, climatic data and observed soil data to map the spatial distribution of SOC at two soil depths (0-5cm and 0-30cm) in semi-arid rangelands of eastern Australia. Overall, model performance statistics showed that random forest (RF) and boosted regression trees (BRT) models performed better than support vector machine (SVM). The models obtained moderate results with R 2 of 0.32 for SOC stock at 0-5cm and 0.44 at 0-30cm, RMSE of 3.51MgCha -1 at 0-5cm and 9.16MgCha -1 at 0-30cm without considering SFC covariates. In contrast, by including SFC, the model accuracy for predicting SOC stock improved by 7.4-12.7% at 0-5cm, and by 2.8-5.9% at 0-30cm, highlighting the importance of including SFC to enhance the performance of the three modelling techniques. Furthermore, our models produced a more accurate and higher resolution digital SOC stock map compared with other available mapping products for the region. The data and high-resolution maps from this study can be used for future soil carbon assessment and monitoring. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The CF6 Jet Engine Performance Improvement - Low Pressure Turbine Active Clearance Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beck, B. D.; Fasching, W. A.

1982-01-01

A low pressure turbine (LPT) active clearance control (ACC) cooling system was developed to reduce the fuel consumption of current CF6-50 turbofan engines for wide bodied commercial aircraft. The program performance improvement goal of 0.3% delta sfc was determined to be achievable with an improved impingement cooling system. The technology enables the design of an optimized manifold and piping system which is capable of a performance gain of 0.45% delta sfc.

Impact of substrates acclimation strategy on simultaneous biodegradation of hydrogen sulfide and ammonia.

PubMed

Jiang, Xia; Luo, Yiqun; Yan, Rong; Tay, Joo Hwa

2009-12-01

Three columns were differentiated with feeding mixture of H(2)S and NH(3) (MFC), feeding NH(3) followed by H(2)S (NFC), and feeding H(2)S followed by NH(3) (SFC). Removal performance, biodegradation capacity and microbial community structures in the three columns were compared. The results show that NFC has a shorter acclimation period for the removal of NH(3) gas and nitrification than MFC. Under the high loading of H(2)S and NH(3) at 164 and 82 gm(-3) h(-1), respectively, NFC exhibited high removal efficiency of NH(3) (>95%) while the removal efficiencies were obtained at 63 and 75% in MFC and SFC, respectively. The removal of NH(3) gas in NFC was significantly attributed to nitrification (over 50%), while adsorption and chemical reaction contributed to the removal of NH(3) in MFC and SFC. The different biodegradation capacities of NH(3) could be due to the dissimilarity in the microbial population presented in each column.

Global models for synthetic fuels planning

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lamontagne, J.

1983-10-01

This study was performed to identify the set of existing global models with the best potential for use in the US Synthetic Fuels Corporation's strategic planning process, and to recommend the most appropriate model. The study was limited to global models with representations that encompass time horizons beyond the year 2000, multiple fuel forms, and significant regional detail. Potential accessibility to the Synthetic Fuels Corporation and adequate documentation were also required. Four existing models (LORENDAS, WIM, IIASA, and IEA/ORAU) were judged to be the best candidates for the SFC's use at this time; none of the models appears to bemore » ideal for the SFC's purposes. On the basis of currently available information, the most promising short-term option open to the SFC is the use of LORENDAS, with careful attention to definition of alternative energy demand scenarios. Longer-term options which deserve further study are coupling LORENDAS with an explicit model of energy demand, and modification of the IEA/ORAU model to include finer time-period definition and additional technological detail.« less

Compound cycle engine for helicopter application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Castor, Jere; Martin, John; Bradley, Curtiss

1987-01-01

The compound cycle engine (CCE) is a highly turbocharged, power-compounded, ultra-high-power-density, lightweight diesel engine. The turbomachinery is similar to a moderate-pressure-ratio, free-power-turbine gas turbine engine and the diesel core is high speed and a low compression ratio. This engine is considered a potential candidate for future military helicopter applications. Cycle thermodynamic specific fuel consumption (SFC) and engine weight analyses performed to establish general engine operating parameters and configurations are presented. An extensive performance and weight analysis based on a typical 2-hour helicopter (+30 minute reserve) mission determined final conceptual engine design. With this mission, CCE performance was compared to that of a contemporary gas turbine engine. The CCE had a 31 percent lower-fuel consumption and resulted in a 16 percent reduction in engine plus fuel and fuel tank weight. Design SFC of the CCE is 0.33 lb/hp-hr and installed wet weight is 0.43 lb/hp. The major technology development areas required for the CCE are identified and briefly discussed.

Enantiomeric resolution of five chiral pesticides on a Chiralpak IB-H column by SFC.

PubMed

Jin, Lixia; Gao, Weiliang; Yang, Huayun; Lin, Chunmian; Liu, Weiping

2011-10-01

The enantiomeric separations of five chiral pesticides, diclofopmethyl, 1; benalaxy, 2; acetofenate, 3; myclobutanil, 4; and difenoconazole, 5, were conducted on a Chiralpak IB-H column by a packed-column supercritical fluid chromatography (p-SFC). All compounds, except difenoconazole and myclobutanil, were well resolved within 10 min. As the mobile phase polarity decreased through changing the percentage and the type of alcohol modifiers in the supercritical carbon dioxide (CO(2)), the retention time, the separation factors, and the resolution increased. However, based on the retention time and the resolution, the optimized separations were obtained with the mobile phase containing 10% 2-propanol for diclofop-methyl 1; benalaxy, 2; myclobutanil, 4; difenoconazole, 5; and containing 3% 2-propanol for acetofenate, 3. The optimized separation temperature was at 35°C under the supercritical fluid condition. The π-π interactions and the hydrogen bonding interactions between Chiralpak IB-H CSP and the analytes might be the main chiral discriminations on enantioseparation of these five pesticides.

High-throughput and sensitive analysis of 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol fatty acid esters in edible oils by supercritical fluid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Hori, Katsuhito; Matsubara, Atsuki; Uchikata, Takato; Tsumura, Kazunobu; Fukusaki, Eiichiro; Bamba, Takeshi

2012-08-10

We have established a high-throughput and sensitive analytical method based on supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (QqQ MS) for 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) fatty acid esters in edible oils. All analytes were successfully separated within 9 min without sample purification. The system was precise and sensitive, with a limit of detection less than 0.063 mg/kg. The recovery rate of 3-MCPD fatty acid esters spiked into oil samples was in the range of 62.68-115.23%. Furthermore, several edible oils were tested for analyzing 3-MCPD fatty acid ester profiles. This is the first report on the analysis of 3-MCPD fatty acid esters by SFC/QqQ MS. The developed method will be a powerful tool for investigating 3-MCPD fatty acid esters in edible oils. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Compound cycle engine for helicopter application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Castor, Jere G.

1986-01-01

The Compound Cycle Engine (CCE) is a highly turbocharged, power compounded, ultra-high power density, light-weight diesel engine. The turbomachinery is similar to a moderate pressure ratio, free power turbine engine and the diesel core is high speed and a low compression ratio. This engine is considered a potential candidate for future military light helicopter applications. This executive summary presents cycle thermodynamic (SFC) and engine weight analyses performed to establish general engine operating parameters and configuration. An extensive performance and weight analysis based on a typical two hour helicopter (+30 minute reserve) mission determined final conceptual engine design. With this mission, CCE performance was compared to that of a T-800 class gas turbine engine. The CCE had a 31% lower-fuel consumption and resulted in a 16% reduction in engine plus fuel and fuel tank weight. Design SFC of the CCE is 0.33 lb-HP-HR and installed wet weight is 0.43 lbs/HP. The major technology development areas required for the CCE are identified and briefly discussed.

Characteristics of alpha-glucosidase production from recombinant Aspergillus oryzae by membrane-surface liquid culture in comparison with various cultivation methods.

PubMed

Morita, Masakazu; Shimamura, Hiroko; Ishida, Natsuko; Imamura, Koreyoshi; Sakiyama, Takaharu; Nakanishi, Kazuhiro

2004-01-01

alpha-Glucosidase was produced using recombinant Aspergillus oryzae by membrane-surface liquid culture (MSLC), a method previously developed by the authors and the results compared with other methods, including shaking flask culture (SFC), agar-plate culture (APC), culture on urethane sponge supports (USC), and liquid surface culture (LSC) to determine possible reasons for the advantageous features of MSLC. When yeast extract was used as a nitrogen source, the amount of enzyme produced by MSLC was 5 or more times higher than those for SFC and LSC, but similar to that using APC. Enzyme production in USC was slightly lower than in MSLC and APC. Cell growth was similar irrespective of the cultivation method used. When NaNO3, a typical inorganic nitrogen source was used, enzyme production in all the cultures was lower than that using yeast extract. However, even using NaNO3, the amount of the enzyme produced by MSLC was 8 to 20 times higher than those by SFC, APC, USC, and LSC. Although cell growth using NaNO3 was similar to that for yeast extract in MSLC, it was markedly decreased in SFC, APC, and LSC. The reason for the difference in enzyme productivity for various cultivation methods using yeast extract and NaNO3 as a nitrogen source is discussed, on the basis of the experimental findings. The role of the oxygen transfer effect and gene expression levels in enzyme production were also examined.

Brain oxytocin in social fear conditioning and its extinction: involvement of the lateral septum.

PubMed

Zoicas, Iulia; Slattery, David A; Neumann, Inga D

2014-12-01

Central oxytocin (OXT) has anxiolytic and pro-social properties both in humans and rodents, and has been proposed as a therapeutic option for anxiety and social dysfunctions. Here, we utilized a mouse model of social fear conditioning (SFC) to study the effects of OXT on social fear, and to determine whether SFC causes alterations in central OXT receptor (OXTR) binding and local OXT release. Central infusion of OXT, but not arginine vasopressin, prior to social fear extinction training completely abolished social fear expression in an OXTR-mediated fashion without affecting general anxiety or locomotion. SFC caused increased OXTR binding in the dorso-lateral septum (DLS), central amygdala, dentate gyrus, and cornu ammunis 1, which normalized after social fear extinction, suggesting that these areas form part of a brain network involved in the development and neural support of social fear. Microdialysis revealed that the increase in OXT release observed in unconditioned mice within the DLS during social fear extinction training was attenuated in conditioned mice. Consequently, increasing the availability of local OXT by infusion of OXT into the DLS reversed social fear. Thus, alterations in the brain OXT system, including altered OXTR binding and OXT release within the DLS, play an important role in SFC and social fear extinction. Thus, we suggest that the OXT system is adversely affected in disorders associated with social fear, such as social anxiety disorder and reinstalling an appropriate balance of the OXT system may alleviate some of the symptoms.

Variation of biometric parameters in corn cobs under the influence of nitrogen fertilization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gigel, Prisecaru; Florin, Sala

2017-07-01

Biometric parameters as elements of productivity on corn cobs, along with plant density per unit area (ha) are essential in achieving production. The influence of differentiated fertilization with nitrogen was evaluated at the level of productivity elements on corn cobs, Andreea hybrid. Biometric parameters of the corn cobs (total length - L; usable length - l; uncoated length with corn kernels - lu; diameter at the base - Db, middle - Dm, and top of the corn cobs - Dt; corn cob weight - Cw, grain weight - Gw) were directly influenced by the doses of nitrogen. Regression analysis has facilitated the prediction of grain weight as the main element of productivity under different statistical certainty based on nitrogen doses (R2 = 0.962, p<0.01), on the total length of corn cobs (R2 = 0.985, p<0.01), on the usable length of corn cobs (R2 = 0.996, p<<0.001), on the diameter at the base of corn cobs (R2 = 0.824, p<0.01), on the diameter at the middle of corn cobs (R2 = 0.807, p<0.01), on uncoated length with corn kernels (R2 = 0.624, p<0.01) and on the diameter at the top of the corn cobs (R2 = 0.384, p=0.015).

Unravelling the effects of mobile phase additives in supercritical fluid chromatography. Part I: Polarity and acidity of the mobile phase.

PubMed

West, Caroline; Melin, Jodie; Ansouri, Hassna; Mengue Metogo, Maïly

2017-04-07

The mobile phases employed in current supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) are usually composed of a mixture of pressurized carbon dioxide and a co-solvent. The co-solvent is most often an alcohol and may contain a third component in small proportions, called an additive (acid, base or salt). The polarity of such mobile phase compositions is here re-evaluated with a solvatochromic dye (Nile Red), particularly to assess the contribution of additives. It appears that additives, when employed in usual concentration range (0.1% or 20mM) do not modify the polarity in the immediate environment of the probe. In addition, the combination of carbon dioxide and an alcohol is known to form alkoxylcarbonic acid, supposedly conferring some acidic character to SFC mobile phases. Direct measurements of the apparent pH are impossible, but colour indicators of pH can be used to define the range of apparent pH provided by carbon dioxide-alcohol mixtures, with or without additives. Five colour indicators (Thymol Blue, Bromocresol Green, Methyl Red, Bromocresol Purple, and Bromothymol Blue) were selected to provide a wide range of aqueous pK a values (from 1.7 to 8.9). UV-vis absorption spectra measured in liquid phases of controlled pH were compared to those measured with a diode-array detector employed in SFC, with the help of chemometric methods. Based on these observations, it is concluded that the apparent pH range in carbon dioxide-methanol mobile phases is close to 5. Increasing the proportion of methanol (in the course of a gradient elution for instance) causes decreasing apparent pH. Strong acids can further decrease the apparent pH below 1.7; strong bases have little influence on the apparent pH, probably because, in this range of concentrations, they are titrated by alkoxylcarbonic acid or form ion pairs with alkoxycarbonate. However, bases and salts could stabilize the acidity in the course of gradient runs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Methods in endogenous steroid profiling - A comparison of gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with supercritical fluid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (SFC-MS/MS).

PubMed

Teubel, Juliane; Wüst, Bernhard; Schipke, Carola G; Peters, Oliver; Parr, Maria Kristina

2018-06-15

In various fields of endocrinology, the determination of steroid hormones synthesised by the human body plays an important role. Research on central neurosteroids has been intensified within the last years, as they are discussed as biomarkers for various cognitive disorders. Their concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are considered to be regulated independently from peripheral fluids. For that reason, the challenging matrix CSF becomes a very interesting specimen for analysis. Concentrations are expected to be very low and available amount of CSF is limited. Thus, a comprehensive method for very sensitive quantification of a set of analytes as large as possible in one analytical aliquot is desired. However, high structural similarities of the selected panel of 51 steroids and steroid sulfates, including numerous isomers, challenges achievement of chromatographic selectivity. Since decades the analysis of endogenous steroids in various body fluids is mainly performed by gas chromatography (GC) coupled to (tandem) mass spectrometry (MS(/MS)). Due to the structure of the steroids of interest, derivatisation is performed to meet the analytical requirements for GC-MS(/MS). Most of the laboratories use a two-step derivatisation in multi-analyte assays that was already published in the 1980s. However, for some steroids this elaborate procedure yields multiple isomeric derivatives. Thus, some laboratories utilize (ultra) high performance liquid chromatography ((U)HPLC)-MS/MS as alternative but, even UHPLC is not able to separate some of the isomeric pairs. Supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) as an orthogonal separation technique to GC and (U)HPLC may help to overcome these issues. Within this project the two most promising methods for endogenous steroid profiling were investigated and compared: the "gold standard" GC-MS and the orthogonal separation technique SFC-MS/MS. Different derivatisation procedures for gas chromatographic detection were explored and the formation of multiple derivatives described and confirmed. Taken together, none of the investigated derivatisation procedures provided acceptable results for further method development to meet the requirements of this project. SFC with its unique selectivity was able to overcome these issues and to distinguish all selected steroids, including (pro-)gestagens, androgens, corticoids, estrogens, and steroid sulfates with appropriate selectivity. Valued especially in the separation of enantiomeric analytes, SFC has shown its potential as alternative to GC. The successful separation of 51 steroids and steroid sulfates on different columns is presented to demonstrate the potential of SFC in endogenous steroid profiling. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fumonisins B1 and B2 in the corn-milling process and corn-based products, and evaluation of estimated daily intake.

PubMed

Savi, Geovana D; Piacentini, Karim C; Marchi, Djeini; Scussel, Vildes M

2016-01-01

The distribution of fumonisins (FBs: FB1 and FB2) in the corn-milling process and in corn-based products, as well as daily intake estimates for the Brazilian population were evaluated. Among corn fractions samples, corn meal had the highest mean concentration of FB1 (1305 µg kg(-1)) and FB2 (651 µg kg(-1)) and a distribution factors of 452% and 256% in relation to corn grain, respectively. On the other hand, the distribution factor of FB1 and FB2 in corn flour was found to be 144% and 88% respectively, which demonstrates that fumonisins in this fraction were reduced compared with corn grain. As a result, almost half the corn meal samples (47%) would be non-compliant with future Brazilian regulation (2017) for fumonisins. However, corn-based products, such as corn flakes and popcorn, were in compliance with the regulation. The average probable daily intake and maximum probable daily intake of fumonisins estimated for the Santa Catarina state (Brazil) population were below the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake of 2 µg kg(-1) body weight day(-1) for all corn samples. Despite this, the adoption of practices to control the occurrence of fumonisins should be applied to the corn-milling fractions that may contain a higher concentration of this toxin, such as corn meal, often used for animal feed in Brazil.

CF6 jet engine performance improvement: High pressure turbine roundness

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howard, W. D.; Fasching, W. A.

1982-01-01

An improved high pressure turbine stator reducing fuel consumption in current CF6-50 turbofan engines was developed. The feasibility of the roundness and clearance response improvements was demonstrated. Application of these improvements will result in a cruise SFC reduction of 0.22 percent for new engines. For high time engines, the improved roundness and response characteristics results in an 0.5 percent reduction in cruise SFC. A basic life capability of the improved HP turbine stator in over 800 simulated flight cycles without any sign of significant distress is shown.

Hydrogen production from methane using oxygen-permeable ceramic membranes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faraji, Sedigheh

Non-porous ceramic membranes with mixed ionic and electronic conductivity have received significant interest in membrane reactor systems for the conversion of methane and higher hydrocarbons to higher value products like hydrogen. However, hydrogen generation by this method has not yet been commercialized and suffers from low membrane stability, low membrane oxygen flux, high membrane fabrication costs, and high reaction temperature requirements. In this dissertation, hydrogen production from methane on two different types of ceramic membranes (dense SFC and BSCF) has been investigated. The focus of this research was on the effects of different parameters to improve hydrogen production in a membrane reactor. These parameters included operating temperature, type of catalyst, membrane material, membrane thickness, membrane preparation pH, and feed ratio. The role of the membrane in the conversion of methane and the interaction with a Pt/CeZrO2 catalyst has been studied. Pulse studies of reactants and products over physical mixtures of crushed membrane material and catalyst have clearly demonstrated that a synergy exists between the membrane and the catalyst under reaction conditions. The degree of catalyst/membrane interaction strongly impacts the conversion of methane and the catalyst performance. During thermogravimetric analysis, the onset temperature of oxygen release for BSCF was observed to be lower than that for SFC while the amount of oxygen release was significantly greater. Pulse injections of CO2 over crushed membranes at 800°C have shown more CO2 dissociation on the BSCF membrane than the SFC membrane, resulting in higher CO formation on the BSCF membrane. Similar to the CO2 pulses, when CO was injected on the samples at 800°C, CO2 production was higher on BSCF than SFC. It was found that hydrogen consumption on BSCF particles is 24 times higher than that on SFC particles. Furthermore, Raman spectroscopy and temperature programmed desorption studies of CO and CO2 showed a higher CO and CO2 adsorption (for temperatures ranging from room temperature to 600°C) on BSCF compared to the SFC membrane. CO2 reforming reactions on BSCF and SFC dense membranes in a membrane reactor showed higher methane conversion and H2/CO ratio on BSCF than SFC in the presence of the Pt/CeZrO2 catalyst. This high conversion and H2/CO ratio could be ascribed to higher CO, CO2, and H2 adsorption on BSCF than SFC, resulting in higher steam and CO2 reforming on the BSCF. The Pt-Ni/CeZrO2 catalyst exhibits promising performance for hydrogen production. Platinum enhances the reducibility of Ni/Al2O 3 and Ni/CeZrO2 catalysts resulting in improved catalysts for H2 production at moderate temperatures. TPR and Raman studies show an alloy formation in the Pt-Ni/Al2O3 catalyst. Further work is required to study the interaction between Pt and Ni in the bimetallic Pt-Ni/CeZrO2 and Pt-Ni/Al2O3 catalysts. Although the Pt-Ni/Al2O3 catalyst shows high methane conversion in the presence of the BSCF membrane at 800°C, the activity of this catalyst is low at 600°C. Pt-Ni/CeZrO2 bimetallic catalyst demonstrates superior performance compared to Pt-Ni/Al2O3 catalyst at 600°C. The thinner BSCF membrane (2.2 mm) demonstrates a higher methane conversion and H2:CO ratio than the thicker BSCF membrane (2.6 mm) because membrane oxygen flux is inversely proportional to thickness. Varying the pH of the precursor solution during membrane preparation has no significant effect on the oxygen flux or the reaction. The CH 4:CO2 feed ratio significantly affects the hydrogen production over the BSCF membrane. Altering the CH4:CO2 ratio has a direct impact on the oxygen flux, which in turn can influence the reaction pathway. These studies suggest that the Pt-Ni/CeZrO2 catalyst might be suitable for low-temperature hydrocarbon conversion reactions over thin BSCF ceramic membranes. Most importantly, the BSCF membrane can reduce the apparent activation energy of the CO2 reforming reaction by changing the reaction pathway to include more steam reforming.

Field-based assessment of resistance to Bt Corn by Western Corn Rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, is a serious pest of corn and is managed with Bt corn that produce insecticidal toxins derived from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Beginning in 2009, severe injury to Bt corn producing Cry3Bb1 was observed in some cornfields ...

Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) of ketamine metabolites from dried urine and on-line quantification by supercritical fluid chromatography and single mass detection (on-line SFE-SFC-MS).

PubMed

Hofstetter, Robert; Fassauer, Georg M; Link, Andreas

2018-02-15

On-line solid-phase supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and chromatography (SFC) coupled to mass spectrometry (MS) has been evaluated for its usefulness with respect to metabolic profiling and pharmacological investigations of ketamine in humans. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a rapid, highly selective and sensitive SFE-SFC-MS method for the quantification of ketamine and its metabolites in miniature amounts in human urine excluding liquid-liquid extraction (LLE). Several conditions were optimized systematically following the requirements of the European Medicines Agency: selectivity, carry-over, calibration curve parameters (LLOQ, range and linearity), within- and between-run accuracy and precision, dilution integrity, matrix effect, and stability. The method, which required a relatively small volume of human urine (20 μL per sample), was validated for pharmacologically and toxicologically relevant concentrations ranging from 25.0 to 1000 ng/mL (r 2  > 0.995). The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) for all compounds was found to be as low as 0.5 ng. In addition, stability of analytes during removal of water from the urine samples using different conditions (filter paper or ISOLUTE® HM-N) was studied. In conclusion, the method developed in this study can be successfully applied to studies of ketamine metabolites in humans, and may pave the way for routine application of on-line SFE-SFC-MS in clinical investigations. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The differences in matrix effect between supercritical fluid chromatography and reversed phase liquid chromatography coupled to ESI/MS.

PubMed

Svan, Alfred; Hedeland, Mikael; Arvidsson, Torbjörn; Pettersson, Curt E

2018-02-13

For many sample matrices, matrix effects are a troublesome phenomenon using the electrospray ionization source. The increasing use of supercritical fluid chromatography with CO 2 in combination with the electrospray ionization source for MS detection is therefore raising questions: is the matrix effect behaving differently using SFC in comparison with reversed phase LC? This was investigated using urine, plasma, influent- and effluent-wastewater as sample matrices. The matrix effect was evaluated using the post-extraction addition method and through post-column infusions. Matrix effect profiles generated from the post-column infusions in combination with time of flight-MS detection provided the most valuable information for the study. The combination of both qualitative and semi-quantitative information with the ability to use HRMS-data for identifying interfering compounds from the same experiment was very useful, and has to the authors' knowledge not been used this way before. The results showed that both LC and SFC are affected by matrix effects, however differently depending on sample matrix. Generally, both suppressions and enhancements were seen, with a higher amount of enhancements for LC, where 65% of all compounds and all sample matrices were enhanced, compared to only 7% for SFC. Several interferences were tentatively identified, with phospholipids, creatinine, and metal ion clusters as examples of important interferences, with different impact depending on chromatographic technique. SFC needs a different strategy for limiting matrix interferences, owing to its almost reverse retention order compared to RPLC. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evidence of resistance to Cry34/35Ab1 corn by western corn rootworm: root injury in the field and larval survival in plant-based bioassays

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is a serious pest of corn in the United States and recent management of western corn rootworm has included planting of Bt corn. Beginning in 2009, western corn rootworm populations with resistance to Cry3Bb1 c...

Rapid Determination of Two Triterpenoid Acids in Chaenomelis Fructus Using Supercritical Fluid Extraction On-line Coupled with Supercritical Fluid Chromatography.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiaotian; Ji, Feng; Li, Yueqi; He, Tian; Han, Ya; Wang, Daidong; Lin, Zongtao; Chen, Shizhong

2018-01-01

In this study, an on-line supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) method was developed for the rapid determination of oleanoic acid and ursolic acid in Chaenomelis Fructus. After optimization of the conditions, the two triterpenoid acids was obtained by SFE using 20% methanol as a modifier at 35°C in 8 min. They were resolved on a Shim-pack UC-X Diol column (4.6 × 150 mm, 3 μm) in 14 min (0 - 10 min, 5 - 10%; 10 - 14 min, 10% methanol in CO 2 ) with a backpressure of 15 MPa at 40°C. The on-line SFE-SFC method could be completed within 40 min (10.79 mg/g dry plant, R s = 2.36), while the ultrasound-assisted extraction and HPLC method required at least 90 min (3.55 mg/g dry plant, R s = 1.92). This on-line SFE-SFC method is powerful to simplify the pre-processing and quantitative analysis of natural products.

Dynamic stabilization of the magnetic field surrounding the neutron electric dipole moment spectrometer at the Paul Scherrer Institute

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Afach, S.; Fertl, M.; Franke, B., E-mail: beatrice.franke@psi.ch, E-mail: bernhard.lauss@psi.ch

The Surrounding Field Compensation (SFC) system described in this work is installed around the four-layer Mu-metal magnetic shield of the neutron electric dipole moment spectrometer located at the Paul Scherrer Institute. The SFC system reduces the DC component of the external magnetic field by a factor of about 20. Within a control volume of approximately 2.5 m × 2.5 m × 3 m, disturbances of the magnetic field are attenuated by factors of 5–50 at a bandwidth from 10{sup −3} Hz up to 0.5 Hz, which corresponds to integration times longer than several hundreds of seconds and represent the important timescale for the neutron electric dipole moment measurement.more » These shielding factors apply to random environmental noise from arbitrary sources. This is achieved via a proportional-integral feedback stabilization system that includes a regularized pseudoinverse matrix of proportionality factors which correlates magnetic field changes at all sensor positions to current changes in the SFC coils.« less

Metal speciation of environmental samples using SPE and SFC-AED analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mitchell, S.C.; Burford, M.D.; Robson, M.

1995-12-31

Due to growing public concern over heavy metals in the environment, soil, water and air particulate samples azre now routinely screened for their metal content. Conventional metal analysis typically involves acid digestion extraction and results in the generation of large aqueous and organic solvent waste. This harsh extraction process is usually used to obtain the total metal content of the sample, the extract being analysed by atomic emission or absorption spectroscoply techniques. A more selective method of metal extraction has been investigated which uses a supercritical fluid modified with a complexing agent. The relatively mild extraction method enables both organometallicmore » and inorganic metal species to be recovered intact. The various components from the supercritical fluid extract can be chromatographically separated using supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) and positive identification of the metals achieved using atomic emission detection (AED). The aim of the study is to develop an analytical extraction procedure which enables a rapid, sensitive and quantitative analysis of metals in environmental samples, using just one extraction (eg SFE) and one analysis (eg SFC-AED) procedure.« less

The humanitarian emergency in Burundi: evaluation of the operational strategy for management of nutritional crisis.

PubMed

Rossi, Laura; Verna, Daniel; Villeneuve, Susie L

2008-07-01

To evaluate the impact and appropriateness of programmes for the management and treatment of severe malnutrition in emergency situations. A central unified database was set up with all data and statistics provided by nutritional centres (NC) active in Burundi. The paper describes the case of Burundi as an example of the response of the humanitarian community to nutritional crisis. Since 1999, more than one million (1,054,210) severely malnourished patients were treated in NC established in Burundi. Peaks of beneficiaries were registered in 2000 and 2001; the admission rate started to decrease in 2002. In 2004, twenty therapeutic feeding centres (TFC) and 224 supplementary feeding centres (SFC) were active for the treatment of 127,420 beneficiaries. Nutritional programmes were present in every province with a coverage rate of 55%. The most convincing impact of the nutritional programme in Burundi was the reduction of mortality rate in children under 5 years of age; an impact on the prevalence of acute malnutrition could not be demonstrated. Children under 5 years old accounted for 62% of beneficiaries in TFC and 76% in SFC. TFC performance indicators fulfilled the minimum standards in disaster response; the performance of SFC was not so optimal with a low recovery rate (69% v. >80%) and a high non-respondent rate (16% v. <5%). With the combination of coverage and cure rate, the programme met 44% of the assessed needs in 2004. In Burundi the stabilisation of security conditions permitted a combination of humanitarian responses ranging from emergency activities to strengthening of community-based initiatives that could correct the coverage and impact limitations.

Super-resolved calibration-free flow cytometric characterization of platelets and cell-derived microparticles in platelet-rich plasma.

PubMed

Konokhova, Anastasiya I; Chernova, Darya N; Moskalensky, Alexander E; Strokotov, Dmitry I; Yurkin, Maxim A; Chernyshev, Andrei V; Maltsev, Valeri P

2016-02-01

Importance of microparticles (MPs), also regarded as extracellular vesicles, in many physiological processes and clinical conditions motivates one to use the most informative and precise methods for their characterization. Methods based on individual particle analysis provide statistically reliable distributions of MP population over characteristics. Although flow cytometry is one of the most powerful technologies of this type, the standard forward-versus-side-scattering plots of MPs and platelets (PLTs) overlap considerably because of similarity of their morphological characteristics. Moreover, ordinary flow cytometry is not capable of measurement of size and refractive index (RI) of MPs. In this study, we 1) employed the potential of the scanning flow cytometer (SFC) for identification and characterization of MPs from light scattering; 2) suggested the reference method to characterize MP morphology (size and RI) with high precision; and 3) determined the lowest size of a MP that can be characterized from light scattering with the SFC. We equipped the SFC with 405 and 488 nm lasers to measure the light-scattering profiles and side scattering from MPs, respectively. The developed two-stage method allowed accurate separation of PLTs and MPs in platelet-rich plasma. We used two optical models for MPs, a sphere and a bisphere, in the solution of the inverse light-scattering problem. This solution provides unprecedented precision in determination of size and RI of individual spherical MPs-median uncertainties (standard deviations) were 6 nm and 0.003, respectively. The developed method provides instrument-independent quantitative information on MPs, which can be used in studies of various factors affecting MP population. © 2015 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.

Molecularly uniform poly(ethylene glycol) certified reference material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takahashi, Kayori; Matsuyama, Shigetomo; Kinugasa, Shinichi; Ehara, Kensei; Sakurai, Hiromu; Horikawa, Yoshiteru; Kitazawa, Hideaki; Bounoshita, Masao

2015-02-01

A certified reference material (CRM) for poly(ethylene glycol) with no distribution in the degree of polymerization was developed. The degree of polymerization of the CRM was accurately determined to be 23. Supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) was used to separate the molecularly uniform polymer from a standard commercial sample with wide polydispersity in its degree of polymerization. Through the use of a specific fractionation system coupled with SFC, we are able to obtain samples of poly(ethylene glycol) oligomer with exact degrees of polymerization, as required for a CRM produced by the National Metrology Institute of Japan.

Acute oxygenation changes on ischemic foot of a novel intermittent pneumatic compression device and of an existing sequential device in severe peripheral arterial disease

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) improves haemodynamics in peripheral arterial disease (PAD), but its effects on foot perfusion were scarcely studied. In severe PAD patients we measured the foot oxygenation changes evoked by a novel intermittent IPC device (GP), haemodynamics and compliance to the treatment. Reference values were obtained by a sequential foot-calf device (SFC). Methods Twenty ischemic limbs (Ankle-Brachial Index = 0.5 ± 0.2) of 12 PAD patients (7 male, age: 74.5 ± 10.8 y) with an interval of 48 ± 2 hours received a 35 minute treatment in supine position with two IPC devices: i) a Gradient Pump (GP), which slowly inflates a single thigh special sleeve and ii) an SFC (ArtAssist®, ACI Medical, San Marcos, CA, USA), which rapidly inflates two foot-calf sleeves. Main outcome measure: changes of oxygenated haemoglobin at foot (HbO2foot) by continuous near-infrared spectroscopy recording and quantified as area-under-curve (AUC) for periods of 5 minutes. Other measures: haemodynamics by echo-colour Doppler (time average velocity (TAV) and blood flow (BF) in the popliteal artery and in the femoral vein), patient compliance by a properly developed form. Results All patients completed the treatment with GP, 9 with SFC. HbO2foot during the working phase, considered as average value of the 5 minutes periods, increased with GP (AUC 458 ± 600 to 1216 ± 280) and decreased with SFC (AUC 231 ± 946 to −1088 ± 346), significantly for most periods (P < 0.05). The GP treatment was associated to significant haemodynamic changes from baseline to end of the treatment (TAV = 10.2 ± 3.3 to 13.5 ± 5.5 cm/sec, P = 0.004; BF = 452.0 ± 187.2 to 607.9 ± 237.8 ml/sec, P = 0.0001), not observed with SFC (TAV = 11.2 ± 3.4 to 11.8 ± 4.3 cm/sec; BF = 513.8 ± 203.7 to 505.9 ± 166.5 ml/min, P = n.s.). GP obtained a higher score of patient compliance (P < 0.0001). Conclusions A novel IPC thigh device, unlike a traditional SFC device, increased foot oxygenation in severe PAD, together with favourable haemodynamic response and high compliance to the treatment under the present experimental conditions. PMID:24684834

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Biobutanol

Science.gov Websites

retrofits of existing corn ethanol plants. The fuel is produced through fermentation of corn feedstock and Process for Producing Butanol from Corn Fermentation Life-cycle Assessment of Corn-Based Butanol as a

Physiochemical Properties and Probiotic Survivability of Symbiotic Corn-Based Yogurt-Like Product.

PubMed

Wang, Cuina; Zheng, Huajie; Liu, Tingting; Wang, Dawei; Guo, Mingruo

2017-09-01

Corn is a major grain produced in northern China. Corn-based functional food products are very limited. In this study, a symbiotic corn-based yogurt-like product was developed. Corn milk was prepared through grinding, extrusion and milling, and hydration processes. Corn extrudate was prepared under the optimized conditions of corn flour particle size <180 μm, moisture content of 15% and extrusion temperature at 130 °C. The corn milk was prepared from 8% corn extrudate suspension and then milled twice with 0.1% glyceryl monostearate and 0.1% sucrose ester as emulsifiers. The corn milk was mixed with sugar (5%), glucose (2%), soy protein isolate (0.75%), inulin (1%), polymerized whey protein (0.3%) and xanthan gum (0.09%) as thickening agents. The mixture was fermented at 35 °C for 6 h using a probiotic starter culture containing L. plantarum. Chemical composition (%) of the symbiotic corn-based yogurt-like product was: total solids (17.13 ± 0.31), protein (1.12 ± 0.03), fat (0.30 ± 0.05), carbohydrates (15.14 ± 0.19), and ash (0.16 ± 0.02), respectively. pH value of this symbiotic product decreased from 4.50 ± 0.03 to 3.88 ± 0.13 and the population of L. plantarum declined from 7.8 ± 0.09 to 7.1 ± 0.14 log CFU/mL during storage at 4 °C. SDS-PAGE analysis showed that there were no changes in protein profile during storage. Texture and consistency were also stable during the period of this study. It can be concluded that a set-type corn-based symbiotic yogurt-like product with good texture and stability was successfully developed that would be a good alternative to the dairy yogurt. © 2017 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Reliability of the School Food Checklist for in-school audits and photograph analysis of children's packed lunches.

PubMed

Mitchell, S A; Miles, C L; Brennan, L; Matthews, J

2010-02-01

Assessment of children's diets is problematic, typically relying on error-prone parent or child recall or reporting, or resource intensive direct observation. The School Food Checklist (SFC) is an objective instrument comprising of 20 food and beverage categories designed to measure the foods contained in children's packed lunches. The present study aimed to assess intra-rater and inter-rater reliability of each of the food and beverage categories of the SFC for both in-school audits and photograph analysis of children's school lunches. Participants comprised 176 children aged 5-8 years from five primary schools in Northern Metropolitan Melbourne. The SFC was used to measure the foods contained in children's packed lunches in the school setting and using photographs. Photograph analysis was conducted by the auditors 2-3 months after completion of in-school audits. Both intra-rater [intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.78-1] and inter-rater (ICC = 0.50-0.95) reliability analysis indicated strong agreement for in-school auditing. With the exception of the food category titled 'leftovers', there was strong intra-rater reliability for auditors' live audits and their analysis of photographs [ICC = 0.57-0.98 (Auditor 1); ICC = 0.72-0.90 (Auditor 2)], and strong inter-rater reliability for photograph analysis (ICC = 0.68-0.92). The SFC is a reliable method of measuring the foods and beverages contained in children's packed lunches when used in the school setting or for photograph analysis. This finding has broad implications, particularly for the use of photograph analysis, because this approach offers a convenient and cost effective method of measuring what food and beverages children bring to school in home packed lunches.

Social conditioning and extinction paradigm: a translational study in virtual reality.

PubMed

Shiban, Youssef; Reichenberger, Jonas; Neumann, Inga D; Mühlberger, Andreas

2015-01-01

In human beings, experiments investigating fear conditioning with social stimuli are rare. The current study aims at translating an animal model for social fear conditioning (SFC) to a human sample using an operant SFC paradigm in virtual reality. Forty participants actively (using a joystick) approached virtual male agents that served as conditioned stimuli (CS). During the acquisition phase, unconditioned stimuli (US), a combination of an air blast (5 bar, 10 ms) and a female scream (95 dB, 40 ms), were presented when participants reached a defined proximity to the agent with a contingency of 75% for CS+ agents and never for CS- agents. During the extinction and the test phases, no US was delivered. Outcome variables were pleasantness ratings and physiological reactions in heart rate (HR) and fear-potentiated startle. Additionally, the influence of social anxiety, which was measured with the Social Phobia Inventory scale, was evaluated. As expected after the acquisition phase the CS+ was rated clearly less pleasant than the CS-. This difference vanished during extinction. Furthermore, the HR remained high for the CS+, while the HR for the CS- was clearly lower after than before the acquisition. Furthermore, a clear difference between CS+ and CS- after the acquisition indicated successful conditioning on this translational measure. Contrariwise no CS+/CS- differences were observed in the physiological variables during extinction. Importantly, at the generalization test, higher socially fearful participants rated pleasantness of all agents as low whereas the lower socially fearful participants rated pleasantness as low only for the CS+. SFC was successfully induced and extinguished confirming operant conditioning in this SFC paradigm. These findings suggest that the paradigm is suitable to expand the knowledge about the learning and unlearning of social fears. Further studies should investigate the operant mechanisms of development and treatment of social anxiety disorder.

Instrument for Solvent Extraction and Analysis (ISEE) of Organics from Regolith Simulant Using Supercritical Fluid Extraction and Chromatography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Franco, Carolina; Hintze, Paul E.

2017-01-01

ISEE is an instrument with the potential to perform extractions from regolith found on the surface of asteroids and planets, followed by characterization and quantitation of the extracts using supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and chromatography (SFC). SFE is a developed technique proven to extract a wide range of organic compounds. SFC is similar to High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) but has the advantage of performing chiral separations without needing to derivatize the chiral compounds. CO2 will be the solvent for both stages as it is readily available in the Mars atmosphere. ISEE will capture CO2 from the environment, and use it for SFE and SFC. If successful, this would allow ISEE to perform analysis of organic compounds without using consumables. This paper will present results on a preliminary, proof-of-principle effort to use SFE and SFC to extract and analyze lunar regolith simulant spiked with organic compounds representing a range of organics that ISEE would expect to characterize. An optimization of variables for the extraction of the organics from the spiked regolith was successfully developed, using 138 bar pressure and 40 C temperature. The extraction flow rate was optimized at 2% SLPM with 30% methanol modifier. The extractions were successful with a value of 77.3+/- 0.9% of organics extracted. However, the recovery of organics after the extraction was very low with only 48.5+/-14.2%. Moreover, three columns were selected to analyze multiple samples at a time; two of them are Viridis HSS C18 SB and Torus DIOL, and the third column, specific for chiral separations, has not yet been selected yet.

Evaluating corn starch and corn stover biochar as renewable filler in carboxylated styrene-butadiene rubber composites

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Corn starch, corn flour, and corn stover biochar were evaluated as potential renewable substitutes for carbon black as filler in rubber composites using carboxylated styrene-butadiene as the rubber matrix. Previous work has shown that starch-based fillers have very good reinforcement properties at t...

Climate and Weather Analysis of Afghanistan Thunderstorms

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-09-01

dry, continental polar (cP) air. The subtropical jet (STJ) and Extratropical storm track tend to lie south of Kabul. Mean high SFC temperatures...March-April-May (MAM). Note that AFG lies to the east of a broad trough centered over southern Europe and to the west of broad ridge centered over... Extratropical Cyclone FAR False Alarm Rate FOB Forward Operating Base FRN Forecaster Reference Notebook GFS Global Forecast System GoA

Integration of Rotor Aerodynamic Optimization with the Conceptual Design of a Large Civil Tiltrotor

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

Rotor MCP Maximum Continuous Power MRP Maximum Rated Power (take-off power) NDARC NASA Design and Analysis of Rotorcraft OEI One Engine Inoperative...OGE Out of Ground Effect SFC Specific Fuel Consumption SNI Simultaneous Non-Interfering approach STOL Short Takeoff and Landing VTOL Vertical...that are assembled into a complete aircraft model. NDARC is designed for high computational efficiency. Performance is calculated with physics- based

Growing ethanol sector drives corn supply chain shift for the last decade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, T.; Schmitt, J.; Brauman, K. A.; Smith, T. M.; Suh, K.

2017-12-01

The US is the largest producer in the world, 89% of corn production uses in domestic demands in 2012. Carbon emission and irrigated water usage in the corn farming stage are hot-spot in the meat production sectors, comprise 37% of all US corn demand. The annual capacity of the ethanol sector increases from 6.5 billion gallons to 15.3 billion gallons for the last decade. The growth of corn demand in ethanol sector makes corn supply chain shift. Most of the ethanol plants located in the Mid-west where is the top 12 corn producing states. Therefore animal feeds take more supply from the other states. The purpose of this study is to estimate environmental impacts and water scarcity associated embedded corn by the temporal and spatial corn supply chain model based on a cost minimization. We use publicly available county-level data on corn production, feed demands, aggregative carbon emission and irrigated water usage in farming state, and a water depletion index as a metric for determining water scarcity. The water stressed counties produce 23.3% of US total corn production in 2012, and the irrigated corn is 14.2%. We simulated the corn supply chain using linear programming and developed the web-based visualization tools called FoodS3 (Food Systems Supply-chain Sustainability tool, http://foods3.org).

Assessment of soil attributes and crop productivity after diversification of the ubiquitous corn-soybean rotation in the northwestern U.S. Corn Belt

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Highly specialized cash-grain production systems based upon corn-soybean rotations under tilled soil management are common in the northwestern U.S. Corn Belt. This study, initiated in 1997, was conducted to determine if diversification of this ubiquitous corn-soybean rotation would affect soil char...

Geographic information systems in corn rootworm management

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Corn rootworms (Diabrotica spp. Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) are serious pests of corn (Zea mays) in the United States and Europe. Control measures for corn rootworms (CRW) were historically based upon chemical pesticides and crop rotation. Pesticide use created environmental and economic concerns. In...

Efficiency for unretained solutes in packed column supercritical fluid chromatography. I. Theory for isothermal conditions and correction factors for carbon dioxide.

PubMed

Poe, Donald P

2005-06-17

A general theory for efficiency of nonuniform columns with compressible mobile phase fluids is applied to the elution of an unretained solute in packed-column supercritical fluid chromatography (pSFC). The theoretical apparent plate height under isothermal conditions is given by the Knox equation multiplied by a compressibility correction factor f1, which is equal to the ratio of the temporal-to-spatial average densities of the mobile phase. If isothermal conditions are maintained, large pressure drops in pSFC should not result in excessive efficiency losses for elution of unretained solutes.

Variable Cycle Engine Control System Definition Study. Turbine Engine Technology Demonstrator Component Development Program, Project 668A. Controls Development Program

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-03-01

6- 18 6.5 Acceleration Mode - Purumeter Accuracy Comparison 6- 18 6.6 Acceleratiin Mode - Sensor Accuracy Cormpriwon 6- 0 6.7 .OP/P Surqt Control...Spool Speeds 6-42 6. 18 Fan Pressure Ratio Schedule 6-43 6.19 SFC with Control Mode 01 6-45 6.20 Optimal T4.1 vs. NHCl 6-46 6.21 Adjusted SFC for... 18 Intermediate Power to Idle Decelberation at Mach 2.2 and 36,089 Feet 7-39 7.19 Idle to Intermediate Power Acceleration at Mach 1.2 and 500 feet 7

On-line supercritical fluid extraction-supercritical fluid chromatography-mass spectrometry of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soil.

PubMed

Wicker, A Paige; Carlton, Doug D; Tanaka, Kenichiro; Nishimura, Masayuki; Chen, Vivian; Ogura, Tairo; Hedgepeth, William; Schug, Kevin A

2018-06-01

On-line supercritical fluid extraction - supercritical fluid chromatography - mass spectrometry (SFE-SFC-MS) has been applied for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate the first on-line SFE-SFC-MS method for the quantification of PAHs in various types of soil. By coupling the sample extraction on-line with chromatography and detection, sample preparation is minimized, diminishing sample loss and contamination, and significantly decreasing the required extraction time. Parameters for on-line extraction coupled to chromatographic analysis were optimized. The method was validated for concentrations of 10-1500 ng of PAHs per gram of soil in Certified Reference Material (CRM) sediment, clay, and sand with R 2  ≥ 0.99. Limits of detection (LOD) were found in the range of 0.001-5 ng/g, and limits of quantification (LOQ) in the range of 5-15 ng/g. The method developed in this study can be effectively applied to the study of PAHs in the environment, and may lay the foundation for further applications of on-line SFE-SFC-MS. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Rheo-NMR Measurements of Cocoa Butter Crystallized Under

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mudge, E.; Mazzanti, G

2009-01-01

Modifications of a benchtop NMR instrument were made to apply temperature control to a shearing NMR cell. This has enabled the determination in situ of the solid fat content (SFC) of cocoa butter under shearing conditions. The cocoa butter was cooled at 3 C/min to three final temperatures of 17.5, 20.0, and 22.5 C with applied shear rates between 45 and 720 s-1. Polymorphic transitions of the cocoa butter were determined using synchrotron X-ray diffraction with an identical shearing system constructed of Lexan. Sheared samples were shown to have accelerated phase transitions compared to static experiments. In experiments where formmore » V was confirmed to be the dominant polymorph, the final SFC averaged around 50%. However, when other polymorphic forms were formed, a lower SFC was measured because the final temperature was within the melting range of that polymorph and only partial crystallization happened. A shear rate of 720 s-1 delayed phase transitions, likely due to viscous heating of the sample. Pulsed NMR is an invaluable tool for determining the crystalline fraction in hydrogen containing materials, yet its use for fundamental and industrial research on fat or alkanes crystallization under shear has only recently been developed.« less

Comparative effects of corn-based diet and phase-fed cassava-based diet on growth rate, carcass characteristics and lipid profile of meat-type ducks.

PubMed

Saree, Saowalak; Bunchasak, Chaiyapoom; Rakangtong, Choawit; Sakdee, Jessada; Krutthai, Nuttawut; Poeikhampha, Theerawit

2017-06-01

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of a corn- or cassava- based diet on the production of meat-type ducks. Four hundred day-old ducks were used in this experiment. They were divided into five groups with each group replicated eight times. The ducks fed the corn-based diets served as the control group. The four other groups comprised different treatments, with each one given the cassava-based diet based on phase-feeding. Three treatments were fed the cassava-based diet from 16, 28, and 35 d; respectively up to 42 d of age and the other group was fed the cassava-based diet from 1 to 42 d of age. The results indicated that ducks on either the corn- or cassava-based diets were similar in growth during 1 to 9 d of age. However, toward 35 to 42 d, the cassava-diet produced a higher weight gain (p<0.05). The cassava-based diet was better than the corn-based diet at increasing the outer and inner breast weights at 28, 35, or 42 d (p<0.05). In contrast, the corn-based diet was better at increasing abdominal fat (p<0.05). The two diets did not differ in their effects on the serum triglyceride, cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, very-low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and liver cholesterol. The corn-based diet, however, caused a highly significantly greater level of liver triglyceride (p<0.01). The results of this study suggest that both the cassava- and corn- based diets are similar in their effect on meat-type ducks during the starter stage but toward the finisher stage, the cassava-based diet has a better influence on weight gain and carcass characteristics.

Estimating E-Race European Corn Borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) Adult Activity in Snap Bean Fields Based on Corn Planting Intensity and Their Activity in Corn in New York Agroecosystems.

PubMed

Schmidt-Jeffris, Rebecca A; Huseth, Anders S; Nault, Brian A

2016-07-24

European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner), is a major pest of processing snap bean because larvae are contaminants in pods. The incidence of O. nubilalis-contaminated beans has become uncommon in New York, possibly because widespread adoption of Bt field corn has suppressed populations. Snap bean fields located where Bt corn has been intensively grown in space and time may be at lower risk for O. nubilalis than fields located where Bt corn is not common. To manage O. nubilalis infestation risk, growers determine insecticide application frequency in snap bean based on pheromone-trapping information in nearby sweet corn fields; adult activity is presumed equivalent in both crops. Our goal was to determine if corn planting intensity and adult activity in sweet corn could be used to estimate O. nubilalis populations in snap bean in New York in 2014-2015. Numbers of O nubilalis adults captured in pheromone-baited traps located in snap bean fields where corn was and was not intensively grown were similar, suggesting that O. nubilalis does not respond to local levels of Bt corn in the landscape. Numbers of Ostrinia nubilalis captured in pheromone-baited traps placed by snap bean fields and proximal sweet corn fields were not related, indicating that snap bean growers should no longer make control decisions based on adult activity in sweet corn. Our results also suggest that the risk of O. nubilalis infestations in snap bean is low (∼80% of the traps caught zero moths) and insecticide applications targeting this pest should be reduced or eliminated. © The Authors 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A practical method for extending the biuret assay to protein determination of corn-based products.

PubMed

Liu, Zelong; Pan, Junhui

2017-06-01

A modified biuret method suitable for protein determination of corn-based products was developed by introducing a combination of an alkaline reagent with sodium dodecyl sulfate (reagent A) and heat treatments. The method was tested on seven corn-based samples. The results showed mostly good agreement (P>0.05) as compared to the Kjeldahl values. The proposed method was found to enhance the accuracy of prediction on zein content using bovine serum albumin as standard. Reagent A and sample treatment were proved to effectively improve protein solubilization for the thermally-dried corn-based products, e.g. corn gluten meal. The absorbance was stable for at least 1-h. Moreover, the whole measurement of protein content only needs 15-20min more than the traditional biuret assay, and can be performed in batches. The findings suggest that the proposed method could be a timesaving alternative for routine protein analyses in corn processing factories. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Well-to-wake analysis of ethanol-to-jet and sugar-to-jet pathways

DOE PAGES

Han, Jeongwoo; Tao, Ling; Wang, Michael

2017-01-24

To reduce the environmental impacts of the aviation sector as air traffic grows steadily, the aviation industry has paid increasing attention to bio-based alternative jet fuels (AJFs), which may provide lower life-cycle petroleum consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than petroleum jet fuel. Here, this study presents well-to-wake (WTWa) results for four emerging AJFs: ethanol-to-jet (ETJ) from corn and corn stover, and sugar-to-jet (STJ) from corn stover via both biological and catalytic conversion. For the ETJ pathways, two plant designs were examined: integrated (processing corn or corn stover as feedstock) and distributed (processing ethanol as feedstock). Also, three H 2more » options for STJ via catalytic conversion are investigated: external H 2 from natural gas (NG) steam methane reforming (SMR), in situ H 2, and H 2 from biomass gasification. Results demonstrate that the feedstock is a key factor in the WTWa GHG emissions of ETJ: corn- and corn stover-based ETJ are estimated to produce WTWa GHG emissions that are 16 and 73%, respectively, less than those of petroleum jet. As for the STJ pathways, this study shows that STJ via biological conversion could generate WTWa GHG emissions 59% below those of petroleum jet. STJ via catalytic conversion could reduce the WTWa GHG emissions by 28% with H 2 from NG SMR or 71% with H 2 from biomass gasification than those of petroleum jet. This study also examines the impacts of co-product handling methods, and shows that the WTWa GHG emissions of corn stover-based ETJ, when estimated with a displacement method, are lower by 11 g CO 2e/MJ than those estimated with an energy allocation method. Corn- and corn stover-based ETJ as well as corn stover-based STJ show potentials to reduce WTWa GHG emissions compared to petroleum jet. Particularly, WTWa GHG emissions of STJ via catalytic conversion depend highly on the hydrogen source. On the other hand, ETJ offers unique opportunities to exploit extensive existing corn ethanol plants and infrastructure, and to provide a boost to staggering ethanol demand, which is largely being used as gasoline blendstock.« less

Well-to-wake analysis of ethanol-to-jet and sugar-to-jet pathways

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Han, Jeongwoo; Tao, Ling; Wang, Michael

To reduce the environmental impacts of the aviation sector as air traffic grows steadily, the aviation industry has paid increasing attention to bio-based alternative jet fuels (AJFs), which may provide lower life-cycle petroleum consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than petroleum jet fuel. Here, this study presents well-to-wake (WTWa) results for four emerging AJFs: ethanol-to-jet (ETJ) from corn and corn stover, and sugar-to-jet (STJ) from corn stover via both biological and catalytic conversion. For the ETJ pathways, two plant designs were examined: integrated (processing corn or corn stover as feedstock) and distributed (processing ethanol as feedstock). Also, three H 2more » options for STJ via catalytic conversion are investigated: external H 2 from natural gas (NG) steam methane reforming (SMR), in situ H 2, and H 2 from biomass gasification. Results demonstrate that the feedstock is a key factor in the WTWa GHG emissions of ETJ: corn- and corn stover-based ETJ are estimated to produce WTWa GHG emissions that are 16 and 73%, respectively, less than those of petroleum jet. As for the STJ pathways, this study shows that STJ via biological conversion could generate WTWa GHG emissions 59% below those of petroleum jet. STJ via catalytic conversion could reduce the WTWa GHG emissions by 28% with H 2 from NG SMR or 71% with H 2 from biomass gasification than those of petroleum jet. This study also examines the impacts of co-product handling methods, and shows that the WTWa GHG emissions of corn stover-based ETJ, when estimated with a displacement method, are lower by 11 g CO 2e/MJ than those estimated with an energy allocation method. Corn- and corn stover-based ETJ as well as corn stover-based STJ show potentials to reduce WTWa GHG emissions compared to petroleum jet. Particularly, WTWa GHG emissions of STJ via catalytic conversion depend highly on the hydrogen source. On the other hand, ETJ offers unique opportunities to exploit extensive existing corn ethanol plants and infrastructure, and to provide a boost to staggering ethanol demand, which is largely being used as gasoline blendstock.« less

Well-to-wake analysis of ethanol-to-jet and sugar-to-jet pathways.

PubMed

Han, Jeongwoo; Tao, Ling; Wang, Michael

2017-01-01

To reduce the environmental impacts of the aviation sector as air traffic grows steadily, the aviation industry has paid increasing attention to bio-based alternative jet fuels (AJFs), which may provide lower life-cycle petroleum consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than petroleum jet fuel. This study presents well-to-wake (WTWa) results for four emerging AJFs: ethanol-to-jet (ETJ) from corn and corn stover, and sugar-to-jet (STJ) from corn stover via both biological and catalytic conversion. For the ETJ pathways, two plant designs were examined: integrated (processing corn or corn stover as feedstock) and distributed (processing ethanol as feedstock). Also, three H 2 options for STJ via catalytic conversion are investigated: external H 2 from natural gas (NG) steam methane reforming (SMR), in situ H 2 , and H 2 from biomass gasification. Results demonstrate that the feedstock is a key factor in the WTWa GHG emissions of ETJ: corn- and corn stover-based ETJ are estimated to produce WTWa GHG emissions that are 16 and 73%, respectively, less than those of petroleum jet. As for the STJ pathways, this study shows that STJ via biological conversion could generate WTWa GHG emissions 59% below those of petroleum jet. STJ via catalytic conversion could reduce the WTWa GHG emissions by 28% with H 2 from NG SMR or 71% with H 2 from biomass gasification than those of petroleum jet. This study also examines the impacts of co-product handling methods, and shows that the WTWa GHG emissions of corn stover-based ETJ, when estimated with a displacement method, are lower by 11 g CO 2 e/MJ than those estimated with an energy allocation method. Corn- and corn stover-based ETJ as well as corn stover-based STJ show potentials to reduce WTWa GHG emissions compared to petroleum jet. Particularly, WTWa GHG emissions of STJ via catalytic conversion depend highly on the hydrogen source. On the other hand, ETJ offers unique opportunities to exploit extensive existing corn ethanol plants and infrastructure, and to provide a boost to staggering ethanol demand, which is largely being used as gasoline blendstock.

The influence of diets containing either conventional corn, conventional corn with choice white grease, high oil corn, or high oil high oleic corn on belly/bacon quality.

PubMed

Rentfrow, G; Sauber, T E; Allee, G L; Berg, E P

2003-08-01

The objectives of this study were to evaluate diets possessing different fatty acid profiles (as influenced by corn type) with regard to fatty acid profile and firmness of pork bellies. Crossbred barrows (n=196) were fed one of four corn-based diets consisting of conventional corn (CONV), CONV with choice white grease (CWG), high oil corn (HOC), or high oleic, high oil corn (HOHOC). Following 98 days on test, two animals representing the average pen weight (118 kg) were selected for harvest (n=56). A 50-g fat sample was removed from each belly for fatty acid profile analysis. Lateral and vertical flex tests were performed to determine belly firmness. Bellies were pumped and cooked according to a commercial protocol. Total saturated fatty acids increased (P<0.001) and total unsaturated fatty acids decreased (P<0.05) when CWG was added to the CONV diet or when HOC or HOHOC were substituted for CONV corn. Pigs fed CONV corn had firmer bellies, while those fed HOC were softer. No differences were observed across treatment for percentage pump retention, smokehouse yield, or slicing yield (P>0.05). Based on the results of this study, corn type influences fatty acid profile, and belly firmness, but does not affect pump retention, or slicing yields.

Effect of extrusion conditions and lipoxygenase inactivation treatment on the physical and nutritional properties of corn/cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) blends.

PubMed

Sosa-Moguel, Odri; Ruiz-Ruiz, Jorge; Martínez-Ayala, Alma; González, Rolando; Drago, Silvina; Betancur-Ancona, David; Chel-Guerrero, Luis

2009-01-01

The influence of lipoxygenase inactivation and extrusion cooking on the physical and nutritional properties of corn/cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) blends was studied. Corn was blended in an 80:15 proportion with cowpea flour treated to inactivate lipoxygenase (CI) or non-inactivated cowpea flour (CNI). Extrusion variables were temperature (150 degrees C, 165 degrees C and 180 degrees C) and moisture (15%, 17% and 19%). Based on their physical properties, the 165 degrees C/15% corn:CNI, and 165 degrees C/15% corn:CI, and 150 degrees C/15% corn:CI blends were chosen for nutritional quality analysis. Extrudate chemical composition indicated high crude protein levels compared with standard corn-based products. With the exception of lysine, essential amino acids content in the three treatments met FAO requirements. Extrusion and lipoxygenase inactivation are promising options for developing corn/cowpea extruded snack products with good physical properties and nutritional quality.

Spectroradiometric calibration of the Thematic Mapper and Multispectral Scanner system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Slater, P. N.; Palmer, J. M. (Principal Investigator)

1984-01-01

The reduction of the data measured on July 8, 1984 at White Sands, New Mexico is summarized. The radiance incident at the entrance pupil of the LANDSAT 5 sensors have been computed for bands 1 to 4. When these are compared to the digital counts of the TM image, the ground based calibration for this sensor will be given. The image was received from Goddard SFC and is presently being analyzed.

Design of a Slowed-Rotor Compound Helicopter for Future Joint Service Missions

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

achieves a 208kt top speed at engine MCP and 11,000ft/ISA while having 216hp/ton installed power, based on engine MRP and MTOW. Figure 33...Intermediate rated power ISA International Standard Atmosphere MCP Maximum continuous power MRP Maximum rated power MTOW Maximum Takeoff Weight NDARC...NASA Design and Analysis of Rotorcraft SFC Specific fuel consumption SRC Slowed-Rotor Compound Symbols σ Rotor solidity (geometric) CD Drag

Production of fiberboard using corn stalk pretreated with white-rot fungus Trametes hirsute by hot pressing without adhesive.

PubMed

Wu, Jianguo; Zhang, Xin; Wan, Jilin; Ma, Fuying; Tang, Yong; Zhang, Xiaoyu

2011-12-01

Corn stalk pretreated with white-rot fungus Trametes hirsute was used to produce fiberboard by hot pressing without adhesive. The moduli of rupture and elasticity of the corn-stalk-based fiberboard were increased 3.40- and 8.87-fold when bio-pretreated rather than untreated corn stalk was used. Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and chemical analysis showed that bio-pretreated corn stalk increased the mechanical properties of the fiberboard because it had more than twice the number of hydroxyl group, an 18% higher crystallinity, and twice the polysaccharide content of untreated corn stalk. Its laccase content was 4.65 ± 0.38 U/g. Corn stalk-based fiberboard production did not require adhesives, thus eliminating a potential source of toxic emissions such as formaldehyde gas. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

76 FR 41048 - Agricultural Commodity Definition

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-13

... becomes fiber. Category two would include high fructose corn syrup, but not corn- based products such as... the CEA, including such things as wheat, cotton, corn, the soybean complex, livestock, etc.; 2. A... MGEX's various wheat, corn, and soybean cash-bid indexes) should remain outside of the definition of...

Nixtamalization Reduces Fumonisin Toxicity

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Fumonisin B1 is a fungal toxin found in corn and corn-based foods. It causes diseases in animals, and is a suspected risk factor for birth defects in humans depending on contaminated corn as a diet staple. Tortillas, snacks and other foods are made from corn by the alkaline cooking process known as ...

Effects of stored feed cropping systems and farm size on the profitability of Maine organic dairy farm simulations.

PubMed

Hoshide, A K; Halloran, J M; Kersbergen, R J; Griffin, T S; DeFauw, S L; LaGasse, B J; Jain, S

2011-11-01

United States organic dairy production has increased to meet the growing demand for organic milk. Despite higher prices received for milk, organic dairy farmers have come under increasing financial stress due to increases in concentrated feed prices over the past few years, which can make up one-third of variable costs. Market demand for milk has also leveled in the last year, resulting in some downward pressure on prices paid to dairy farmers. Organic dairy farmers in the Northeast United States have experimented with growing different forage and grain crops to maximize on-farm production of protein and energy to improve profitability. Three representative organic feed systems were simulated using the integrated farm system model for farms with 30, 120, and 220 milk cows. Increasing intensity of equipment use was represented by organic dairy farms growing only perennial sod (low) to those with corn-based forage systems, which purchase supplemental grain (medium) or which produce and feed soybeans (high). The relative profitability of these 3 organic feed systems was strongly dependent on dairy farm size. From results, we suggest smaller organic dairy farms can be more profitable with perennial sod-based rather than corn-based forage systems due to lower fixed costs from using only equipment associated with perennial forage harvest and storage. The largest farm size was more profitable using a corn-based system due to greater economies of scale for growing soybeans, corn grain, winter cereals, and corn silages. At an intermediate farm size of 120 cows, corn-based forage systems were more profitable if perennial sod was not harvested at optimum quality, corn was grown on better soils, or if milk yield was 10% higher. Delayed harvest decreased the protein and energy content of perennial sod crops, requiring more purchased grain to balance the ration and resulting in lower profits. Corn-based systems were less affected by lower perennial forage quality, as corn silage is part of the forage base. Growing on better soils increased corn yields more than perennial forage yields. Large corn-based organic dairy farms that produced and fed soybeans minimized off-farm grain purchases and were the most profitable among large farms. Although perennial sod-based systems purchased more grain, these organic systems were more profitable under timely forage harvest, decreased soil quality, and relatively lower purchased energy prices and higher protein supplement prices. Copyright © 2011 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Impact of Corn Earworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on Field Corn (Poales: Poaceae) Yield and Grain Quality.

PubMed

Bibb, Jenny L; Cook, Donald; Catchot, Angus; Musser, Fred; Stewart, Scott D; Leonard, Billy Rogers; Buntin, G David; Kerns, David; Allen, Tom W; Gore, Jeffrey

2018-05-28

Corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), commonly infests field corn, Zea mays (L.). The combination of corn plant biology, corn earworm behavior in corn ecosystems, and field corn value renders corn earworm management with foliar insecticides noneconomical. Corn technologies containing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Berliner (Bacillales: Bacillaceae) were introduced that exhibit substantial efficacy against corn earworm and may reduce mycotoxin contamination in grain. The first generation Bt traits in field corn demonstrated limited activity on corn earworm feeding on grain. The pyramided corn technologies have greater cumulative protein concentrations and higher expression throughout the plant, so these corn traits should provide effective management of this pest. Additionally, reduced kernel injury may affect physical grain quality. Experiments were conducted during 2011-2012 to investigate corn earworm impact on field corn yield and grain quality. Treatments included field corn hybrids expressing the Herculex, YieldGard, and Genuity VT Triple Pro technologies. Supplemental insecticide treatments were applied every 1-2 d from silk emergence until silk senescence to create a range of injured kernels for each technology. No significant relationship between the number of corn earworm damaged kernels and yield was observed for any technology/hybrid. In these studies, corn earworm larvae did not cause enough damage to impact yield. Additionally, no consistent relationship between corn earworm damage and aflatoxin contamination was observed. Based on these data, the economic value of pyramided Bt corn traits to corn producers, in the southern United States, appears to be from management of other lepidopteran insect pests including European and southwestern corn borer.

CF6 Jet Engine Performance Improvement Program: High Pressure Turbine Aerodynamic Performance Improvement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fasching, W. A.

1980-01-01

The improved single shank high pressure turbine design was evaluated in component tests consisting of performance, heat transfer and mechanical tests, and in core engine tests. The instrumented core engine test verified the thermal, mechanical, and aeromechanical characteristics of the improved turbine design. An endurance test subjected the improved single shank turbine to 1000 simulated flight cycles, the equivalent of approximately 3000 hours of typical airline service. Initial back-to-back engine tests demonstrated an improvement in cruise sfc of 1.3% and a reduction in exhaust gas temperature of 10 C. An additional improvement of 0.3% in cruise sfc and 6 C in EGT is projected for long service engines.

Corn-based ethanol production compromises goal of reducing nitrogen export by the Mississippi River.

PubMed

Donner, Simon D; Kucharik, Christopher J

2008-03-18

Corn cultivation in the United States is expected to increase to meet demand for ethanol. Nitrogen leaching from fertilized corn fields to the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River system is a primary cause of the bottom-water hypoxia that develops on the continental shelf of the northern Gulf of Mexico each summer. In this study, we combine agricultural land use scenarios with physically based models of terrestrial and aquatic nitrogen to examine the effect of present and future expansion of corn-based ethanol production on nitrogen export by the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers to the Gulf of Mexico. The results show that the increase in corn cultivation required to meet the goal of 15-36 billion gallons of renewable fuels by the year 2022 suggested by a recent U.S. Senate energy policy would increase the annual average flux of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) export by the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers by 10-34%. Generating 15 billion gallons of corn-based ethanol by the year 2022 will increase the odds that annual DIN export exceeds the target set for reducing hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico to >95%. Examination of extreme mitigation options shows that expanding corn-based ethanol production would make the already difficult challenges of reducing nitrogen export to the Gulf of Mexico and the extent of hypoxia practically impossible without large shifts in food production and agricultural management.

Universal health coverage in Rwanda: dream or reality.

PubMed

Nyandekwe, Médard; Nzayirambaho, Manassé; Baptiste Kakoma, Jean

2014-01-01

Universal Health Coverage (UHC) has been a global concern for a long time and even more nowadays. While a number of publications are almost unanimous that Rwanda is not far from UHC, very few have focused on its financial sustainability and on its extreme external financial dependency. The objectives of this study are: (i) To assess Rwanda UHC based mainly on Community-Based Health Insurance (CBHI) from 2000 to 2012; (ii) to inform policy makers about observed gaps for a better way forward. A retrospective (2000-2012) SWOT analysis was applied to six metrics as key indicators of UHC achievement related to WHO definition, i.e. (i) health insurance and access to care, (ii) equity, (iii) package of services, (iv) rights-based approach, (v) quality of health care, (vi) financial-risk protection, and (vii) CBHI self-financing capacity (SFC) was added by the authors. The first metric with 96,15% of overall health insurance coverage and 1.07 visit per capita per year versus 1 visit recommended by WHO, the second with 24,8% indigent people subsidized versus 24,1% living in extreme poverty, the third, the fourth, and the fifth metrics excellently performing, the sixth with 10.80% versus ≤40% as limit acceptable of catastrophic health spending level and lastly the CBHI SFC i.e. proper cost recovery estimated at 82.55% in 2011/2012, Rwanda UHC achievements are objectively convincing. Rwanda UHC is not a dream but a reality if we consider all convincing results issued of the seven metrics.

A Parallel Cartesian Approach for External Aerodynamics of Vehicles with Complex Geometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Aftosmis, M. J.; Berger, M. J.; Adomavicius, G.

2001-01-01

This workshop paper presents the current status in the development of a new approach for the solution of the Euler equations on Cartesian meshes with embedded boundaries in three dimensions on distributed and shared memory architectures. The approach uses adaptively refined Cartesian hexahedra to fill the computational domain. Where these cells intersect the geometry, they are cut by the boundary into arbitrarily shaped polyhedra which receive special treatment by the solver. The presentation documents a newly developed multilevel upwind solver based on a flexible domain-decomposition strategy. One novel aspect of the work is its use of space-filling curves (SFC) for memory efficient on-the-fly parallelization, dynamic re-partitioning and automatic coarse mesh generation. Within each subdomain the approach employs a variety reordering techniques so that relevant data are on the same page in memory permitting high-performance on cache-based processors. Details of the on-the-fly SFC based partitioning are presented as are construction rules for the automatic coarse mesh generation. After describing the approach, the paper uses model problems and 3- D configurations to both verify and validate the solver. The model problems demonstrate that second-order accuracy is maintained despite the presence of the irregular cut-cells in the mesh. In addition, it examines both parallel efficiency and convergence behavior. These investigations demonstrate a parallel speed-up in excess of 28 on 32 processors of an SGI Origin 2000 system and confirm that mesh partitioning has no effect on convergence behavior.

Air-propelled abrasive grit for postemergence in-row weed control in field corn

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Organic growers need additional tools for weed control. A new technique involving abrasive grit propelled by compressed air was tested in field plots. Grit derived from corn cobs was directed at seedlings of summer annual weeds growing at the bases of corn plants when the corn was at differing early...

Reduction of fumonisin B1 in corn grits by twin-screw extrusion

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Fumonisins are mycotoxins found in corn and corn-based foods. Fumonisin B1 (FB1), the most common, causes animal diseases and there is evidence suggesting that it increases the risk of certain cancers and birth defects in humans that are highly dependent on contaminated corn as a diet staple. There...

Fingerprints of flower absolutes using supercritical fluid chromatography hyphenated with high resolution mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Santerre, Cyrille; Vallet, Nadine; Touboul, David

2018-06-02

Supercritical fluid chromatography hyphenated with high resolution mass spectrometry (SFC-HRMS) was developed for fingerprint analysis of different flower absolutes commonly used in cosmetics field, especially in perfumes. Supercritical fluid chromatography-atmospheric pressure photoionization-high resolution mass spectrometry (SFC-APPI-HRMS) technique was employed to identify the components of the fingerprint. The samples were separated with a porous graphitic carbon (PGC) Hypercarb™ column (100 mm × 2.1 mm, 3 μm) by gradient elution using supercritical CO 2 and ethanol (0.0-20.0 min (2-30% B), 20.0-25.0 min (30% B), 25.0-26.0 min (30-2% B) and 26.0-30.0 min (2% B)) as mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.5 mL/min. In order to compare the SFC fingerprints between five different flower absolutes: Jasminum grandiflorum absolutes, Jasminum sambac absolutes, Narcissus jonquilla absolutes, Narcissus poeticus absolutes, Lavandula angustifolia absolutes from different suppliers and batches, the chemometric procedure including principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to classify the samples according to their genus and their species. Consistent results were obtained to show that samples could be successfully discriminated. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Consequences of transition from liquid chromatography to supercritical fluid chromatography on the overall performance of a chiral zwitterionic ion-exchanger.

PubMed

Wolrab, Denise; Frühauf, Peter; Gerner, Christopher; Kohout, Michal; Lindner, Wolfgang

2017-09-29

Major differences in the chromatographic performance of a zwitterion ion-exchange type (ZWIX) chiral stationary phase (CSP) in supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) have been observed. To explain these differences, transition from HPLC to SFC conditions has been performed. The amount of a protic organic modifier in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO 2 ) was stepwise increased and the effect of this change studied using acidic, basic and ampholytic analytes. At the same time, the effect of various basic additives to the mobile phase and transient acidic buffer species, formed by the reaction of scCO 2 with the organic modifier and additives, was assessed. Evidence is provided that a transient acid together with the intrinsic counter-ions present in the ZWIX selector structure drive the elution of analytes even when no buffer is employed. We show that the tested analytes can be enantioseparated under both SFC and HPLC conditions; the best conditions for the resolution of ampholytes are in the so-called enhanced-fluidity mobile phase region. As a consequence, subcritical fluid and enhanced-fluidity mobile phase regions seem to be chromatographic modes with a high potential for operating ZWIX CSPs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Swept Field Laser Confocal Microscopy for Enhanced Spatial and Temporal Resolution in Live-Cell Imaging

PubMed Central

Castellano-Muñoz, Manuel; Peng, Anthony Wei; Salles, Felipe T.; Ricci, Anthony J.

2013-01-01

Confocal fluorescence microscopy is a broadly used imaging technique that enhances the signal-to-noise ratio by removing out of focal plane fluorescence. Confocal microscopes come with a variety of modifications depending on the particular experimental goals. Microscopes, illumination pathways, and light collection were originally focused upon obtaining the highest resolution image possible, typically on fixed tissue. More recently, live-cell confocal imaging has gained importance. Since measured signals are often rapid or transient, thus requiring higher sampling rates, specializations are included to enhance spatial and temporal resolution while maintaining tissue viability. Thus, a balance between image quality, temporal resolution, and tissue viability is needed. A subtype of confocal imaging, termed swept field confocal (SFC) microscopy, can image live cells at high rates while maintaining confocality. SFC systems can use a pinhole array to obtain high spatial resolution, similar to spinning disc systems. In addition, SFC imaging can achieve faster rates by using a slit to sweep the light across the entire image plane, thus requiring a single scan to generate an image. Coupled to a high-speed charge-coupled device camera and a laser illumination source, images can be obtained at greater than 1,000 frames per second while maintaining confocality. PMID:22831554

Development of combinations of chemically modified vegetable oils as pork backfat substitutes in sausages formulation.

PubMed

Ospina-E, Juan Camilo; Cruz-S, Adriana; Pérez-Alvarez, José Angel; Fernández-López, Juana

2010-03-01

Today's consumers look for foods which provide nutrition and pleasure, while safeguarding their health, the result of which is that they increasingly avoid foods containing cholesterol and saturated and trans fatty acids. Chemically modified vegetable oils can help tailor meat products to meet this growing need and at the same time fulfil the technological needs of the meat processing industry. In this study, 16 backfat samples were characterised for their solid fat content (SFC) and melting point and these characteristics were used to design a mixture of chemically modified vegetable oils for use as a pork fat substitute for elaborating sausages. The mixtures were prepared with different vegetable oils bearing in mind with stearic acid content due to its close correlation with the SFC. The backfat was characterised as a function of its SFC and some modified vegetable oil mixtures were proposed, which led to a 10-20% diminution in saturated fatty acids and with a melting point similar to those observed in the backfat. The fatty acid profile pointed to a polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acids ratio higher than 0.4, and an n-6/n-3 fatty acid ratio of less than 4 in both modified vegetable oil mixtures proposed. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Global Ocean Evaporation Increases Since 1960 in Climate Reanalyses: How Accurate Are They?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robertson, Franklin R.; Roberts, Jason B.; Bosilovich, Michael G.

2016-01-01

AGCMs w/ Specified SSTs (AMIPs) GEOS-5, ERA-20CM Ensembles Incorporate best historical estimates of SST, sea ice, radiative forcing Atmospheric "weather noise" is inconsistent with specified SST. Instantaneous Sfc fluxes can be wrong sign (e.g. Indian Ocean Monsoon, high latitude oceans). Averaging over ensemble members helps isolate SST-forced signal. Reduced Observational Reanalyses: NOAA 20CR V2C, ERA-20C, JRA-55C Incorporate observed Sfc Press (20CR), Marine Winds (ERA-20C) and rawinsondes (JRA-55C) to recover much of true synoptic or weather w/o shock of new sat obs. Comprehensive Reanalyses (MERRA-2) Full suite of observational constraints- both conventional and remote sensing. But... substantial uncertainties owing to evolving satellite observing system. Multi-source Statistically Blended OAFlux, LargeYeager Blend reanalysis, satellite, and ocean buoy information. While climatological biases are removed, non-physical trends or variations in components remain. Satellite Retrievals GSSTF3, SeaFlux, HOAPS3... Global coverage. Retrieved near sfc wind speed, & humidity used with SST to drive accurate bulk aerodynamic flux estimates. Satellite inter-calibration, spacecraft pointing variations crucial. Short record ( late 1987-present). In situ Measurements ICOADS, IVAD, Res Cruises VOS and buoys offer direct measurements. Sparse data coverage (esp south of 30S. Changes in measurement techniques (e.g. shipboard anemometer height).

Physico-chemical properties and performance of high oleic and palm-based shortenings.

PubMed

Ramli, Muhamad Roddy; Lin, Siew Wai; Yoo, Cheah Kien; Idris, Nor Aini; Sahri, Miskandar Mat

2008-01-01

Solid fat from fractionation of palm-based products was converted into cake shortening at different processing conditions. High oleic palm stearin with an oleic content of 48.2 % was obtained from fractionation of high oleic palm oil which was produced locally. Palm product was blended with different soft oils at pre-determined ratio and further fractionated to obtain the solid fractions. These fractions were then converted into cake shortenings named as high oleic, N1 and N2 blends. The physico-chemical properties of the experimental shortenings were compared with those of control shortenings in terms of fatty acid composition (FAC), iodine value (IV), slip melting point (SMP), solid fat content (SFC) and polymorphic forms. Unlike the imported commercial shortenings as reported by other studies and the control, experimental shortenings were trans-free. The SMP and SFC of experimental samples, except for the N2 sample, fell within the ranges of commercial and control shortenings. The IV was higher than those of domestic shortenings but lower when compared to imported and control shortenings. They were also observed to be beta tending even though a mixture of beta and beta' was observed in the samples after 3 months of storage. The shortenings were also used in the making of pound cake and sensory evaluation showed the good performance of high oleic sample as compared to the other shortenings.

Effect of corn inclusion on soybean hull-based diet digestibility and growth performance in continuous culture fermenters and beef cattle.

PubMed

Russell, J R; Sexten, W J; Kerley, M S

2016-07-01

Two experiments were conducted using soybean hull (SH) diets with increasing corn proportions to determine increasing corn inclusion effects on fermentation characteristics, diet digestibility, and feedlot performance. The hypothesis was that fiber digestibility would quadratically respond to starch proportion in the diet with a break point where starch inclusion improved fiber digestion and feedlot performance. Proportionately, the diets contained 100:0 (SH100), 90:10 (SH90), 80:20 (SH80), 60:40 (SH60), or 20:80 SH:corn (SH20). In Exp. 1, diets were randomly distributed over 24 continuous culture fermenters and fed for 7 d. In Exp. 2, forty steers (347 ± 29 kg BW) and 50 heifers (374 ± 24 kg BW) were blocked by gender, stratified by BW, and distributed across diets. Cattle were fed for 70 d with titanium dioxide included in the diet for the final 14 d and fecal samples collected to measure digestibility. Individual DMI was measured using GrowSafe Feed Intake system. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS with diet evaluated as the fixed effect. In Exp. 1, NDF digestibility (NDFd) linearly decreased ( = 0.04) and ADF digestibility (ADFd) tended to linearly decrease ( = 0.09) as corn increased. Dry matter digestibility (DMd) was cubic ( = 0.01) and OM digestibility (OMd) was quadratic ( = 0.03), and among the 4 SH-based diets, DMd and OMd were greatest for SH90. Acetate:propionate ratio and pH were quadratic ( < 0.01) and greatest for SH80. In Exp. 2, ADG and G:F linearly increased ( < 0.01) as corn inclusion increased. Among the 4 SH-based diets, ADG was numerically greatest for SH80. There was no DMI difference ( ≥ 0.4) due to diet. As corn inclusion increased, DMd tended to linearly increase (P = 0.06), as did OMd ( = 0.05). Both NDFd and ADFd were quadratic ( = 0.04) and greatest for SH80. Overall, feedlot performance increased and fiber digestibility decreased as corn inclusion increased. However, based on continuous culture digestibility and VFA values as well as feedlot digestibility and performance, optimal corn inclusion for growth and diet utilization in the 4 SH-based diets fell between SH80 and SH90, or 0.4 and 0.2% BW corn supplementation. In this study, providing 0.4% BW corn supplementation in fiber-based diets (SH80) provided greater improvement in performance compared with 0.2% BW corn supplementation (SH90).

Process development of short-chain polyols synthesis from corn stover by combination of enzymatic hydrolysis and catalytic hydrogenolysis.

PubMed

Fang, Zhen-Hong; Zhang, Jian; Lu, Qi-Ming; Bao, Jie

2014-09-01

Currently short-chain polyols such as ethanediol, propanediol, and butanediol are produced either from the petroleum feedstock or from the starch-based food crop feedstock. In this study, a combinational process of enzymatic hydrolysis with catalytic hydrogenolysis for short-chain polyols production using corn stover as feedstock was developed. The enzymatic hydrolysis of the pretreated corn stover was optimized to produce stover sugars at the minimum cost. Then the stover sugars were purified and hydrogenolyzed into polyols products catalyzed by Raney nickel catalyst. The results show that the yield of short-chain polyols from the stover sugars was comparable to that of the corn-based glucose. The present study provided an important prototype for polyols production from lignocellulose to replace the petroleum- or corn-based polyols for future industrial applications.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Ying

My graduate research has focused on separation science and bioanalytical analysis, which emphasized in method development. It includes three major areas: enantiomeric separations using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), Super/subcritical fluid chromatography (SFC), and capillary electrophoresis (CE); drug-protein binding behavior studies using CE; and carbohydrate analysis using liquid chromatograph-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS). Enantiomeric separations continue to be extremely important in the pharmaceutical industry. An in-depth evaluation of the enantiomeric separation capabilities of macrocyclic glycopeptides CSPs with SFC mobile phases was investigated using a set of over 100 chiral compounds. It was found that the macrocyclic based CSPs were ablemore » to separate enantiomers of various compounds with different polarities and functionalities. Seventy percent of all separations were achieved in less than 4 min due to the high flow rate (4.0 ml/min) that can be used in SFC. Drug-protein binding is an important process in determining the activity and fate of a drug once it enters the body. Two drug/protein systems have been studied using frontal analysis CE method. More sensitive fluorescence detection was introduced in this assay, which overcame the problem of low sensitivity that is common when using UV detection for drug-protein studies. In addition, the first usage of an argon ion laser with 257 nm beam coupled with CCD camera as a frontal analysis detection method enabled the simultaneous observation of drug fluorescence as well as the protein fluorescence. LC-ESI-MS was used for the separation and characterization of underivatized oligosaccharide mixtures. With the limits of detection as low as 50 picograms, all individual components of oligosaccharide mixtures (up to 11 glucose-units long) were baseline resolved on a Cyclobond I 2000 column and detected using ESI-MS. This system is characterized by high chromatographic resolution, high column stability, and high sensitivity. In addition, this method showed potential usefulness for the sensitive and quick analysis of hydrolysis products of polysaccharides, and for trace level analysis of individual oligosaccharides or oligosaccharide isomers from biological systems.« less

Transport and uptake effects of marine complex lipid liposomes in small intestinal epithelial cell models.

PubMed

Du, Lei; Yang, Yu-Hong; Xu, Jie; Wang, Yu-Ming; Xue, Chang-Hu; Kurihara, Hideyuki; Takahashi, Koretaro

2016-04-01

Nowadays, marine complex lipids, including starfish phospholipids (SFP) and cerebrosides (SFC) separated from Asterias amurensis as well as sea cucumber phospholipids (SCP) and cerebrosides (SCC) isolated from Cucumaria frondosa, have received much attention because of their potent biological activities. However, little information is known on the transport and uptake of these lipids in liposome forms in small intestinal cells. Therefore, this study was undertaken to investigate the effects of these complex lipid liposomes on transport and uptake in Caco-2 and M cell monolayer models. The results revealed that SFP and SCP contained 42% and 47.9% eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), respectively. The average particle sizes of liposomes prepared in this study were from 169 to 189 nm. We found that the transport of the liposomes across the M cell monolayer model was much higher than the Caco-2 cell monolayer model. The liposomes consisting of SFP or SCP showed significantly higher transport and uptake than soy phospholipid (soy-PL) liposomes in both Caco-2 and M cell monolayer models. Our results also exhibited that treatment with 1 mM liposomes composed of SFP or SCP for 3 h tended to increase the EPA content in phospholipid fractions of both differentiated Caco-2 and M cells. Moreover, it was also found that the hybrid liposomes consisting of SFP/SFC/cholesterol (Chol) revealed higher transport and uptake across the M cell monolayer in comparison with other liposomes. Furthermore, treatment with SFP/SFC/Chol liposomes could notably decrease the trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TEER) values of Caco-2 and M cell monolayers. The present data also showed that the cell viability of differentiated Caco-2 and M cells was not affected after the treatment with marine complex lipids or soy-PL liposomes. Based on the data in this study, it was suggested that marine complex lipid liposomes exhibit prominent transport and uptake in small intestinal epithelial cell models.

Graphene-coated polystyrene-divinylbenzene dispersive solid-phase extraction coupled with supercritical fluid chromatography for the rapid determination of 10 allergenic disperse dyes in industrial wastewater samples.

PubMed

Lou, Chaoyan; Wu, Can; Zhang, Kai; Guo, Dandan; Jiang, Lei; Lu, Yang; Zhu, Yan

2018-05-18

Allergenic disperse dyes are a group of environmental contaminants, which are toxic and mutagenic to human beings. In this work, a method of dispersive solid-phase extraction (d-SPE) using graphene-coated polystyrene-divinylbenzene (G@PS-DVB) microspheres coupled with supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) was proposed for the rapid determination of 10 allergenic disperse dyes in industrial wastewater samples. G@PS-DVB microspheres were synthesized by coating graphene (G) sheets onto polystyrene-divinylbenzene (PS-DVB) polymers. Such novel sorbents were employed in d-SPE for the purification and concentration of allergenic disperse dyes in wastewater samples prior to the determination by SFC with UV detection. To achieve the maximum extraction efficiency for the target dyes, several parameters influencing d-SPE process such as sorbent dosage, extraction time, desorption conditions were investigated. SFC conditions including stationary phase, modifier composition and percentage, column temperature, backpressure and flow rate were optimized to well separate the allergenic disperse dyes. Under the optimum conditions, satisfactory linear relationship (R ≥ 0.9989) was observed with the concentration of dyes ranging from 0.02 to 10.0 μg/mL. The limits of detection (LOD, S/N = 3) for the ten dyes were in the range of 1.1-15.6 ng/mL. Recoveries for the spiked samples were between 89.1% and 99.7% with relative standard deviations (RSD) lower than 10.5% in all cases. The proposed method is time-saving, green, precise and repeatable for the analysis of the target dyes. Furthermore, the application of G@PS-DVB based d-SPE process can be potentially expanded to isolate and concentrate other aromatic compounds in various matrices and supercritical fluid chromatography methodology featuring rapidity, accuracy and green will be an ideal candidate for the analysis of these compounds. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Differential coding of hyperalgesia in the human brain: a functional MRI study.

PubMed

Maihöfner, Christian; Handwerker, Hermann O

2005-12-01

Neuropathic pain can be both ongoing or stimulus-induced. Stimulus-induced pain, also known as hyperalgesia, can be differentiated into primary and secondary hyperalgesia. The former results from sensitization of peripheral nociceptive structures, the latter involves sensitization processes within the central nervous system (CNS). Hypersensitivity towards heat stimuli, i.e. thermal hyperalgesia, is a key feature of primary hyperalgesia, whereas secondary hyperalgesia is characterized by hypersensitivity towards mechanical (e.g. pin-prick) stimulation. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we investigated if brain activation patterns associated with primary and secondary hyperalgesia might differ. Thermal and pin-prick hyperalgesia were induced on the left forearm in 12 healthy subjects by topical capsaicin (2.5%, 30 min) application. Equal pain intensities of both hyperalgesia types were applied during fMRI experiments, based on previous quantitative sensory testing. Simultaneously, subjects had to rate the unpleasantness of stimulus-related pain. Pin-prick hyperalgesia (i.e. subtraction of brain activations during pin-prick stimulation before and after capsaicin exposure) led to activations of primary and secondary somatosensory cortices (S1 and S2), associative-somatosensory cortices, insula and superior and inferior frontal cortices (SFC, IFC). Brain areas activated during thermal hyperalgesia (i.e. subtraction of brain activations during thermal stimulation before and after capsaicin exposure) were S1 and S2, insula, associative-somatosensory cortices, cingulate cortex (GC), SFC, middle frontal cortex (MFC) and IFC. When compared to pin-prick hyperalgesia, thermal hyperalgesia led to an increased activation of bilateral anterior insular cortices, MFC, GC (Brodmann area 24' and 32') and contralateral SFC and IFC, despite equal pain intensities. Interestingly, stronger activations of GC, contralateral MFC and anterior insula significantly correlated to higher ratings of the stimulus-related unpleasantness. We conclude that thermal and mechanical hyperalgesia produce substantially different brain activation patterns. This is linked to different psychophysical properties.

Decomposition of the fluoroethylene carbonate additive and the glue effect of lithium fluoride products for the solid electrolyte interphase: an ab initio study.

PubMed

Okuno, Yukihiro; Ushirogata, Keisuke; Sodeyama, Keitaro; Tateyama, Yoshitaka

2016-03-28

Additives in the electrolyte solution of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have a large impact on the performance of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) that forms on the anode and is a key to the stability and durability of LIBs. We theoretically investigated effects of fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC), a representative additive, that has recently attracted considerable attention for the enhancement of cycling stability of silicon electrodes and the improvement of reversibility of sodium-ion batteries. First, we intensively examined the reductive decompositions by ring-opening, hydrogen fluoride (HF) elimination to form a vinylene carbonate (VC) additive and intermolecular chemical reactions of FEC in the ethylene carbonate (EC) electrolyte, by using density functional theory (DFT) based molecular dynamics and the blue-moon ensemble technique for the free energy profile. The results show that the most plausible product of the FEC reductive decomposition is lithium fluoride (LiF), and that the reactivity of FEC to anion radicals is found to be inert compared to the VC additive. We also investigated the effects of the generated LiF on the SEI by using two model systems; (1) LiF molecules distributed in a model aggregate of organic SEI film components (SFCs) and (2) a LiF aggregate interfaced with the SFC aggregate. DFT calculations of the former system show that F atoms form strong bindings with the Li atoms of multiple organic SFC molecules and play as a joint connecting them. In the latter interface system, the LiF aggregate adsorbs the organic SFCs through the F-Li bindings. These results suggest that LiF moieties play the role of glue in the organic SFC within the SEI film. We also examined the interface structure between a LiF aggregate and a lithiated silicon anode, and found that they are strongly bound. This strong binding is likely to be related to the effectiveness of the FEC additive in the electrolyte for the silicon anode.

Production of trans-free margarine with stearidonic acid soybean and high-stearate soybean oils-based structured lipid.

PubMed

Pande, Garima; Akoh, Casimir C; Shewfelt, Robert L

2012-11-01

Omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 FAs) have been positively associated with prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. Intake of high amounts of trans fatty acids (TFAs) is correlated with increased risk of coronary heart disease, inflammation, and cancer. Structured lipid (SL) was synthesized using stearidonic acid (SDA) soybean oil and high-stearate soybean oil catalyzed by Lipozyme(®) TLIM lipase. The SL was compared to extracted fat (EF) from a commercial brand for FA profile, sn-2 positional FAs, triacylglycerol (TAG) profile, polymorphism, thermal behavior, oxidative stability, and solid fat content (SFC). Both SL and EF had similar saturated FA (about 31 mol%) and unsaturated FA (about 68 mol%), but SL had a much lower n-6/n-3 ratio (1.1) than EF (5.8). SL had 10.5 mol% SDA. After short-path distillation, a loss of 53.9% was observed in the total tocopherol content of SL. The tocopherols were lost as free tocopherols. SL and EF had similar melting profile, β' polymorph, and oxidative stability. Margarine was formulated using SL (SLM) and EF (RCM, reformulated commercial margarine). No sensory difference was observed between the 2 margarines. The SL synthesized in this study contained no TFA and possessed desirable polymorphism, thermal properties, and SFC for formulation of soft margarine. The margarine produced with this SL was trans-free and SDA-enriched. The current research increases the food applications of stearidonic acid (SDA) soybean oil. trans-Free SDA containing SL was synthesized with desirable polymorph, thermal properties, and SFC for formulation of soft margarine. The margarine produced with this SL had no trans fat and had a low n-6/n-3 ratio. This may help in reducing trans fat intake in our diet while increasing n-3 FA intake. © 2012 Institute of Food Technologists®

Social conditioning and extinction paradigm: a translational study in virtual reality

PubMed Central

Shiban, Youssef; Reichenberger, Jonas; Neumann, Inga D.; Mühlberger, Andreas

2015-01-01

In human beings, experiments investigating fear conditioning with social stimuli are rare. The current study aims at translating an animal model for social fear conditioning (SFC) to a human sample using an operant SFC paradigm in virtual reality. Forty participants actively (using a joystick) approached virtual male agents that served as conditioned stimuli (CS). During the acquisition phase, unconditioned stimuli (US), a combination of an air blast (5 bar, 10 ms) and a female scream (95 dB, 40 ms), were presented when participants reached a defined proximity to the agent with a contingency of 75% for CS+ agents and never for CS– agents. During the extinction and the test phases, no US was delivered. Outcome variables were pleasantness ratings and physiological reactions in heart rate (HR) and fear-potentiated startle. Additionally, the influence of social anxiety, which was measured with the Social Phobia Inventory scale, was evaluated. As expected after the acquisition phase the CS+ was rated clearly less pleasant than the CS–. This difference vanished during extinction. Furthermore, the HR remained high for the CS+, while the HR for the CS– was clearly lower after than before the acquisition. Furthermore, a clear difference between CS+ and CS– after the acquisition indicated successful conditioning on this translational measure. Contrariwise no CS+/CS– differences were observed in the physiological variables during extinction. Importantly, at the generalization test, higher socially fearful participants rated pleasantness of all agents as low whereas the lower socially fearful participants rated pleasantness as low only for the CS+. SFC was successfully induced and extinguished confirming operant conditioning in this SFC paradigm. These findings suggest that the paradigm is suitable to expand the knowledge about the learning and unlearning of social fears. Further studies should investigate the operant mechanisms of development and treatment of social anxiety disorder. PMID:25904889

Refinement of iron ore sinter phases: a silico-ferrite of calcium and aluminium (SFCA) and an Al-free SFC, and the effect on phase quantification by X-ray diffraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liles, David C.; de Villiers, Johan P. R.; Kahlenberg, Volker

2016-02-01

Crystals of a silico-ferrite of calcium and aluminium (SFCA) and an Al-free SFC were prepared from the melt by slow cooling of synthetically prepared mixtures and examined by single-crystal diffraction methods. Both crystals belong to the space group P-1. SFC has lattice parameters a = 9.1255(3) Å, b = 10.1189(3) Å, c = 10.6183(2) Å, α = 63.9554(9)°, β = 84.4964(11)°, γ = 65.6706(9)° with a final R(|F|) = 0.024. SFCA has a cell with a = 9.0738(9)Å, b = 10.0474(10)Å, c = 10.5611(10) Å, α = 64.061(3)°, β = 84.356(3)°, γ = 65.722(3)° with a final R(|F|) = 0.030. The SFC structure was transformed to the cell used by Hamilton et al. (1989) and refined to an R(|F|) = 0.024. All the atomic positions are equivalent to those reported by Hamilton et al. (1989) with the exception of one (Ca,Fe) position and two oxygen positions that are displaced from the published positions by 0.5 y (Ca,Fe1), 0.5 z (O4), or 0.5 x (O12). This is ascribed to transcription errors in the published crystal structure data. The calculated powder pattern of SFCA (this study) was compared with the experimental data and it shows that the low angle peak intensities agree significantly better than those calculated from the published atomic positions. Additional electron density is located in proximity to the octahedral and tetrahedral cation sites of the main structure. These positions, coupled with the partially occupied cation sites of the main structure, suggest a minor sharing of cations between the main cation sites and the additional sites.

Comparison of wheat- versus corn-based dried distillers' grains with solubles on meat quality of feedlot cattle.

PubMed

Aldai, N; Aalhus, J L; Dugan, M E R; Robertson, W M; McAllister, T A; Walter, L J; McKinnon, J J

2010-03-01

A considerable amount of information has been generated on the feeding value and impact of corn dried distillers' grains with solubles (DDGS) on meat quality, whereas little is known about the effects of wheat DDGS on meat quality, and no direct comparison of these two sources of DDGS has been completed. The current study was conducted to examine the objective and subjective carcass and meat quality traits of cattle fed diets containing corn or wheat (20% or 40%) DDGS (DM basis) as compared to a standard barley-based finishing diet (control). In general, meat obtained from animals fed the barley-based control diet was slightly darker in colour (lower chroma and hue at 24 h, P<0.01) and less tender (highest proportion of tough shears at 2 d and lowest proportion of tender shears at 20 d). Meat from corn DDGS was rated as more tender and palatable than control samples (P<0.05), and 20% corn samples were rated better for beef flavour intensity (P<0.01) and desirability (P<0.05) than 40% corn DDGS samples. In contrast, meat from steers fed wheat DDGS showed intermediate characteristics between steers fed control and corn DDGS diets. Hence, feeding wheat DDGS had no negative effects, and feeding corn DDGS had some positive effects on meat quality characteristics of beef. Crown Copyright 2009. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Greenhouse-gas Consequences of US Corn-based Ethanol in a Flat World

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davidson, E. A.; Coe, M. T.; Nepstad, D. C.; Donner, S. D.; Bustamante, M. M.; Neill, C.

2008-12-01

Competition for arable land is now occurring among food, fiber, and fuel production sectors. In the USA, increased corn production for ethanol has come primarily at the expense of reduced soybean production. Only a few countries, mainly Brazil, have appropriate soils, climate, and infrastructure needed for large absolute increases in cropped area in the next decade that could make up the lost US soybean production. Our objective is to improve estimates of the potential net greenhouse gas (GHG) consequences, both domestically and in Brazil, of meeting the new goals established by the US Congress for expansion of corn- based ethanol in the USA. To meet this goal of 57 billion liters per year of corn-based ethanol production, an additional 1-7 million hectares will need to be planted in corn, depending upon assumptions regarding future increases in corn yield. Net GHG emissions saved in the USA by substituting ethanol for gasoline are estimated at 14 Tg CO2-equivalents once the production goal of 57 million L/yr is reached. If reduced US soybean production caused by this increase in US corn planting results in a compensatory increase in Brazilian production of soybeans in the Cerrado and Amazon regions, we estimate a potential net release of 1800 to 9100 Tg CO2-equivalents of GHG emissions due to land-use change. Many opportunities exist for agricultural intensification that would minimize new land clearing and its environmental impacts, but if Brazilian deforestation is held to only 15% of the area estimated here to compensate lost US soybean production, the GHG mitigation of US corn-based ethanol production during the next 15 years would be more than offset by emissions from Brazilian land-use change. Other motivations for advancing corn-based ethanol production in the USA, such as reduced reliance on foreign oil and increased prosperity for farming communities, must be considered separately, but the greenhouse-gas-mitigation rationale is clearly unsupportable.

High-Throughput Analysis of Sucrose Fatty Acid Esters by Supercritical Fluid Chromatography/Tandem Mass Spectrometry

PubMed Central

Hori, Katsuhito; Tsumura, Kazunobu; Fukusaki, Eiichiro; Bamba, Takeshi

2014-01-01

Supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry was applied to the profiling of sucrose fatty acid esters (SEs). The SFC conditions (column and modifier gradient) were optimized for the effective separation of SEs. In the column test, a silica gel reversed-phase column was selected. Then, the method was used for the detailed characterization of commercial SEs and the successful analysis of SEs containing different fatty acids. The present method allowed for fast and high-resolution separation of monoesters to tetra-esters within a shorter time (15 min) as compared to the conventional high-performance liquid chromatography. The applicability of our method for the analysis of SEs was thus demonstrated. PMID:26819875

Sensor Fish Communicator

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

The Sensor Fish collects information that can be used to evaluate conditions encountered by juvenile salmonids and other fish as they pass through hydroelectric dams on their way to the ocean. Sensor Fish are deployed in turbines, spillways, and sluiceways and measure changes in pressure, angular rate of change, and linear acceleration during passage. The software is need to make Sensor Fish fully functional and easy to use. Sensor Fish Communicator (SFC) links to Sensor Fish, allowing users to control data collection settings and download data. It may also be used to convert native raw data (.raw2) files into Commamore » Separated Variable (.csv) files and plot the results. The multiple capabilities of the SFC allow hardware communication, data conversion, and data plotting with one application.« less

Recent changes in county-level corn yield variability in the United States from observations and crop models

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Leng, Guoyong

The United States is responsible for 35% and 60% of global corn supply and exports. Enhanced supply stability through a reduction in the year-to-year variability of US corn yield would greatly benefit global food security. Important in this regard is to understand how corn yield variability has evolved geographically in the history and how it relates to climatic and non-climatic factors. Results showed that year-to-year variation of US corn yield has decreased significantly during 1980-2010, mainly in Midwest Corn Belt, Nebraska and western arid regions. Despite the country-scale decreasing variability, corn yield variability exhibited an increasing trend in South Dakota,more » Texas and Southeast growing regions, indicating the importance of considering spatial scales in estimating yield variability. The observed pattern is partly reproduced by process-based crop models, simulating larger areas experiencing increasing variability and underestimating the magnitude of decreasing variability. And 3 out of 11 models even produced a differing sign of change from observations. Hence, statistical model which produces closer agreement with observations is used to explore the contribution of climatic and non-climatic factors to the changes in yield variability. It is found that climate variability dominate the change trends of corn yield variability in the Midwest Corn Belt, while the ability of climate variability in controlling yield variability is low in southeastern and western arid regions. Irrigation has largely reduced the corn yield variability in regions (e.g. Nebraska) where separate estimates of irrigated and rain-fed corn yield exist, demonstrating the importance of non-climatic factors in governing the changes in corn yield variability. The results highlight the distinct spatial patterns of corn yield variability change as well as its influencing factors at the county scale. I also caution the use of process-based crop models, which have substantially underestimated the change trend of corn yield variability, in projecting its future changes.« less

Within-Plant Distribution of Adult Brown Stink Bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in Corn and Its Implications on Stink Bug Sampling and Management in Corn.

PubMed

Babu, Arun; Reisig, Dominic D

2018-05-29

Brown stink bug, Euschistus servus (Say) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), has emerged as a significant pest of corn, Zea mays L., in the southeastern United States. A 2-year study was conducted to quantify the within-plant vertical distribution of adult E. servus in field corn, to examine potential plant phenological characteristics associated with their observed distribution, and to select an efficient partial plant sampling method for adult E. servus population estimation. Within-plant distribution of adult E. servus was influenced by corn phenology. On V4- and V6-stage corn, most of the individuals were found at the base of the plant. Mean relative vertical position of adult E. servus population in corn plants trended upward between the V6 and V14 growth stages. During the reproductive corn growth stages (R1, R2, and R4), a majority of the adult E. servus were concentrated around developing ears. Based on the multiple selection criteria, during V4-V6 corn growth stages, either the corn stalk below the lowest green leaf or basal stratum method could employ for efficient E. servus sampling. Similarly, on reproductive corn growth stages (R1-R4), the plant parts between two leaves above and three leaves below the primary ear leaf were found to be areas to provide the most precise and cost-efficient sampling method. The results from our study successfully demonstrate that in the early vegetative and reproductive stages of corn, scouts can replace the current labor-intensive whole-plant search method with a more efficient, specific partial plant sampling method for E. servus population estimation.

Phosphorus bioavailability, growth performance, and nutrient balance in pigs fed high available phosphorus corn and phytase.

PubMed

Sands, J S; Ragland, D; Baxter, C; Joern, B C; Sauber, T E; Adeola, O

2001-08-01

Three experiments were conducted to evaluate P bioavailability, growth performance, and nutrient balance in pigs fed high available P (HAP) corn with or without phytase. The bioavailability of P in normal and HAP corn relative to monosodiumphosphate (MSP) for pigs was assessed in Exp. 1. In a randomized complete block design, 96 pigs (average initial BW 9.75 kg) were fed eight diets for 28 d. The reference and test diets were formulated by adding P as MSP, HAP, or normal corn at 0, 0.75, or 1.5 g/kg to a corn-starch-soybean meal basal diet (2.5 g/kg P) at the expense of cornstarch. Plasma inorganic P concentration responded linearly (P < 0.05) to supplemental P intake. Estimates of P bioavailability from HAP andnormal corn when plasma P was regressed on supplemental P intake were 46 and 33%, respectively. In Exp. 2 and 3, pigs were fed corn-soybean meal-based diets containing HAP corn or normal corn and 0 or 600 units of phytase per kilogram in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement (two corn sources and two levels of phytase). In Exp. 2, 48 crossbred pigs (barrow:gilt, 1:1) averaging 9.25 kg were used to evaluate growth performance. There were no detectable interactions between corn source and phytase for any of the performance criteria measured. Pigs receiving normal corn had the lowest (P < 0.05) BW and rate of gain. Feed efficiency was lower (P < 0.05) in pigs fed normal compared with those fed the HAP corn phytase-supplemented diet. In Exp. 3, 24 crossbred barrows averaging 14.0 kg were used to evaluate nutrient digestibility. There were no detectable interactions between corn and phytase for any of the N and Ca balance criteria. Nitrogen and Ca retention were improved in pigs receiving HAP corn with phytase (P < 0.05). Retention and digestibility of P was lowest (P < 0.01) for pigs on normal corn diet without phytase. The percentage of P digested and retained was improved and fecal P excretion lowered (P < 0.05) by feeding HAP corn. The results of this study indicate that the bioavailability and balance of P in HAP corn is superior to that of normal corn. The addition of 600 phytase units (Natuphos 600, BASF) to HAP corn-based diets further improved P digestibility and reduced P excretion in pigs.

Production of bio-based fiber gums from the waste streams resulting from the commercial processing of corn bran and oat hulls

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The U.S. food and non-food industries would benefit from the development of a domestically produced crude, semi-pure and pure bio-based fiber gum from corn bran and oat hulls processing waste streams. When corn bran and oat hulls are processed to produce a commercial cellulose enriched fiber gel, th...

Rats' preferences for corn versus wood-based bedding and nesting materials.

PubMed

Ras, T; van de Ven, M; Patterson-Kane, E G; Nelson, K

2002-10-01

Corn by-products can be used as bedding and nesting products. Corn-cob bedding resists ammonia build-up and corn-husk nesting material resists dampness. It is not clear whether these advantages are at the expense of animal comfort. Corn cob was compared to aspen chip bedding, and corn husk to paper strip nesting material. Data from 20 rats with differential early bedding experience suggested that they prefer aspen chip, but are also biased towards the bedding they were raised on. Data from 10 rats with no prior nesting material experience suggested that paper strip was preferred over cornhusk. Thus, corn-cob products are not recommended except in situations where air quality and/or flooding are significant problems.

Effects of corn-based diet starch content and neutral detergent fiber source on lactation performance, digestibility, and bacterial protein flow in dairy cows.

PubMed

Fredin, S M; Akins, M S; Ferraretto, L F; Shaver, R D

2015-01-01

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of corn-based dietary starch content and source of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) on lactation performance, nutrient digestion, bacterial protein flow, and ruminal parameters in lactating dairy cows. Eight ruminally cannulated multiparous Holstein cows averaging 193±11d in milk were randomly assigned to treatments in a replicated 4×4 Latin square design with 21-d periods. Treatment diets were high corn grain (HCG; 38% corn silage, 19% dry ground corn, and 4% soy hulls), high soy hulls (HSH; 38% corn silage, 11% dry ground corn, and 13% soy hulls), high corn silage (HCS; 50% corn silage, 6% dry ground corn, and 4% soy hulls), and low corn silage (LCS; 29% corn silage, 15% corn, and 19% soy hulls). The HCG, HSH, HCS, and LCS diets contained 29, 23, 24, and 22% starch; 27, 32, 30, and 32% total NDF; and 21, 21, 25, and 17% forage NDF (dry matter basis), respectively. Mean dry matter intake and milk yield were unaffected by treatment. Cows fed LCS had reduced milk fat content compared with HSH and HCS. The concentration of milk urea nitrogen was greater for cows fed HCS compared with the other treatments. Total-tract digestion of NDF was reduced for cows fed the HCG diet. Total-tract starch digestion was increased for cows fed the HSH and HCS compared with HCG and LCS diets. Bacterial protein flow was unaffected by treatment. Ruminal ammonia concentration was reduced in cows fed the HCG and LCS diets compared with the HCS diet. Ruminal propionate increased and the acetate:propionate ratio decreased in cows fed the LCS diet compared with the HCS diet. Ruminal pH was greater for cows fed the HCS diet compared with cows fed the LCS diet. Diet digestibility and performance of mid- to late-lactation cows fed reduced-starch diets by partially replacing corn grain with soy hulls or corn silage was similar to or improved compared with cows fed a normal-starch diet. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Land usage attributed to corn ethanol production in the United States: sensitivity to technological advances in corn grain yield, ethanol conversion, and co-product utilization.

PubMed

Mumm, Rita H; Goldsmith, Peter D; Rausch, Kent D; Stein, Hans H

2014-01-01

Although the system for producing yellow corn grain is well established in the US, its role among other biofeedstock alternatives to petroleum-based energy sources has to be balanced with its predominant purpose for food and feed as well as economics, land use, and environmental stewardship. We model land usage attributed to corn ethanol production in the US to evaluate the effects of anticipated technological change in corn grain production, ethanol processing, and livestock feeding through a multi-disciplinary approach. Seven scenarios are evaluated: four considering the impact of technological advances on corn grain production, two focused on improved efficiencies in ethanol processing, and one reflecting greater use of ethanol co-products (that is, distillers dried grains with solubles) in diets for dairy cattle, pigs, and poultry. For each scenario, land area attributed to corn ethanol production is estimated for three time horizons: 2011 (current), the time period at which the 15 billion gallon cap for corn ethanol as per the Renewable Fuel Standard is achieved, and 2026 (15 years out). Although 40.5% of corn grain was channeled to ethanol processing in 2011, only 25% of US corn acreage was attributable to ethanol when accounting for feed co-product utilization. By 2026, land area attributed to corn ethanol production is reduced to 11% to 19% depending on the corn grain yield level associated with the four corn production scenarios, considering oil replacement associated with the soybean meal substituted in livestock diets with distillers dried grains with solubles. Efficiencies in ethanol processing, although producing more ethanol per bushel of processed corn, result in less co-products and therefore less offset of corn acreage. Shifting the use of distillers dried grains with solubles in feed to dairy cattle, pigs, and poultry substantially reduces land area attributed to corn ethanol production. However, because distillers dried grains with solubles substitutes at a higher rate for soybean meal, oil replacement requirements intensify and positively feedback to elevate estimates of land usage. Accounting for anticipated technological changes in the corn ethanol system is important for understanding the associated land base ascribed, and may aid in calibrating parameters for land use models in biofuel life-cycle analyses.

Land usage attributed to corn ethanol production in the United States: sensitivity to technological advances in corn grain yield, ethanol conversion, and co-product utilization

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Although the system for producing yellow corn grain is well established in the US, its role among other biofeedstock alternatives to petroleum-based energy sources has to be balanced with its predominant purpose for food and feed as well as economics, land use, and environmental stewardship. We model land usage attributed to corn ethanol production in the US to evaluate the effects of anticipated technological change in corn grain production, ethanol processing, and livestock feeding through a multi-disciplinary approach. Seven scenarios are evaluated: four considering the impact of technological advances on corn grain production, two focused on improved efficiencies in ethanol processing, and one reflecting greater use of ethanol co-products (that is, distillers dried grains with solubles) in diets for dairy cattle, pigs, and poultry. For each scenario, land area attributed to corn ethanol production is estimated for three time horizons: 2011 (current), the time period at which the 15 billion gallon cap for corn ethanol as per the Renewable Fuel Standard is achieved, and 2026 (15 years out). Results Although 40.5% of corn grain was channeled to ethanol processing in 2011, only 25% of US corn acreage was attributable to ethanol when accounting for feed co-product utilization. By 2026, land area attributed to corn ethanol production is reduced to 11% to 19% depending on the corn grain yield level associated with the four corn production scenarios, considering oil replacement associated with the soybean meal substituted in livestock diets with distillers dried grains with solubles. Efficiencies in ethanol processing, although producing more ethanol per bushel of processed corn, result in less co-products and therefore less offset of corn acreage. Shifting the use of distillers dried grains with solubles in feed to dairy cattle, pigs, and poultry substantially reduces land area attributed to corn ethanol production. However, because distillers dried grains with solubles substitutes at a higher rate for soybean meal, oil replacement requirements intensify and positively feedback to elevate estimates of land usage. Conclusions Accounting for anticipated technological changes in the corn ethanol system is important for understanding the associated land base ascribed, and may aid in calibrating parameters for land use models in biofuel life-cycle analyses. PMID:24725504

Climate forecasts for corn producer decision making

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Corn is the most widely grown crop in the Americas, with annual production in the United States of approximately 332 million metric tons. Improved climate forecasts, together with climate-related decision tools for corn producers based on these improved forecasts, could substantially reduce uncertai...

Preliminary kinetic evaluation of an immobilized polysaccharide sub-2μm column using a low dispersion supercritical fluid chromatograph.

PubMed

Berger, Terry A

2017-08-11

The performance of a 3×50mm, 1.6μm d p column with an immobilized polysaccharide stationary phase (ChiralPak IA-U) was evaluated for efficiency, and pressure drop, with respect to flow rate and modifier concentration using supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC). This appears to be the first such report using such a column in SFC. A unique low dispersion (ultra-high performance) SFC was used for the evaluation. The minimum reduced plate height of 2.78, indicates that the maximum efficiency was similar to or better than coated polysaccharide columns. Selectivity was different from ChiralPak AD, with the same chiral selector, as reported by many others. At high flows and high methanol concentrations, pump pressures sometimes approached 600bar. With 5% methanol, pressure vs. flow rate was non-linear suggesting turbulent flow in the connector tubing. The optimum flow rate (F opt ) at 40% methanol was ≈0.8mL/min, where the column efficiency was highest. At 5% methanol, F opt increased to ≈1.6mL/min, but efficiency degraded noticeably. The differences in F opt suggests that the solute diffusion coefficients are a strong function of modifier concentration. Several sub-1min separations, including a 7.5s separation, are presented. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

What makes A. guillouiae SFC 500-1A able to co-metabolize phenol and Cr(VI)? A proteomic approach.

PubMed

Ontañon, Ornella Mailén; Landi, Claudia; Carleo, Alfonso; Gagliardi, Assunta; Bianchi, Laura; González, Paola Solange; Agostini, Elizabeth; Bini, Luca

2018-04-27

Acinetobacter guillouiae SFC 500-1A is an environmental bacterium able to efficiently co-remediate phenol and Cr(VI). To further understand the molecular mechanisms triggered in this strain during the bioremediation process, variations in the proteomic profile after treatment with phenol and phenol plus Cr(VI) were evaluated. The proteomic analysis revealed the induction of the β-ketoadipate pathway for phenol oxidation and the assimilation of degradation products through TCA cycle and glyoxylate shunt. Phenol exposure increased the abundance of proteins associated to energetic processes and ATP synthesis, but it also triggered cellular stress. The lipid bilayer was suggested as a target of phenol toxicity, and changing fatty acids composition seemed to be the bacterial response to protect the membrane integrity. The involvement of two flavoproteins in Cr(VI) reduction to Cr(III) was also proposed. The results suggested the important role of chaperones, antioxidant response and SOS-induced proteins in the ability of the strain to mitigate the damage generated by phenol and Cr(VI). This research contributes to elucidate the mechanisms involved in A. guillouiae SFC 500-1A tolerance and co-remediation of phenol and Cr(VI). Such information may result useful not only to improve its bioremediation efficiency but also to identify putative markers of resistance in environmental bacteria. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Universal health coverage in Rwanda: dream or reality

PubMed Central

Nyandekwe, Médard; Nzayirambaho, Manassé; Baptiste Kakoma, Jean

2014-01-01

Introduction Universal Health Coverage (UHC) has been a global concern for a long time and even more nowadays. While a number of publications are almost unanimous that Rwanda is not far from UHC, very few have focused on its financial sustainability and on its extreme external financial dependency. The objectives of this study are: (i) To assess Rwanda UHC based mainly on Community-Based Health Insurance (CBHI) from 2000 to 2012; (ii) to inform policy makers about observed gaps for a better way forward. Methods A retrospective (2000-2012) SWOT analysis was applied to six metrics as key indicators of UHC achievement related to WHO definition, i.e. (i) health insurance and access to care, (ii) equity, (iii) package of services, (iv) rights-based approach, (v) quality of health care, (vi) financial-risk protection, and (vii) CBHI self-financing capacity (SFC) was added by the authors. Results The first metric with 96,15% of overall health insurance coverage and 1.07 visit per capita per year versus 1 visit recommended by WHO, the second with 24,8% indigent people subsidized versus 24,1% living in extreme poverty, the third, the fourth, and the fifth metrics excellently performing, the sixth with 10.80% versus ≤40% as limit acceptable of catastrophic health spending level and lastly the CBHI SFC i.e. proper cost recovery estimated at 82.55% in 2011/2012, Rwanda UHC achievements are objectively convincing. Conclusion Rwanda UHC is not a dream but a reality if we consider all convincing results issued of the seven metrics. PMID:25170376

Erosion analysis related to corn-based ethanol production in the US

EPA Science Inventory

Since the Renewable Fuel Standard has encouraged the development of biofuels, the US has seen an increase in corn production for conversion to ethanol. In many of these agricultural regions, increased corn production is accompanied with increased erosion. An erosion analysis w...

The effects of transportation stress on Japanese quail (Coturnix Coturnix japonica) fed corn-based diet in comparison with wheat-based diet supplemented with xylanase and phytase.

PubMed

Mehraei Hamzekolaei, M H; Zamani Moghaddam, A K; Tohidifar, S S; Dehghani Samani, A; Heydari, A

2016-08-01

Harvesting, handling and transporting quails to the slaughterhouses, other farms and laboratories might covertly reduce their welfare. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of two major sources of energy in poultry nutrition on reducing transportation stress in Japanese quail (Coturnix Coturnix japonica). Male quails (n = 60) were divided into two groups. The first group was fed corn-based diet, and the second was fed wheat-based diet supplemented with xylanase and phytase. At the end of the experiment (day 35), quails were subjected to 80 km of transportation. Immediately on arrival and after 24 h, heterophil counts, lymphocyte counts and H:L ratios were measured. On arrival, H counts were lower, L counts were higher, and H:L ratios were lower for corn-fed group. After 24 h, wheat-fed group showed lower increment of H counts, greater increment of L counts and also decrement of H:L ratios rather than corn-fed group which showed increment of H:L ratios. However, these ratios were still lower in corn-fed group. Results indicate that corn-based diets can help Japanese quail to better resist transportation stress, although it seems that feeding wheat-based diets supplemented with xylanase and phytase could have positive effects for coping better with stress after journeys. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Linear bunchers and half-frequency bunching method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, J. Y.; Jiang, J. Z.; Shi, A. M.; Yin, Z. K.; Wang, Y. F.

2000-12-01

A new buncher system consisting of two bunchers has been designed and constructed for HIRFL injector cyclotron, working at the SFC acceleration modes of H=1 and H=3, respectively. The bunchers use saw-tooth RF waveform, but with double-gap drift tube electrodes and single-gap grid electrodes, respectively. The special merit of the design is introduction of the half-frequency bunching mode, utilizing half of the cyclotron RF frequency. With this method, a perfect longitudinal match between the injector SFC and the main cyclotron SSC has been reached theoretically, compared to the original efficiency of 50% for most cases. Detailed studies have been made concerning space charge effects, longitudinal dispersions through the yoke hole and the spiral inflector, and non-linearity in both the RF waveform and the stray electric field of electrodes.

Static Frequency Converter System Installed and Tested

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Donald P.; Sadhukhan, Debashis

2003-01-01

A new Static Frequency Converter (SFC) system has been installed and tested at the NASA Glenn Research Center s Central Air Equipment Building to provide consistent, reduced motor start times and improved reliability for the building s 14 large exhausters and compressors. The operational start times have been consistent around 2 min, 20 s per machine. This is at least a 3-min improvement (per machine) over the old variable-frequency motor generator sets. The SFC was designed and built by Asea Brown Boveri (ABB) and installed by Encompass Design Group (EDG) as part of a Construction of Facilities project managed by Glenn (Robert Scheidegger, project manager). The authors designed the Central Process Distributed Control Systems interface and control between the programmable logic controller, solid-state exciter, and switchgear, which was constructed by Gilcrest Electric.

Forward chaining method on diagnosis of diseases and pests corn crop

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nurlaeli, Subiyanto

2017-03-01

Integrated pest management should be done to control the explosion of plants pest and diseases due to climate change is uncertain. This paper is a present implementation of the forward chaining method in the diagnosis diseases and pests of corn crop to help farmers/agricultural facilitators in getting knowledge about disease and pest corn crop. Forward chaining method as inference engine is used to get a disease/pest that attacks the corn crop based on symptoms. The forward chaining method works based on the fact that there is to get a conclusion. Fact in this system derived from the symptoms of the selected user is matched with the premise on every rule in the knowledge base. A rule that matches the facts to be executed to be the conclusion in the form of diagnosis. This validation using 36 data test, 32 data showed the same diagnostic results between systems with an expert. So, the percentage accuracy of results of diagnosis using data test of 88%. Finally, it can be concluded that the diagnosis system of diseases and pests corn crop can be used to help farmers/agricultural facilitators to diagnose diseases and pests corn crop.

Potential economic losses to the USA corn industry from aflatoxin contamination

PubMed Central

Mitchell, N.J.; Bowers, E.; Hurburgh, C.; Wu, F.

2016-01-01

Mycotoxins, toxins produced by fungi that colonize food crops, can pose a heavy economic burden to the United States corn industry. In terms of economic burden, aflatoxins are the most problematic mycotoxins in US agriculture. Estimates of their market impacts are important in determining the benefits of implementing mitigation strategies within the US corn industry, and the value of strategies to mitigate mycotoxin problems. Additionally, climate change may cause increases in aflatoxin contamination in corn, greatly affecting the economy of the US Midwest and all sectors in the US and worldwide that rely upon its corn production. We propose two separate models for estimating the potential market loss to the corn industry from aflatoxin contamination, in the case of potential near-future climate scenarios (based on aflatoxin levels in Midwest corn in warm summers in the last decade). One model uses probability of acceptance based on operating characteristic (OC) curves for aflatoxin sampling and testing, while the other employs partial equilibrium economic analysis, assuming no Type 1 or Type 2 errors, to estimate losses due to proportions of lots above the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) aflatoxin action levels. We estimate that aflatoxin contamination could cause losses to the corn industry ranging from $52.1 million to $1.68 billion annually in the United States, if climate change causes more regular aflatoxin contamination in the Corn Belt as was experienced in years such as 2012. The wide range represents the natural variability in aflatoxin contamination from year to year in US corn, with higher losses representative of warmer years. PMID:26807606

Potential economic losses to the US corn industry from aflatoxin contamination.

PubMed

Mitchell, Nicole J; Bowers, Erin; Hurburgh, Charles; Wu, Felicia

2016-01-01

Mycotoxins, toxins produced by fungi that colonise food crops, can pose a heavy economic burden to the US corn industry. In terms of economic burden, aflatoxins are the most problematic mycotoxins in US agriculture. Estimates of their market impacts are important in determining the benefits of implementing mitigation strategies within the US corn industry, and the value of strategies to mitigate mycotoxin problems. Additionally, climate change may cause increases in aflatoxin contamination in corn, greatly affecting the economy of the US Midwest and all sectors in the United States and worldwide that rely upon its corn production. We propose two separate models for estimating the potential market loss to the corn industry from aflatoxin contamination, in the case of potential near-future climate scenarios (based on aflatoxin levels in Midwest corn in warm summers in the last decade). One model uses the probability of acceptance based on operating characteristic (OC) curves for aflatoxin sampling and testing, while the other employs partial equilibrium economic analysis, assuming no Type 1 or Type 2 errors, to estimate losses due to proportions of lots above the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) aflatoxin action levels. We estimate that aflatoxin contamination could cause losses to the corn industry ranging from US$52.1 million to US$1.68 billion annually in the United States, if climate change causes more regular aflatoxin contamination in the Corn Belt as was experienced in years such as 2012. The wide range represents the natural variability in aflatoxin contamination from year to year in US corn, with higher losses representative of warmer years.

Supercritical Fluid Chromatography of Drugs: Parallel Factor Analysis for Column Testing in a Wide Range of Operational Conditions

PubMed Central

Al-Degs, Yahya; Andri, Bertyl; Thiébaut, Didier; Vial, Jérôme

2017-01-01

Retention mechanisms involved in supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) are influenced by interdependent parameters (temperature, pressure, chemistry of the mobile phase, and nature of the stationary phase), a complexity which makes the selection of a proper stationary phase for a given separation a challenging step. For the first time in SFC studies, Parallel Factor Analysis (PARAFAC) was employed to evaluate the chromatographic behavior of eight different stationary phases in a wide range of chromatographic conditions (temperature, pressure, and gradient elution composition). Design of Experiment was used to optimize experiments involving 14 pharmaceutical compounds present in biological and/or environmental samples and with dissimilar physicochemical properties. The results showed the superiority of PARAFAC for the analysis of the three-way (column × drug × condition) data array over unfolding the multiway array to matrices and performing several classical principal component analyses. Thanks to the PARAFAC components, similarity in columns' function, chromatographic trend of drugs, and correlation between separation conditions could be simply depicted: columns were grouped according to their H-bonding forces, while gradient composition was dominating for condition classification. Also, the number of drugs could be efficiently reduced for columns classification as some of them exhibited a similar behavior, as shown by hierarchical clustering based on PARAFAC components. PMID:28695040

A study to assess COPD Symptom-based Management and to Optimise treatment Strategy in Japan (COSMOS-J) based on GOLD 2011.

PubMed

Betsuyaku, Tomoko; Kato, Motokazu; Fujimoto, Keisaku; Hagan, Gerry; Kobayashi, Akihiro; Hitosugi, Hideki; James, Mark; Jones, Paul W

2013-01-01

The Global initiative for chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) Committee has proposed a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) assessment framework focused on symptoms and on exacerbation risk. This study will evaluate a symptom and exacerbation risk-based treatment strategy based on GOLD in a real-world setting in Japan. Optimal management of COPD will be determined by assessing symptoms using the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) and by assessing the frequency of exacerbations. This study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01762800) is a 24-week, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, parallel-group study. It aims to recruit 400 patients with moderate-to-severe COPD. Patients will be randomized to receive treatment with either salmeterol/fluticasone propionate (SFC) 50/250 μg twice daily or with tiotropium bromide 18 μg once daily. Optimal management of patients will be assessed at four-weekly intervals and, if patients remain symptomatic, as measured using the CAT, or experience an exacerbation, they have the option to step up to treatment with both drugs, ie, SFC twice daily and tiotropium once daily (TRIPLE therapy). The primary endpoint of the study will be the proportion of patients who are able to remain on the randomized therapy. No data are available. This paper summarizes the methodology of the study in advance of the study starting. The results of this study will help physicians to understand whether TRIPLE therapy is more effective than either treatment strategy alone in controlling symptoms and exacerbations in patients with moderate-to-severe COPD. It will also help physicians to understand the GOLD recommendation work in Japan.

Use of on-line supercritical fluid extraction-supercritical fluid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry to analyze disease biomarkers in dried serum spots compared with serum analysis using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Suzuki, Makoto; Nishiumi, Shin; Kobayashi, Takashi; Sakai, Arata; Iwata, Yosuke; Uchikata, Takato; Izumi, Yoshihiro; Azuma, Takeshi; Bamba, Takeshi; Yoshida, Masaru

2017-05-30

The analytical stability and throughput of biomarker assays based on dried serum spots (DSS) are strongly dependent on the extraction process and determination method. In the present study, an on-line system based on supercritical fluid extraction-supercritical fluid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (SFE-SFC/MS/MS) was established for analyzing the levels of disease biomarkers in DSS. The chromatographic conditions were investigated using the ODS-EP, diol, and SIL-100A columns. Then, we optimized the SFE-SFC/MS/MS method using the diol column, focusing on candidate biomarkers of oral, colorectal, and pancreatic cancer that were identified using liquid chromatography (LC)/MS/MS. By using this system, four hydrophilic metabolites and 17 hydrophobic metabolites were simultaneously detected within 15 min. In an experiment involving clinical samples, PC 16:0-18:2/16:1-18:1 exhibited 93.8% sensitivity and 64.3% specificity, whereas PC 17:1-18:1/17:0-18:2 showed 81.3% sensitivity and 92.9% specificity for detecting oral cancer. In addition, assessments of the creatine levels demonstrated 92.3% sensitivity and 78.6% specificity for detecting colorectal cancer. The results of this study indicate that our method has great potential for clinical diagnosis and would be suitable for large-scale screening. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Method developments approaches in supercritical fluid chromatography applied to the analysis of cosmetics.

PubMed

Lesellier, E; Mith, D; Dubrulle, I

2015-12-04

Analyses of complex samples of cosmetics, such as creams or lotions, are generally achieved by HPLC. These analyses are often multistep gradients, due to the presence of compounds with a large range of polarity. For instance, the bioactive compounds may be polar, while the matrix contains lipid components that are rather non-polar, thus cosmetic formulations are usually oil-water emulsions. Supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) uses mobile phases composed of carbon dioxide and organic co-solvents, allowing for good solubility of both the active compounds and the matrix excipients. Moreover, the classical and well-known properties of these mobile phases yield fast analyses and ensure rapid method development. However, due to the large number of stationary phases available for SFC and to the varied additional parameters acting both on retention and separation factors (co-solvent nature and percentage, temperature, backpressure, flow rate, column dimensions and particle size), a simplified approach can be followed to ensure a fast method development. First, suited stationary phases should be carefully selected for an initial screening, and then the other operating parameters can be limited to the co-solvent nature and percentage, maintaining the oven temperature and back-pressure constant. To describe simple method development guidelines in SFC, three sample applications are discussed in this paper: UV-filters (sunscreens) in sunscreen cream, glyceryl caprylate in eye liner and caffeine in eye serum. Firstly, five stationary phases (ACQUITY UPC(2)) are screened with isocratic elution conditions (10% methanol in carbon dioxide). Complementary of the stationary phases is assessed based on our spider diagram classification which compares a large number of stationary phases based on five molecular interactions. Secondly, the one or two best stationary phases are retained for further optimization of mobile phase composition, with isocratic elution conditions or, when necessary, two-step gradient elution. The developed methods were then applied to real cosmetic samples to assess the method specificity, with regards to matrix interferences, and calibration curves were plotted to evaluate quantification. Besides, depending on the matrix and on the studied compounds, the importance of the detector type, UV or ELSD (evaporative light-scattering detection), and of the particle size of the stationary phase is discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fitness of Bt-resistant Western Corn Rootworm on Mon863 and Isoline Corn

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Abstract: To help ensure that insect resistance management plans mandated by the US Environmental Protection Agency are based on the best science available, we evaluated fitness costs associated with resistance development in artificially selected laboratory lines of the western corn rootworm, Diabr...

Evaluation of simulated corn yields and associated uncertainty in different climate zones of China using Daycent Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, A.; Xue, Y.

2017-12-01

Corn is one of most important agricultural production in China. Research on the simulation of corn yields and the impacts of climate change and agricultural management practices on corn yields is important in maintaining the stable corn production. After climatic data including daily temperature, precipitation, solar radiation, relative humidity, and wind speed from 1948 to 2010, soil properties, observed corn yields, and farmland management information were collected, corn yields grown in humidity and hot environment (Sichuang province) and cold and dry environment (Hebei province) in China in the past 63 years were simulated by Daycent, and the results was evaluated based on published yield record. The relationship between regional climate change, global warming and corn yield were analyzed, the uncertainties of simulation derived from agricultural management practices by changing fertilization levels, land fertilizer maintenance and tillage methods were reported. The results showed that: (1) Daycent model is capable to simulate corn yields under the different climatic background in China. (2) When studying the relationship between regional climate change and corn yields, it has been found that observed and simulated corn yields increased along with total regional climate change. (3) When studying the relationship between the global warming and corn yields, It was discovered that newly-simulated corn yields after removing the global warming trend of original temperature data were lower than before.

Application of autoclaving-cooling cycling treatment to improve resistant starch content of corn-based rice analogues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hidayat, B.; Muslihudin, M.; Akmal, S.

2018-01-01

Resistant starch is one important component determining the characteristics of a functional food. The aim of the research was to determine the cooling time optimum in the autoclaving-cooling treatment to increase the resistance starch content corn-based rice analogues, with 6 level of cooling time (0 hours/control, 12 hours, 24 hours, 36 hours, 48 hours and 60 hours). The results showed that cooling at 4°C for 60 hours would increase the resistant starch content (6.27% to 15.38%), dietary fiber content (14.53% to 20.17%); and decrease the digestible starch content (61.81% to 52.70%). Cooling time level at 4°C for 24 hours, would increase the sensory score of corn-based rice analogues then back down until cooling time level of 60 hours. Microscopic analysis of granular structure using SEM indicated that cooling time had a linear correlation with cracks intensity on the granule surface of the corn-based rice analogues. The high content of resistant starch showed that the application of cooling time level at 4°C for 24 hours would improve the functional properties of corn-based rice analogues with sensory characteristics remain favorable to panelists.

Hyperspectral imaging system for whole corn ear surface inspection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Haibo; Kincaid, Russell; Hruska, Zuzana; Brown, Robert L.; Bhatnagar, Deepak; Cleveland, Thomas E.

2013-05-01

Aflatoxin is a mycotoxin produced mainly by Aspergillus flavus (A.flavus) and Aspergillus parasitiucus fungi that grow naturally in corn. Very serious health problems such as liver damage and lung cancer can result from exposure to high toxin levels in grain. Consequently, many countries have established strict guidelines for permissible levels in consumables. Conventional chemical-based analytical methods used to screen for aflatoxin such as thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) are time consuming, expensive, and require the destruction of samples as well as proper training for data interpretation. Thus, it has been a continuing effort within the research community to find a way to rapidly and non-destructively detect and possibly quantify aflatoxin contamination in corn. One of the more recent developments in this area is the use of spectral technology. Specifically, fluorescence hyperspectral imaging offers a potential rapid, and non-invasive method for contamination detection in corn infected with toxigenic A.flavus spores. The current hyperspectral image system is designed for scanning flat surfaces, which is suitable for imaging single or a group of corn kernels. In the case of a whole corn cob, it is preferred to be able to scan the circumference of the corn ear, appropriate for whole ear inspection. This paper discusses the development of a hyperspectral imaging system for whole corn ear imaging. The new instrument is based on a hyperspectral line scanner using a rotational stage to turn the corn ear.

Effect of feeding a corn hybrid selected for leafiness as silage or grain to lactating dairy cattle.

PubMed

Clark, P W; Kelm, S; Endres, M I

2002-03-01

A leafy corn hybrid was compared to a grain corn hybrid as silage and high moisture grain to evaluate dry matter intake, milk yield, and milk composition. Sixteen multiparous Holstein cows averaging 97 DIM were used in a feeding trial based on 4 x 4 Latin squares with 21-d periods. Each of four diets contained (dry basis) 8% chopped hay, 42% corn silage, 11% high moisture corn grain, 10% whole, fuzzy cottonseed, and 29% protein concentrate. One diet used leafy corn as both high moisture grain and silage. A second diet contained grain corn hybrid (control) as both high moisture grain and silage. A third diet contained leafy corn for high moisture grain and control corn for silage and the fourth diet used control corn for high moisture grain and leafy corn for silage. Cows fed diets containing leafy silage produced more milk and milk protein and ate more DM than cows fed control silage. The corn hybrid used for high moisture grain did not influence milk yield or composition. Dry matter intake was greater for cows fed the diet containing both leafy high moisture grain and leafy silage than for cows fed both control high moisture grain and control silage, but milk yield and composition were not different. When fed as silage, the leafy corn hybrid used in this experiment supported greater DMI as well as higher milk and protein yields when compared to the grain corn hybrid.

Meiotic drive-based strategy to minimize mycotoxins in corn

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Some fungi pose a dual threat to corn production by causing disease (seedling, root, stalk or ear rots) and by producing mycotoxins that pose health risks to humans and domestic animals. For example, the fungus Fusarium verticillioides can cause stalk and ear rot of corn and produce fumonisins, a fa...

Corn grain yield and soil properties after 10 years of broiler litter amendment

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Use of broiler litter nutrients for crop production benefits crops, soils, and aids in disposing manure. Understanding corn (Zea mays L.) grain production and soil properties resulting from long-term poultry litter amendment helps establish a sustainable animal manure based corn production with low ...

Biological control of aflatoxin is effective and economical in Mississippi field trials

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Aflatoxin contamination of corn is a major grain quality issue and can be a major economic limiting factor to Mississippi corn farmers. Biological control products based on aflatoxin non-producing strains of Aspergillus flavus are commercially available to prevent the contamination of corn with afl...

Effects of supplemental fat source on nutrient digestion and ruminal fermentation in steers.

PubMed

Montgomery, S P; Drouillard, J S; Nagaraja, T G; Titgemeyer, E C; Sindt, J J

2008-03-01

Five Holstein steers (235 kg of BW) fitted with ruminal, duodenal, and ileal cannulas were used in a 5 x 5 Latin square design experiment to determine the effects of supplemental fat source on site and extent of nutrient digestion and ruminal fermentation. Treatments were diets based on steam-flaked corn containing no supplemental fat (control) or 4% (DM basis) supplemental fat as tallow, dried full-fat corn germ (corn germ), corn oil, or flax oil. Fat supplementation decreased (P < 0.08) ruminal starch digestion but increased (P < 0.03) small intestinal starch digestion as a percentage of intake. Feeding corn germ decreased (P < 0.09) ruminal starch digestion and increased (P < 0.03) large intestinal starch digestion compared with steers fed corn oil. Large intestinal starch digestion was less (P < 0.04), and ruminal NDF digestion was greater (P < 0.09) for steers fed tallow compared with steers fed other fat sources. Small intestinal (P < 0.08) and total tract NDF digestibilities were greater (P < 0.02) for steers fed corn germ than for those fed corn oil. Feeding tallow increased total ruminal VFA (P < 0.03) and NH(3) (P < 0.07) concentrations compared with steers fed the other fat sources. Feeding corn germ led to a greater (P < 0.02) rate of ruminal liquid outflow compared with corn oil. A diet x hour interaction (P < 0.04) occurred for ruminal pH, with steers fed corn oil having the greatest ruminal pH 18 h after feeding, without differences at other time points. Fat supplementation increased (P < 0.09) ruminal concentrations of Fusobacterium necrophorum. Duodenal flow of C18:3n-3 was greater (P < 0.01) for steers fed flax oil compared with those fed corn oil. Feeding corn germ led to less (P < 0.01) ruminal biohydrogenation of fatty acids compared with corn oil. Steers fed tallow had greater small intestinal digestibility of C14:0 (P < 0.02) and C16:1 (P < 0.04) than steers fed the other fat sources. Fat supplementation decreased (P < 0.06) small intestinal digestibility of C18:0. Feeding corn germ decreased (P < 0.10) small intestinal digestibility of C18:1 compared with corn oil. It appears that source of supplemental fat can affect the site and extent of fatty acid and nutrient digestion in steers fed diets based on steam-flaked corn.

The effect of inhalant anesthetic and body temperature on peri-anesthetic serum concentrations of transdermally administered fentanyl in dogs.

PubMed

Pettifer, Glenn R; Hosgood, Giselle

2004-04-01

To determine whether moderate hypothermia during anesthesia significantly affects the serum concentration of transdermally delivered fentanyl and whether halothane or isoflurane affect these concentrations. Randomized cross-over experimental trial. Six mature, healthy Beagles (three males, three females) weighing 10.6 +/- 0.43 kg. A 50-microg hour(-1) fentanyl patch was applied 36 hours prior to anesthesia. Anesthesia was induced at time 0 (t = 0). Each dog received four treatments: isoflurane + normothermia (ISO-NORM), isoflurane + hypothermia (ISO-HYPO), halothane + normothermia (HAL-NORM), and halothane + hypothermia (HAL-HYPO). Dogs were intubated and maintained at 1.5 times MAC. Animals in the hypothermia treatments were cooled to 35 degrees C during anesthesia. Serum fentanyl analysis was performed at -36, -24, -12, 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 18, and 26 hours. Direct arterial blood pressures and arterial blood gases were monitored. The mean body temperatures (+/-SEM) during the anesthetic period for the four treatments were: ISO-NORM = 37.7 +/- 0.07 degrees C, ISO-HYPO = 35.8 +/- 0.1 degrees C, HAL-NORM = 37.7 +/- 0.06 degrees C, and HAL-HYPO = 35.8 +/- 0.13 degrees C. The mean (+/-SEM) serum fentanyl concentrations (SFC) for both hypothermia treatments were significantly lower than baseline concentrations at t = 1 hour and persisted for the duration of anesthesia for the ISO-HYPO treatment but only from t = 1 to 2 hours for the HAL-HYPO treatment. Serum fentanyl concentrations returned to baseline within one hour of the end of anesthesia, regardless of body temperature. There were no significant differences between treatments for systolic or diastolic blood pressure but mean blood pressures were higher during normothermia versus hypothermia during the last hour of anesthesia. Hypothermia during inhalation anesthesia produced a significant reduction in SFC using transdermal administration and was more protracted with isoflurane than halothane anesthesia. While significant reductions in SFC occurred, the SFC were still within the range believed to confer analgesia.

Major signal suppression from metal ion clusters in SFC/ESI-MS - Cause and effects.

PubMed

Haglind, Alfred; Hedeland, Mikael; Arvidsson, Torbjörn; Pettersson, Curt E

2018-05-01

The widening application area of SFC-MS with polar analytes and water-containing samples facilitates the use of quick and simple sample preparation techniques such as "dilute and shoot" and protein precipitation. This has also introduced new polar interfering components such as alkali metal ions naturally abundant in e.g. blood plasma and urine, which have shown to be retained using screening conditions in SFC/ESI-TOF-MS and causing areas of major ion suppression. Analytes co-eluting with these clusters will have a decreased signal intensity, which might have a major effect on both quantification and identification. When investigating the composition of the alkali metal clusters using accurate mass and isotopic pattern, it could be concluded that they were previously not described in the literature. Using NaCl and KCl standards and different chromatographic conditions, varying e.g. column and modifier, the clusters proved to be formed from the alkali metal ions in combination with the alcohol modifier and make-up solvent. Their compositions were [(XOCH 3 ) n  + X] + , [(XOH) n  + X] + , [(X 2 CO 3 ) n  + X] + and [(XOOCOCH 3 ) n  + X] + for X = Na + or K + in ESI+. In ESI-, the clusters depended more on modifier, with [(XCl) n  + Cl] - and [(XOCH 3 ) n  + OCH 3 ] - mainly formed in pure methanol and [(XOOCH) n  + OOCH] - when 20 mM NH 4 Fa was added. To prevent the formation of the clusters by avoiding methanol as modifier might be difficult, as this is a widely used modifier providing good solubility when analyzing polar compounds in SFC. A sample preparation with e.g. LLE would remove the alkali ions, however also introducing a time consuming and discriminating step into the method. Since the alkali metal ions were retained and affected by chromatographic adjustments as e.g. mobile phase modifications, a way to avoid them could therefore be chromatographic tuning, when analyzing samples containing them. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Private sector embedded water risk: Merging the corn supply chain network and regional watershed depletion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, T.; Brauman, K. A.; Schmitt, J.; Goodkind, A. L.; Smith, T. M.

2016-12-01

Water scarcity in US corn farming regions is a significant risk consideration for the ethanol and meat production sectors, which comprise 80% of all US corn demand. Water supply risk can lead to effects across the supply chain, affecting annual corn yields. The purpose of our study is to assess the water risk to the US's most corn-intensive sectors and companies by linking watershed depletion estimates with corn production, linked to downstream companies through a corn transport model. We use a water depletion index as an improved metric for seasonal water scarcity and a corn sourcing supply chain model based on economic cost minimization. Water depletion was calculated as the fraction of renewable (ground and surface) water consumption, with estimates of more than 75% depletion on an annual average basis indicating a significant water risk. We estimated company water risk as the amount of embedded corn coming from three categories of water stressed counties. The ethanol sector had 3.1% of sourced corn grown from counties that were more than 75% depleted while the beef sector had 14.0%. From a firm perspective, Tyson, JBS, Cargill, the top three US corn demanding companies, had 4.5%, 9.6%, 12.8% of their sourced corn respectively, coming from watersheds that are more than 75% depleted. These numbers are significantly higher than the global average of 2.2% of watersheds being classified as more than 75% depleted. Our model enables corn using industries to evaluate their supply chain risk of water scarcity through modeling corn sourcing and watershed depletion, providing the private sector a new method for risk estimation. Our results suggest corn dependent industries are already linked to water scarcity risk in disproportionate amounts due to the spatial heterogeneity of corn sourcing and water scarcity.

Biopolymers as an Alternative to Petroleum-Based Polymers for Soil Modification; ESTCP ER-0920: Treatability Studies

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-08-01

carboxylic, amine, hydroxyl). Molasses produced more carboxylic acid groups than the corn syrup -based material and was composed of high ...molecular weight EPS units (as high as 800 KDa). Corn syrup -derived biopolymer, on the other hand, showed a greater number of small molecular weight...biopolymer by R. tropici: corn syrup , maltose, sorghum, and molasses. The maltose, being a very expensive carbon source, has been replaced by the sorghum

Biopolymers as an Alternative to Petroleum-Based Polymers for Soil Modification, ESTCP ER-0920: Treatability Studies

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-08-01

carboxylic, amine, hydroxyl). Molasses produced more carboxylic acid groups than the corn syrup -based material and was composed of high ...molecular weight EPS units (as high as 800 KDa). Corn syrup -derived biopolymer, on the other hand, showed a greater number of small molecular weight...biopolymer by R. tropici: corn syrup , maltose, sorghum, and molasses. The maltose, being a very expensive carbon source, has been replaced by the sorghum

Inhibitory effect of corn silk on skin pigmentation.

PubMed

Choi, Sang Yoon; Lee, Yeonmi; Kim, Sung Soo; Ju, Hyun Min; Baek, Ji Hwoon; Park, Chul-Soo; Lee, Dong-Hyuk

2014-03-03

In this study, the inhibitory effect of corn silk on melanin production was evaluated. This study was performed to investigate the inhibitory effect of corn silk on melanin production in Melan-A cells by measuring melanin production and protein expression. The corn silk extract applied on Melan-A cells at a concentration of 100 ppm decreased melanin production by 37.2% without cytotoxicity. This was a better result than arbutin, a positive whitening agent, which exhibited a 26.8% melanin production inhibitory effect at the same concentration. The corn silk extract did not suppress tyrosinase activity but greatly reduced the expression of tyrosinase in Melan-A cells. In addition, corn silk extract was applied to the human face with hyperpigmentation, and skin color was measured to examine the degree of skin pigment reduction. The application of corn silk extract on faces with hyperpigmentation significantly reduced skin pigmentation without abnormal reactions. Based on the results above, corn silk has good prospects for use as a material for suppressing skin pigmentation.

Modulation of the Fecal Microbiota in Sprague-Dawley Rats Using Genetically Modified and Isogenic Corn Lines.

PubMed

Li, Penggao; Yang, Chun; Yue, Rong; Zhen, Yaping; Zhuo, Qin; Piao, Jianhua; Yang, Xiaoguang; Xiao, Rong

2018-01-17

This study investigated the composition and proportions of fecal microbiota in Sprague-Dawley rats after consuming two genetically modified (GM) corn lines in comparison with the isogenic corn and the AIN93G standard feed for 10 weeks using bar-coded 16S rRNA gene sequencing. As a result, GM corn did not significantly alter the overall health and alpha-diversity of fecal microbiota. Fecal microbiota structures could be separated into noncorn and corn but not non-GM and GM corn subgroups. Both non-GM and GM corn caused the increase in bacterial populations related to carbohydrates utilization, such as Lactobacillus, Barnesiella, and Bifidobacterium, and the reduction in potentially pathogenic populations, such as Tannerella and Moraxellaceae. In conclusion, similar effects on the fecal microbiota were observed after consuming a GM- and non-GM-corn-based diet for long periods. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the functional relevance of the changes in the proportions of bacterial populations in these diets.

Corn Production. A Unit for Teachers of Vocational Agriculture. Production Agriculture Curriculum Materials Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grace, Clyde, Jr.

Designed to provide instructional materials for use by vocational agriculture teachers, this unit contains nine lessons based upon competencies needed to maximize profits in corn production. The lessons cover opportunities for growing corn; seed selection; seedbed preparation; planting methods and practices; fertilizer rates and application;…

Linking Air Land & Water to Examine the Vulnerability of Groundwater Nitrate Contamination from Increased Corn Production

EPA Science Inventory

The Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) requires oil refiners to reach a target of 15 billion gallons of corn-based ethanol by 2022. However, there are concerns that the broad-scale use of corn as a source of ethanol may lead to unintended economic and environmental consequences. Thi...

Who provided maize to Chaco Canyon after the mid-12th-century drought?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Benson, Larry V.

2010-01-01

Between A.D. 1181 and 1200, in the early part of a climatically wet period, corn was imported to Chaco Canyon from a region outside the Chaco Halo (defined in this paper as the region between the base of the Chuska Mountains and Raton Wells). Strontium-isotope (87Sr/86Sr) analyses of 12 corn cobs dating to this period match 87Sr/86Sr ratios from five potential source areas, including: the Zuni region, the Mesa Verde-McElmo Dome area, the Totah, the Defiance Plateau, and Lobo Mesa. The latter two areas were eliminated from consideration as possible sources of corn in that they appear to have been unpopulated during the time period of interest. Therefore, it appears that the corn cobs were imported from the Zuni region, the Mesa Verde-McElmo Dome area, or the Totah area during a time when the climate was relatively wet and when a surplus of corn was produced in regions outside Chaco Canyon. Based on proximity to and cultural affiliation with Chaco Canyon, it is hypothesized that the corn probably was imported from the Totah.

General aviation internal-combustion engine research programs at NASA-Lewis Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Willis, E. A.

1978-01-01

An update is presented of non-turbine general aviation engine programs. The program encompasses conventional, lightweight diesel and rotary engines. It's three major thrusts are: (1) reduced SFC's; (2) improved fuels tolerance; and (3) reduced emissions. Current and planned future programs in such areas as lean operation, improved fuel management, advanced cooling techniques and advanced engine concepts, are described. These are expected to lay the technology base, by the mid to latter 1980's, for engines whose life cycle fuel costs are 30 to 50% lower than today's conventional engines.

Development of narrow-band fluorescence index for the detection of aflatoxin contaminated corn

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Haibo; Hruska, Zuzana; Kincaid, Russell; Ononye, Ambrose; Brown, Robert L.; Bhatnagar, Deepak; Cleveland, Thomas E.

2011-06-01

Aflatoxin is produced by the fungus Aspergillus flavus when the fungus invades developing corn kernels. Because of its potent toxicity, the levels of aflatoxin are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US, allowing 20 ppb (parts per billion) limits in food, and feed intended for interstate commerce. Currently, aflatoxin detection and quantification methods are based on analytical tests. These tests require the destruction of samples, can be costly and time consuming, and often rely on less than desirable sampling techniques. Thus, the ability to detect aflatoxin in a rapid, non-invasive way is crucial to the corn industry in particular. This paper described how narrow-band fluorescence indices were developed for aflatoxin contamination detection based on single corn kernel samples. The indices were based on two bands extracted from full wavelength fluorescence hyperspectral imagery. The two band results were later applied to two large sample experiments with 25 g and 1 kg of corn per sample. The detection accuracies were 85% and 95% when 100 ppb threshold was used. Since the data acquisition period is significantly lower for several image bands than for full wavelength hyperspectral data, this study would be helpful in the development of real-time detection instrumentation for the corn industry.

Purple corn-associated rhizobacteria with potential for plant growth promotion.

PubMed

Castellano-Hinojosa, A; Pérez-Tapia, V; Bedmar, E J; Santillana, N

2018-05-01

Purple corn (Zea mays var. purple amylaceum) is a native variety of the Peruvian Andes, cultivated at 3000 m since the pre-Inca times without N fertilization. We aimed to isolate and identify native plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) for future microbial-based inoculants. Eighteen strains were isolated from the rhizosphere of purple corn plants grown without N fertilization in Ayacucho (Peru). The 16S rRNA gene clustered the 18 strains into nine groups that contained species of Bacillus, Stenotrophomonas, Achromobacter, Paenibacillus, Pseudomonas and Lysinibacillus. A representative strain from each group was selected and assayed for N 2 fixation, phosphate solubilization, indole acetic and siderophore production, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase activity and biocontrol abilities. Inoculation of purple corn plants with single and combined strains selected after a principal component analysis caused significant increases in root and shoot dry weight, total C and N contents of the plants. PGPRs can support growth and crop production of purple corn in the Peruvian Andes and constitute the base for microbial-based inoculants. This study enlarges our knowledge on plant-microbial interactions in high altitude mountains and provides new applications for PGPR inoculation in purple amylaceum corn, which is part of the staple diet for the native Quechua communities. © 2018 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Simulation of corn yields and parameters uncertainties analysis in Hebei and Sichuang, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, A.; Xue, Y.; Hartman, M. D.; Chandran, A.; Qiu, B.; Liu, Y.

2016-12-01

Corn is one of most important agricultural production in China. Research on the impacts of climate change and human activities on corn yields is important in understanding and mitigating the negative effects of environmental factors on corn yields and maintaining the stable corn production. Using climatic data, including daily temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation from 1948 to 2010, soil properties, observed corn yields, and farmland management information, corn yields in Sichuang and Hebei Provinces of China in the past 63 years were simulated using the Daycent model, and the results was evaluated using Root mean square errors, bias, simulation efficiency, and standard deviation. The primary climatic factors influencing corn yields were examined, the uncertainties of climatic factors was analyzed, and the uncertainties of human activity parameters were also studied by changing fertilization levels and cultivated ways. The results showed that: (1) Daycent model is capable to simulate corn yields in Sichuang and Hebei provinces of China. Observed and simulated corn yields have the similar increasing trend with time. (2) The minimum daily temperature is the primary factor influencing corn yields in Sichuang. In Hebei Province, daily temperature, precipitation and wind speed significantly affect corn yields.(3) When the global warming trend of original data was removed, simulated corn yields were lower than before, decreased by about 687 kg/hm2 from 1992 to 2010; When the fertilization levels, cultivated ways were increased and decreased by 50% and 75%, respectively in the Schedule file in Daycent model, the simulated corn yields increased by 1206 kg/hm2 and 776 kg/hm2, respectively, with the enhancement of fertilization level and the improvement of cultivated way. This study provides a scientific base for selecting a suitable fertilization level and cultivated way in corn fields in China.

Development of an analytical method for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in coffee beverages and dark beer using novel high-sensitivity technique of supercritical fluid chromatography/mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Yoshioka, Toshiaki; Nagatomi, Yasushi; Harayama, Koichi; Bamba, Takeshi

2018-07-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are carcinogenic substances that are mainly generated during heating in food; therefore, the European Union (EU) has regulated the amount of benzo[a]pyrene and PAH4 in various types of food. In addition, the Scientific Committee on Food of the EU and the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives have recommended that 16 PAHs should be monitored. Since coffee beverages and dark beer are roasted during manufacture, monitoring these 16 PAHs is of great importance. On the other hand, supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) is a separation method that has garnered attention in recent years as a complement for liquid and gas chromatography. Therefore, we developed a rapid high-sensitivity analytical method for the above-mentioned 16 PAHs in coffee beverages and dark beer involving supercritical fluid chromatography/atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-mass spectrometry (SFC/APCI-MS) and simple sample preparation. In this study, we developed a novel analytical technique that increased the sensitivity of MS detection by varying the back-pressure in SFC depending on the elution of PAHs. In addition, analysis of commercially available coffee and dark beer samples in Japan showed that the risk of containing the 16 PAHs may be low. Copyright © 2018 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Enantioseparation of napropamide by supercritical fluid chromatography: Effects of the chromatographic conditions and separation mechanism.

PubMed

Zhao, Lu; Xie, Jingqian; Guo, Fangjie; Liu, Kai

2018-05-01

Supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) is already used for enantioseparation in the pharmaceutical industry, but it is rarely used for the separation of chiral pesticides. Comparing with high performence liquid chromatography, SFC uses much more environmnetal friendly and economic mobile phase, supercritical CO 2 . In our work, the enantioseparation of an amide herbicide, napropamide, using three different polysaccharide-type chiral stationary phases (CSPs) in SFC was investigated. By studying the effect of different CSPs, organic modifiers, temperature, back-pressure regulator pressures, and flow rates for the enantioseparation of napropamide, we established a rapid and green method for enantioseparation that takes less than 2 minutes: The column was CEL2, the mobile phase was CO 2 with 20% 2-propanol, and the flow rate was 2.0 mL/min. We found that CEL2 demonstrated the strongest resolution capability. Acetonitrile was favored over alcoholic solvents when the CSP was amylose and 2-propanol was the best choice when using cellulose. When the concentration of the modifiers or the flow rate was decreased, resolutions and analysis times increased concurrently. The temperature and back-pressure regulator pressure exhibited only minor influences on the resolution and analysis time of the napropamide enantioseparations with these chiral columns. The molecular docking analysis provided a deeper insight into the interactions between the enantiomers and the CSPs at the atomic level and partly explained the reason for the different elution orders using the different chiral columns. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Biomass as Feedstock for A Bioenergy and Bioproducts Industry: The Technical Feasibility of a Billion-Ton Annual Supply

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-04-01

Approximately 20 percent of the corn kernel is not utilized in the production of ethanol and other starch based products, such as sweeteners and high - fructose ...under high yields. The amount of corn and soybeans available for ethanol, biodiesel or other bioproducts was calculated by first subtracting amounts...because of increasing demand for animal feed. This evaluation assumes that corn exports rise by another 10 percent in the high corn yield scenarios

Predicting the digestible energy of corn determined with growing swine from nutrient composition and cross-species measurements.

PubMed

Smith, B; Hassen, A; Hinds, M; Rice, D; Jones, D; Sauber, T; Iiams, C; Sevenich, D; Allen, R; Owens, F; McNaughton, J; Parsons, C

2015-03-01

The DE values of corn grain for pigs will differ among corn sources. More accurate prediction of DE may improve diet formulation and reduce diet cost. Corn grain sources ( = 83) were assayed with growing swine (20 kg) in DE experiments with total collection of feces, with 3-wk-old broiler chick in nitrogen-corrected apparent ME (AME) trials and with cecectomized adult roosters in nitrogen-corrected true ME (TME) studies. Additional AME data for the corn grain source set was generated based on an existing near-infrared transmittance prediction model (near-infrared transmittance-predicted AME [NIT-AME]). Corn source nutrient composition was determined by wet chemistry methods. These data were then used to 1) test the accuracy of predicting swine DE of individual corn sources based on available literature equations and nutrient composition and 2) develop models for predicting DE of sources from nutrient composition and the cross-species information gathered above (AME, NIT-AME, and TME). The overall measured DE, AME, NIT-AME, and TME values were 4,105 ± 11, 4,006 ± 10, 4,004 ± 10, and 4,086 ± 12 kcal/kg DM, respectively. Prediction models were developed using 80% of the corn grain sources; the remaining 20% was reserved for validation of the developed prediction equation. Literature equations based on nutrient composition proved imprecise for predicting corn DE; the root mean square error of prediction ranged from 105 to 331 kcal/kg, an equivalent of 2.6 to 8.8% error. Yet among the corn composition traits, 4-variable models developed in the current study provided adequate prediction of DE (model ranging from 0.76 to 0.79 and root mean square error [RMSE] of 50 kcal/kg). When prediction equations were tested using the validation set, these models had a 1 to 1.2% error of prediction. Simple linear equations from AME, NIT-AME, or TME provided an accurate prediction of DE for individual sources ( ranged from 0.65 to 0.73 and RMSE ranged from 50 to 61 kcal/kg). Percentage error of prediction based on the validation data set was greater (1.4%) for the TME model than for the NIT-AME or AME models (1 and 1.2%, respectively), indicating that swine DE values could be accurately predicted by using AME or NIT-AME. In conclusion, regression equations developed from broiler measurements or from analyzed nutrient composition proved adequate to reliably predict the DE of commercially available corn hybrids for growing pigs.

Chiral separations of cathinone and amphetamine-derivatives: Comparative study between capillary electrochromatography, supercritical fluid chromatography and three liquid chromatographic modes.

PubMed

Albals, Dima; Heyden, Yvan Vander; Schmid, Martin G; Chankvetadze, Bezhan; Mangelings, Debby

2016-03-20

The screening part of an earlier defined chiral separation strategy in capillary electrochromatography (CEC) was used for the separation of ten cathinone- and amphetamine derivatives. They were analyzed using 4 polysaccharide-based chiral stationary phases (CSPs), containing cellulose tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) (ODRH), amylose tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) (ADH), amylose tris(5-chloro-2-methylphenylcarbamate) (LA2), and cellulose tris(4-chloro-3-methylphenylcarbamate) (LC4) as chiral selectors. After applying the screening to each compound, ADH and LC4 showed the highest success rate. In a second part of the study, a comparison between CEC and other analytical techniques used for chiral separations i.e., supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC), polar organic solvent chromatography (POSC), reversed-phase (RPLC) and normal-phase liquid chromatography (NPLC), was made. For this purpose, earlier defined screening approaches for each technique were applied to separate the 10 test substances. This allowed an overall comparison of the success rates of the screening steps of the 5 techniques for these compounds. The results showed that CEC had a similar enantioselectivity rate as NPLC and RPLC, producing the highest number of separations (9 out of 10 racemates). SFC resolved 7 compounds, while POSC gave only 2 separations. On the other hand, the baseline separation success rates for NPLC and RPLC was better than for CEC. For a second comparison, the same chiral stationary phases as in the CEC screening were also tested with all techniques at their specific screening conditions, which allowed a direct comparison of the performance of CEC versus the same CSPs in the other techniques. This comparison revealed that RPLC was able to separate all tested compounds, and also produced the highest number of baseline separations on the CSP that were used in the CEC screening step. CEC and NPLC showed the same success rate: nine out of ten substances were separated. When CEC and NPLC are combined, separation of the ten compounds can be achieved. SFC and POSC resolved eight and three compounds, respectively. POSC was the least attractive option as it expressed only limited enantioselectivity toward these compounds. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The importance of hippocampal dynamic connectivity in explaining memory function in multiple sclerosis.

PubMed

van Geest, Quinten; Hulst, Hanneke E; Meijer, Kim A; Hoyng, Lieke; Geurts, Jeroen J G; Douw, Linda

2018-05-01

Brain dynamics (i.e., variable strength of communication between areas), even at the scale of seconds, are thought to underlie complex human behavior, such as learning and memory. In multiple sclerosis (MS), memory problems occur often and have so far only been related to "stationary" brain measures (e.g., atrophy, lesions, activation and stationary (s) functional connectivity (FC) over an entire functional scanning session). However, dynamics in FC (dFC) between the hippocampus and the (neo)cortex may be another important neurobiological substrate of memory impairment in MS that has not yet been explored. Therefore, we investigated hippocampal dFC during a functional (f) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) episodic memory task and its relationship with verbal and visuospatial memory performance outside the MR scanner. Thirty-eight MS patients and 29 healthy controls underwent neuropsychological tests to assess memory function. Imaging (1.5T) was obtained during performance of a memory task. We assessed hippocampal volume, functional activation, and sFC (i.e., FC of the hippocampus with the rest of the brain averaged over the entire scan, using an atlas-based approach). Dynamic FC of the hippocampus was calculated using a sliding window approach. No group differences were found in hippocampal activation, sFC, and dFC. However, stepwise forward regression analyses in patients revealed that lower dFC of the left hippocampus (standardized β = -0.30; p  =   .021) could explain an additional 7% of variance (53% in total) in verbal memory, in addition to female sex and larger left hippocampal volume. For visuospatial memory, lower dFC of the right hippocampus (standardized β = -0.38; p  =   .013) could explain an additional 13% of variance (24% in total) in addition to higher sFC of the right hippocampus. Low hippocampal dFC is an important indicator for maintained memory performance in MS, in addition to other hippocampal imaging measures. Hence, brain dynamics may offer new insights into the neurobiological mechanisms underlying memory (dys)function.

Reactor performance and energy analysis of solid state anaerobic co-digestion of dairy manure with corn stover and tomato residues.

PubMed

Li, Yangyang; Xu, Fuqing; Li, Yu; Lu, Jiaxin; Li, Shuyan; Shah, Ajay; Zhang, Xuehua; Zhang, Hongyu; Gong, Xiaoyan; Li, Guoxue

2018-03-01

Anaerobic co-digestion is commonly believed to be benefical for biogas production. However, additional of co-substrates may require additional energy inputs and thus affect the overall energy efficiency of the system. In this study, reactor performance and energy analysis of solid state anaerobic digestion (SS-AD) of tomato residues with dairy manure and corn stover were investigated. Different fractions of tomato residues (0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100%, based on volatile solid weight (VS)) were co-digested with dairy manure and corn stover at 15% total solids. Energy analysis based on experimental data was conducted for three scenarios: SS-AD of 100% dairy manure, SS-AD of binary mixture (60% dairy manure and 40% corn stover, VS based), and SS-AD of ternary mixture (36% dairy manure, 24% corn stover, and 40% tomato residues, VS based). For each scenario, the energy requirements for individual process components, including feedstock collection and transportation, feedstock pretreatment, biogas plant operation, digestate processing and handling, and the energy production were examined. Results showed that the addition of 20 and 40% tomato residues increased methane yield compared to that of the dairy manure and corn stover mixture, indicating that the co-digestion could balance nutrients and improve the performance of solid-state anaerobic digestion. The energy required for heating substrates had the dominant effect on the total energy consumption. The highest volatile solids (VS) reduction (57.0%), methane yield (379.1 L/kg VS feed ), and net energy production were achieved with the mixture of 24% corn stover, 36% dairy manure, and 40% tomato residues. Thus, the extra energy input for adding tomato residues for co-digestion could be compensated by the increase of methane yield. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of potential life-cycle energy and greenhouse gas emission effects from using corn-based butanol as a transportation fuel.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wu, M.; Wang, M.; Liu, J.

2008-01-01

Since advances in the ABE (acetone-butanol-ethanol) fermentation process in recent years have led to significant increases in its productivity and yields, the production of butanol and its use in motor vehicles have become an option worth evaluating. This study estimates the potential life-cycle energy and emission effects associated with using bio-butanol as a transportation fuel. It employs a well-to-wheels (WTW) analysis tool: the Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET) model. The estimates of life-cycle energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are based on an Aspen Plus(reg. sign) simulation for a corn-to-butanol production process, which describesmore » grain processing, fermentation, and product separation. Bio-butanol-related WTW activities include corn farming, corn transportation, butanol production, butanol transportation, and vehicle operation. In this study, we also analyzed the bio-acetone that is coproduced with bio-butanol as an alternative to petroleum-based acetone. We then compared the results for bio-butanol with those of conventional gasoline. Our study shows that driving vehicles fueled with corn-based butanol produced by the current ABE fermentation process could result in substantial fossil energy savings (39%-56%) and avoid large percentage of the GHG emission burden, yielding a 32%-48% reduction relative to using conventional gasoline. On energy basis, a bushel of corn produces less liquid fuel from the ABE process than that from the corn ethanol dry mill process. The coproduction of a significant portion of acetone from the current ABE fermentation presents a challenge. A market analysis of acetone, as well as research and development on robust alternative technologies and processes that minimize acetone while increase the butanol yield, should be conducted.« less

Assessment of potential life-cycle energy and greenhouse gas emission effects from using corn-based butanol as a transportation fuel.

PubMed

Wu, May; Wang, Michael; Liu, Jiahong; Huo, Hong

2008-01-01

Since advances in the ABE (acetone-butanol-ethanol) fermentation process in recent years have led to significant increases in its productivity and yields, the production of butanol and its use in motor vehicles have become an option worth evaluating. This study estimates the potential life-cycle energy and emission effects associated with using bio-butanol as a transportation fuel. It employs a well-to-wheels (WTW) analysis tool: the Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET) model. The estimates of life-cycle energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are based on an Aspen Plus(R) simulation for a corn-to-butanol production process, which describes grain processing, fermentation, and product separation. Bio-butanol-related WTW activities include corn farming, corn transportation, butanol production, butanol transportation, and vehicle operation. In this study, we also analyzed the bio-acetone that is coproduced with bio-butanol as an alternative to petroleum-based acetone. We then compared the results for bio-butanol with those of conventional gasoline. Our study shows that driving vehicles fueled with corn-based butanol produced by the current ABE fermentation process could result in substantial fossil energy savings (39%-56%) and avoid large percentage of the GHG emission burden, yielding a 32%-48% reduction relative to using conventional gasoline. On energy basis, a bushel of corn produces less liquid fuel from the ABE process than that from the corn ethanol dry mill process. The coproduction of a significant portion of acetone from the current ABE fermentation presents a challenge. A market analysis of acetone, as well as research and development on robust alternative technologies and processes that minimize acetone while increase the butanol yield, should be conducted.

Soil water dynamics and nitrate leaching under corn-soybean rotation, continuous corn, and kura clover

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Improving the water quantity and water quality impacts of corn (Zea mays L.)- and soybean (Glycine max L.)-based cropping systems is a key challenge for agriculture in the US Midwest and similar regions around the world. Long-term field experiments are important for documenting those effects and exp...

Invited review: summary of steam-flaking corn or sorghum grain for lactating dairy cows.

PubMed

Theurer, C B; Huber, J T; Delgado-Elorduy, A; Wanderley, R

1999-09-01

Nineteen lactation trials (43 grain processing comparisons) are summarized, in addition to digestibility and postabsorptive metabolism studies. The net energy for lactation (NEL) of steam-flaked corn or sorghum grain is about 20% greater than the NEL for dry-rolled corn or sorghum. Based on lactational performance, steam-flaked sorghum grain is of equal value to steam-flaked corn, and steam-flaked corn is superior to steam-rolled corn. Steam-flaking of corn or sorghum compared to steam-rolling of corn or dry-rolling of corn or sorghum consistently improves milk production and milk protein yield. This result is because of a much greater proportion of dietary starch fermented in the rumen, enhanced digestibility of the smaller fraction of dietary starch reaching the small intestine, and increased total starch digestion. Steam-flaking increases cycling of urea to the gut, microbial protein flow to the small intestine, and estimated mammary uptake of amino acids. Steam-rolling compared to dry-rolling of barley or wheat did not alter total starch digestibilities in two trials, one with each grain source. Lactation studies with these processing comparisons have not been reported. Most cited studies have been with total mixed rations (TMR) and alfalfa hay as the principal forage. Additional studies are needed with lactating cows fed steam-flaked corn or sorghum in TMR containing alfalfa or corn silage. Optimal flake density of steam-processed corn or sorghum grain appears to be about 360 g/L (approximately 28 lb/bu).

46 CFR 50.10-30 - Coast Guard number.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... Juneau. LIS Long Island. LOS Los Angeles. LOU Louisville. MEM Memphis. MIA Miami. MIL Milwaukee. MIN... Rotterdam. SAV Savannah. SDC San Diego. SEA Seattle. SFC San Francisco. SIM Saint Ignace. SJP San Juan. SLM...

46 CFR 50.10-30 - Coast Guard number.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... Juneau. LIS Long Island. LOS Los Angeles. LOU Louisville. MEM Memphis. MIA Miami. MIL Milwaukee. MIN... Rotterdam. SAV Savannah. SDC San Diego. SEA Seattle. SFC San Francisco. SIM Saint Ignace. SJP San Juan. SLM...

46 CFR 50.10-30 - Coast Guard number.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... Juneau. LIS Long Island. LOS Los Angeles. LOU Louisville. MEM Memphis. MIA Miami. MIL Milwaukee. MIN... Rotterdam. SAV Savannah. SDC San Diego. SEA Seattle. SFC San Francisco. SIM Saint Ignace. SJP San Juan. SLM...

46 CFR 50.10-30 - Coast Guard number.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Juneau. LIS Long Island. LOS Los Angeles. LOU Louisville. MEM Memphis. MIA Miami. MIL Milwaukee. MIN... Rotterdam. SAV Savannah. SDC San Diego. SEA Seattle. SFC San Francisco. SIM Saint Ignace. SJP San Juan. SLM...

46 CFR 50.10-30 - Coast Guard number.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... Juneau. LIS Long Island. LOS Los Angeles. LOU Louisville. MEM Memphis. MIA Miami. MIL Milwaukee. MIN... Rotterdam. SAV Savannah. SDC San Diego. SEA Seattle. SFC San Francisco. SIM Saint Ignace. SJP San Juan. SLM...

Variability in amino acid digestibility and metabolizable energy of corn studied in cecectomized laying hens1.

PubMed

Zuber, T; Rodehutscord, M

2017-06-01

To optimize the use of corn grain in diets for laying hens, differences in amino acid (AA) digestibility and metabolizable energy among different corn samples should be considered in feed formulation. The present study investigated the variability of AA digestibility and AMEn concentration of 20 corn samples in cecectomized laying hens. Corn grains were characterized based on their physical properties (thousand seed weight, test weight, grain density, and extract viscoelasticity), chemical composition (proximate nutrients, AA, minerals, and inositol phosphates), gross energy concentration, and in vitro solubility of nitrogen to study any relationship with AA digestibility or AMEn. The animal study comprised 4 Latin squares (6 × 6) distributed between 2 subsequent runs. Cecectomized LSL-Classic hens were individually housed in metabolism cages and fed either a basal diet containing 500 g/kg cornstarch or one of 20 corn diets, each replacing the cornstarch with one corn batch, for 8 days. During the last 4 d, feed intake was recorded and excreta were collected quantitatively. A linear regression approach was used to calculate AA digestibility of the corn. The digestibility of all AA differed significantly between the 20 corn batches, including Lys (digestibility range 64 to 85%), Met (86 to 94%), Thr (72 to 89%), and Trp (21 to 88%). The AMEn of the corn batches ranged between 15.7 and 17.1 MJ/kg DM. However, consistent correlations between AA digestibility or AMEn and the physical and chemical characteristics of the grains were not detected. Equations to predict AA digestibility or AMEn based on the grain's physical and chemical characteristics were calculated by multiple linear regressions. The explanatory power (adjusted R2;) of prediction equations was below 0.6 for the majority of AA and AMEn, and, thus, was not sufficiently precise for practical use. Possible explanations for the variation in AA digestibility and AMEn beyond the determined characteristics are discussed. In conclusion, AA digestibility and AMEn of corn grain is high in laying hens, but varies among different corn samples, with physical and chemical characteristics not suitable for explaining these variations. © 2016 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Analysis of flour and food samples for cry9C from bioengineered corn.

PubMed

Orlandi, Palmer A; Lampel, Keith A; South, Paul K; Assar, Samir K; Carter, Laurenda; Levy, Dan D

2002-02-01

StarLink corn is a variety of yellow corn that has been genetically modified by the insertion of an altered cry9C gene into the plant genome. resulting in expression of the insecticidal Cry9C protein. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved StarLink corn for use in animal feed but not in food intended for human consumption. Therefore, under the U.S. Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, any food intended for human consumption in which the presence of StarLink corn is indicated by the presence of either the Cry9C protein or the cry9C gene would be considered adulterated. Extraction and PCR-based methods were used to detect the presence of the cry9C DNA initially in corn flour and corn meal, and then these methods were extended to the analysis of processed corn products, including taco shells, cereals, baby foods, party snacks, and chips, for the presence of this modified genetic material. In a survey of 63 products, the cry9C transgene was detected in 4 taco shells.

Effects of different mechanized soil fertilization methods on corn nutrient accumulation and yield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Qingwen; Bai, Chunming; Wang, Huixin; Wu, Di; Song, Qiaobo; Dong, Zengqi; Gao, Depeng; Dong, Qiping; Cheng, Xin; Zhang, Yahao; Mu, Jiahui; Chen, Qinghong; Liao, Wenqing; Qu, Tianru; Zhang, Chunling; Zhang, Xinyu; Liu, Yifei; Han, Xiaori

2017-05-01

Aim: Experiments for mechanized corn soil fertilization were conducted in Faku demonstration zone. On this basis, we studied effects on corn nutrient accumulation and yield traits at brown soil regions due to different mechanized soil fertilization measures. We also evaluated and optimized the regulation effects of mechanized soil fertilization for the purpose of crop yield increase and production efficiency improvement. Method: Based on the survey of soil background value in the demonstration zone, we collected plant samples during different corn growth periods to determine and make statistical analysis. Conclusions: Decomposed cow dung, when under mechanical broadcasting, was able to remarkably increase nitrogen and potassium accumulation content of corns at their ripe stage. Crushed stalk returning combined with deep tillage would remarkably increase phosphorus accumulation content of corn plants. When compared with top application, crushed stalk returning combined with deep tillage would remarkably increase corn thousand kernel weight (TKW). Mechanized broadcasting of granular organic fertilizer and crushed stalk returning combined with deep tillage, when compared with surface application, were able to boost corn yield in the in the demonstration zone.

Multivariate machine learning distinguishes cross-network dynamic functional connectivity patterns in state and trait neuropathic pain.

PubMed

Cheng, J C; Rogachov, A; Hemington, K S; Kucyi, A; Bosma, R L; Lindquist, M A; Inman, R D; Davis, K D

2018-04-26

Communication within the brain is dynamic. Chronic pain can also be dynamic, with varying intensities experienced over time. Little is known of how brain dynamics are disrupted in chronic pain, or relates to patients' pain assessed at various time-scales (e.g., short-term state versus long-term trait). Patients experience pain "traits" indicative of their general condition, but also pain "states" that vary day to day. Here, we used network-based multivariate machine learning to determine how patterns in dynamic and static brain communication are related to different characteristics and timescales of chronic pain. Our models were based on resting state dynamic and static functional connectivity (dFC, sFC) in patients with chronic neuropathic pain (NP) or non-NP. The most prominent networks in the models were the default mode, salience, and executive control networks. We also found that cross-network measures of dFC rather than sFC were better associated with patients' pain, but only in those with NP features. These associations were also more highly and widely associated with measures of trait rather than state pain. Furthermore, greater dynamic connectivity with executive control networks was associated with milder neuropathic pain, but greater dynamic connectivity with limbic networks was associated greater neuropathic pain. Compared with healthy individuals, the dFC features most highly related to trait neuropathic pain were also more abnormal in patients with greater pain. Our findings indicate that dFC reflects patients' overall pain condition (i.e., trait pain), not just their current state, and is impacted by complexities in pain features beyond intensity.

Effects of exogenous enzymes in corn-based and Canadian pearl millet-based diets with reduced soybean meal on growth performance, intestinal nutrient digestibility, villus development, and selected microbial populations in broiler chickens.

PubMed

Baurhoo, N; Baurhoo, B; Zhao, X

2011-12-01

An experiment was conducted to compare a commercial corn-soybean meal diet with a pearl millet diet containing less soybean meal (-27%), alone or in combination with exogenous enzymes, on growth performance, jejunal villus development, ileal CP, and AA digestibility, and cecal microbial populations in broilers. One hundred sixty 1-d-old male Ross 508 broilers (5/cage) were randomly allocated to one of the following dietary treatments: 1) a standard corn-soybean meal control diet (CTL); 2) a pearl millet-soybean meal diet (PM); 3) CTL + exogenous enzymes (CE); and 4) PM + exogenous enzymes (PE) with 8 replicate cages/treatment. The PM and PE diets contained less soybean meal because of greater CP and AA contents of pearl millet. All diets were isonitrogenous and isocaloric. Body weight and feed intake were recorded weekly over 35 d. At d 21 and 35, 8 broilers per treatment were euthanized for sample collection and analyses. Gain-to-feed was greater (P < 0.01) for pearl millet- than corn-based diets. Apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of CP and most AA was similar between corn-based and pearl millet-based diets, and enzyme supplementation improved AID of CP (P < 0.01) and most AA at both d 21 and 35. However, for AID of some AA at d 21, the response to enzyme supplementation was less pronounced in broilers fed pearl millet-based diets than those fed corn-based diets (grain × enzyme, P ≤ 0.05). The villus was longer (P < 0.01) in broilers fed PM and PE than CTL and CE at d 35. Similarly, at d 35, lactobacilli loads were greater (P < 0.01) in broilers fed PM and PE than CTL and CE. It is concluded that, in comparison with corn, broiler diets formulated with pearl millet require less soybean meal and can be used to improve growth performance traits, intestinal lactobacilli populations, and villus development, whereas enzyme supplementation increases AID of CP and AA.

Leaf application of a sprayable bioplastic-based formulation of biocontrol Aspergillus flavus strains for reduction of aflatoxins in corn.

PubMed

Accinelli, Cesare; Abbas, Hamed K; Vicari, Alberto; Shier, W Thomas

2016-08-01

Applying non-aflatoxin-producing Aspergillus flavus isolates to the soil has been shown to be effective in reducing aflatoxin levels in harvested crops, including peanuts, cotton and corn. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possibility of controlling aflatoxin contamination using a novel sprayable formulation consisting of a partially gelatinized starch-based bioplastic dispersion embedded with spores of biocontrol A. flavus strains, which is applied to the leaf surfaces of corn plants. The formulation was shown to be adherent, resulting in colonization of leaf surfaces with the biocontrol strain of A. flavus, and to reduce aflatoxin contamination of harvested kernels by up to 80% in Northern Italy and by up to 89% in the Mississippi Delta. The percentage of aflatoxin-producing isolates in the soil reservoir under leaf-treated corn was not significantly changed, even when the soil was amended with additional A. flavus as a model of changes to the soil reservoir that occur in no-till agriculture. This study indicated that it is not necessary to treat the soil reservoir in order to achieve effective biocontrol of aflatoxin contamination in kernel corn. Spraying this novel bioplastic-based formulation to leaves can be an effective alternative in the biocontrol of A. flavus in corn. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Life-cycle analysis of bio-based aviation fuels.

PubMed

Han, Jeongwoo; Elgowainy, Amgad; Cai, Hao; Wang, Michael Q

2013-12-01

Well-to-wake (WTWa) analysis of bio-based aviation fuels, including hydroprocessed renewable jet (HRJ) from various oil seeds, Fischer-Tropsch jet (FTJ) from corn-stover and co-feeding of coal and corn-stover, and pyrolysis jet from corn stover, is conducted and compared with petroleum jet. WTWa GHG emission reductions relative to petroleum jet can be 41-63% for HRJ, 68-76% for pyrolysis jet and 89% for FTJ from corn stover. The HRJ production stage dominates WTWa GHG emissions from HRJ pathways. The differences in GHG emissions from HRJ production stage among considered feedstocks are much smaller than those from fertilizer use and N2O emissions related to feedstock collection stage. Sensitivity analyses on FTJ production from coal and corn-stover are also conducted, showing the importance of biomass share in the feedstock, carbon capture and sequestration options, and overall efficiency. For both HRJ and FTJ, co-product handling methods have significant impacts on WTWa results. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Standardization of domestic frying processes by an engineering approach.

PubMed

Franke, K; Strijowski, U

2011-05-01

An approach was developed to enable a better standardization of domestic frying of potato products. For this purpose, 5 domestic fryers differing in heating power and oil capacity were used. A very defined frying process using a highly standardized model product and a broad range of frying conditions was carried out in these fryers and the development of browning representing an important quality parameter was measured. Product-to-oil ratio, oil temperature, and frying time were varied. Quite different color changes were measured in the different fryers although the same frying process parameters were applied. The specific energy consumption for water evaporation (spECWE) during frying related to product amount was determined for all frying processes to define an engineering parameter for characterizing the frying process. A quasi-linear regression approach was applied to calculate this parameter from frying process settings and fryer properties. The high significance of the regression coefficients and a coefficient of determination close to unity confirmed the suitability of this approach. Based on this regression equation, curves for standard frying conditions (SFC curves) were calculated which describe the frying conditions required to obtain the same level of spECWE in the different domestic fryers. Comparison of browning results from the different fryers operated at conditions near the SFC curves confirmed the applicability of the approach. © 2011 Institute of Food Technologists®

Effect of corn- and soybean hull-based creep feed and backgrounding diets on lifelong performance and carcass traits of calves from pasture and rangeland conditions

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Three separate studies were conducted to investigate the life-long effect of creep feeding, creep feeding energy source (soybean hulls, SC, or corn, CC) and interactive effects of creep feed with backgrounding dietary energy source (soybean hulls, SBR, or corn, CBR) on calf growth performance, carca...

Contribution of lipids, phenolic acids, and protein rich components to emulsifying properties of corn fiber gum and acacia gum

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Corn fiber gum (CFG) is an arabinoxylan enriched fraction obtained by the extraction of corn bran/fiber using a proprietary alkaline hydrogen peroxide process. When purified CFG prepared by this process was hydrolyzed with concentrated base (1.5 N methanolic KOH at 70 °C for one hour) considerable ...

Effects of corn fiber gum with different molecular weights on the gelatinization behaviors of corn and wheat starch

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Corn fiber gum (CFG) is a novel arabinoxylan hydrocolloid. Recent research has shown that it has a considerable potential in food processing. In our previous study, we reported that CFG could be used to modify the gelling and rheological properties of starch-based food. In this study, starch and CFG...

Replacement of maize by rumen filtrate fermented corn-cob in layer diets.

PubMed

Adeyemi, O A; Familade, F O

2003-11-01

Laying hens (50 weeks in-lay) were fed for 8 weeks on diets containing corn-cobs fermented with rumen filtrate. The fermented corn-cob was included in the diets at 0%, 5.0%, 10.0%, 15.0% and 20.0% of the total diet at the expense of maize. Feed intake was not significantly (P>0.05) different, although birds on the control diet consumed slightly more feed than birds on the fermented corn-cob based diets. Hen day production and feed per dozen eggs decreased with increase in dietary level of corn-cob (P<0.05). Yolk colour was significantly (P<0.05) affected, rumen filtrate fermented corn-cob appear to promote better yolk coloration. Egg weight and shell thickness were not significantly influenced by dietary treatment. The overall results appear to suggest that rumen filtrate fermentated corn-cob could provide a material that holds promise as a good alternative to maize because of its enhanced crude protein value and reduced crude fibre content.

Does Integration Help Adapt to Climate Change? Case of Increased US Corn Yield Volatility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verma, M.; Diffenbaugh, N. S.; Hertel, T. W.

2012-12-01

In absence of of new crop varieties or significant shifts in the geography of corn production, US national corn yields variation could double by the year 2040 as a result of climate change and without adaptation this could lead the variability in US corn prices to quadruple (Diffenbaugh et al. 2012). In addition to climate induced price changes, analysis of recent commodity price spikes suggests that interventionist trade policies are partly to blame. Assuming we cannot much influence the future climate outcome, what policies can we undertake to adapt better? Can we use markets to blunt this edge? Diffenbaugh et al. find that sale of corn- ethanol for use in liquid fuel, when governed by quotas such as US Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), could make US corn prices even more variable; in contrast the same food-fuel market link (we refer to it as intersectoral link) may well dampen price volatility when the sale of corn to ethanol industry is driven by higher future oil prices. The latter however comes at the cost of exposing corn prices to the greater volatility in oil markets. Similarly intervention in corn trade can make US corn prices less or more volatile by distorting international corn price transmission. A negative US corn yield shock shows that domestic corn supply falls and domestic prices to go up irrespective of whether or not markets are integrated. How much the prices go up depends on how much demand adjusts to accommodate the supply shock. Based on the forgoing analysis, one should expect that demand would adjust more readily when markets are integrated and therefore reduce the resulting price fluctuation. Simulation results confirm this response of corn markets. In terms of relative comparisons however a policy driven intersectoral integration is least effective and prices rise much more. Similarly, a positive world oil price shock makes the US oil imports expensive and with oil being used to produce gasoline blends, it increases the price of gasoline and reduces its demand. In the presence of domestic integration, ethanol production rises to substitute oil in the gasoline blend and thereby increases the corn demand and prices. However if one takes into account increase in corn price due to increased production costs (increase in oil price increases fertilizer prices - a major input into corn production) and reduced corn prices due to reduced fuel demand and therefore reduced ethanol additive demand; the prices can go either way. Our initial simulations show that they do in fact go down with mandate driven integration. This raises some more general questions: Whether integration (intersectoral and international) can be an effective strategy for adapting to climate change? And which of the four adaptation options - RFS or oil price driven domestic integration, full corn tariff liberalization or restricting tariff manipulation by partners - would be more effective in comparison to other adaptation (including no adaptation) scenarios? We implement the alternative adaptation strategies, while sampling from the same corn yield and oil price distributions and compare the resulting corn price variations to the base case where no such adaptation has been undertaken. Our initial results suggest that intersectoral integration is more effective form of adaptation than international one, but only if driven by market forces and not mandates.

Rapid purification of diastereoisomers from Piper kadsura using supercritical fluid chromatography with chiral stationary phases.

PubMed

Xin, Huaxia; Dai, Zhuoshun; Cai, Jianfeng; Ke, Yanxiong; Shi, Hui; Fu, Qing; Jin, Yu; Liang, Xinmiao

2017-08-04

Supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) with chiral stationary phases (CSPs) is an advanced solution for the separation of achiral compounds in Piper kadsura. Analogues and stereoisomers are abundant in natural products, but there are obstacles in separation using conventional method. In this paper, four lignan diastereoisomers, (-)-Galbelgin, (-)-Ganschisandrin, Galgravin and (-)-Veraguensin, from Piper kadsura were separated and purified by chiral SFC. Purification strategy was designed, considering of the compound enrichment, sample purity and purification throughput. Two-step achiral purification method on chiral preparative columns with stacked automated injections was developed. Unconventional mobile phase modifier dichloromethane (DCM) was applied to improve the sample solubility. Four diastereoisomers was prepared at the respective weight of 103.1mg, 10.0mg, 152.3mg and 178.6mg from 710mg extract with the purity of greater than 98%. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Differentiation of ring-substituted regioisomers of amphetamine and methamphetamine by supercritical fluid chromatography.

PubMed

Segawa, Hiroki; T Iwata, Yuko; Yamamuro, Tadashi; Kuwayama, Kenji; Tsujikawa, Kenji; Kanamori, Tatsuyuki; Inoue, Hiroyuki

2017-03-01

Chromatographic differentiation of the ring-substituted regioisomers of amphetamine (AMP) and methamphetamine (MA) was performed by supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC). The behaviour of the retention against the changes of column temperature and co-solvent proportion was studied. The obtained information facilitated the optimization of the each regioisomer. As a result, 2-, 3-, and 4-ring-substituted analogues of AMP and MA with methyl, methoxy, fluoro, chloro, and bromo groups were separated, generally within 6 min. In addition, we found that the separation pattern of the examined regioisomers was classified into two, which depended on the electron donating/withdrawing effect of the substituent. Our results indicate that SFC could be used in forensic drug analysis for fast, reliable identification of structurally similar drugs of abuse. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

VELA Network Evaluation and Automatic Processing Research

DTIC Science & Technology

1974-12-09

LO/LR COMMFNT NO. (DEGRRES) T=20SFr T=30SRr T^aospr PATTO 937 *>*>. 3 5.20 a. 30 3.^7 7.97 0.0 10 ? 91R 27.9 a.oo 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 20 2 qiq 70.a a...FVF^T OISTANCE HB MS US IS LQ/I.P roMMFN7" NO. (DEORF^) T=20SFC T=30SFC T-aosRc PATTO MO 50. 1 5.20 a.oi 3.8 8 1.51 1. 10 10 r, Ml 5a.a 5.00 a...DFORPP^) T=20^KC T=30SEC 7= (4 0^ FC PATTO � lift. 1 s.on «.6 0 «.29 3. 9 9 0.0 in 7 u-\\-i 73.2 i.r-o 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 30 7 n in 96.0 1.70 0.0

Instrumentation for analytical scale supercritical fluid chromatography.

PubMed

Berger, Terry A

2015-11-20

Analytical scale supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) is largely a sub-discipline of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), in that most of the hardware and software can be used for either technique. The aspects that separate the 2 techniques stem from the use of carbon dioxide (CO2) as the main component of the mobile phase in SFC. The high compressibility and low viscosity of CO2 mean that pumps, and autosamplers designed for HPLC either need to be modified or an alternate means of dealing with compressibility needs to be found. The inclusion of a back pressure regulator and a high pressure flow cell for any UV-Vis detector are also necessary. Details of the various approaches, problems and solutions are described. Characteristics, such as adiabatic vs. isothermal compressibility, thermal gradients, and refractive index issues are dealt with in detail. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Application of supercritical fluid chromatography in the quantitative analysis of minor components (carotenes, vitamin E, sterols, and squalene) from palm oil.

PubMed

Choo, Yuen May; Ng, Mei Han; Ma, Ah Ngan; Chuah, Cheng Hock; Hashim, Mohd Ali

2005-04-01

The application of supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) coupled with a UV variable-wavelength detector to isolate the minor components (carotenes, vitamin E, sterols, and squalene) in crude palm oil (CPO) and the residual oil from palm-pressed fiber is reported. SFC is a good technique for the isolation and analysis of these compounds from the sources mentioned. The carotenes, vitamin E, sterols, and squalene were isolated in less than 20 min. The individual vitamin E isomers present in palm oil were also isolated into their respective components, alpha-tocopherol, alpha-tocotrienol, gamma-tocopherol, gamma-tocotrienol, and delta-tocotrienol. Calibration of all the minor components of palm as well as the individual components of palm vitamin E was carried out and was found to be comparable to those analyzed by other established analytical methods.

Effect of different binders on the physico-chemical, textural, histological, and sensory qualities of retort pouched buffalo meat nuggets.

PubMed

Devadason, I Prince; Anjaneyulu, A S R; Babji, Y

2010-01-01

The functional properties of 4 binders, namely corn starch, wheat semolina, wheat flour, and tapioca starches, were evaluated to improve the quality of buffalo meat nuggets processed in retort pouches at F(0) 12.13. Incorporation of corn starch in buffalo meat nuggets produced more stable emulsion than other binders used. Product yield, drip loss, and pH did not vary significantly between the products with different binders. Shear force value was significantly higher for product with corn starch (0.42 +/- 0.0 Kg/cm(3)) followed by refined wheat flour (0.36 +/- 0.010 Kg/cm(3)), tapioca starch (0.32 +/- 0.010 Kg/cm(3)), and wheat semolina (0.32 +/- 0.010 Kg/cm(3)). Type of binder used had no significant effect on frying loss, moisture, and protein content of the product. However, fat content was higher in products with corn starch when compared to products with other binders. Texture profile indicated that products made with corn starch (22.17 +/- 2.55 N) and refined wheat flour (21.50 +/- 0.75 N) contributed firmer texture to the product. Corn starch contributed greater chewiness (83.8 +/- 12.51) to the products resulting in higher sensory scores for texture and overall acceptability. Products containing corn starch showed higher sensory scores for all attributes in comparison to products with other binders. Panelists preferred products containing different binders in the order of corn starch (7.23 +/- 0.09) > refined wheat flour (6.48 +/- 0.13) > tapioca starch (6.45 +/- 0.14) > wheat semolina (6.35 +/- 0.13) based on sensory scores. Histological studies indicated that products with corn starch showed dense protein matrix, uniform fat globules, and less number of vacuoles when compared to products made with other binders. The results indicated that corn flour is the better cereal binder for developing buffalo meat nuggets when compared to all other binders based on physico-chemical and sensory attributes.

Toxicity of methylmercury injected into eggs when dissolved in water versus corn oil

USGS Publications Warehouse

Heinz, G.H.; Hoffman, D.J.; Klimstra, J.D.; Stebbins, K.R.; Kondrad, S.L.

2011-01-01

In a previous study, the embryotoxicity of methylmercury dissolved in corn oil was compared among 26 species of birds. Corn oil is not soluble in the water-based matrix that constitutes the albumen of an egg. To determine whether the use of corn oil limited the usefulness of this earlier study, a comparison was made of the embryotoxicity of methylmercury dissolved in corn oil versus water. Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) and chicken (Gallus gallus) eggs were injected with methylmercury chloride dissolved in corn oil or water to achieve concentrations of 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8, and 1.6??g/g mercury in the egg on a wet weight basis. Hatching success at each dose of mercury was compared between the two solvents. For mallards, 16.4% of the eggs injected with 1.6??g/g mercury dissolved in water hatched, which was statistically lower than the 37.6% hatch rate of eggs injected with 1.6??g/g mercury dissolved in corn oil, but no differences in hatching success were observed between corn oil and water at any of the other doses. With chicken eggs, no significant differences occurred in percentage hatch of eggs between corn oil and water at any of the mercury doses. Methylmercury dissolved in corn oil seems to have a toxicity to avian embryos similar to that of does methylmercury dissolved in water. Consequently, the results from the earlier study that described the toxicity of methylmercury dissolved in corn oil to avian embryos were probably not compromised by the use of corn oil as a solvent. ?? 2011 SETAC.

Performance, nutritional behavior, and metabolic responses of calves supplemented with forage depend on starch fermentability.

PubMed

Mojahedi, S; Khorvash, M; Ghorbani, G R; Ghasemi, E; Mirzaei, M; Hashemzadeh-Cigari, F

2018-05-16

This study evaluated the interactive effects of forage provision on performance, nutritional behavior, apparent digestibility, rumen fermentation, and blood metabolites of dairy calves when corn grains with different fermentability were used. Sixty 3-d-old Holstein calves were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. Dietary treatments were (1) steam-flaked (SF) corn without alfalfa hay (AH) supplementation (SF-NO), (2) SF corn with AH supplementation (SF-AH), (3) cracked (CR) corn without AH supplementation (CR-NO), and (4) CR corn with AH supplementation (CR-AH). All calves received the same amount of pasteurized whole milk and weaned on d 56 of the experiment; the study was terminated on d 70. Steam-flaked corn contained higher amounts of gelatinized starch in comparison with cracked corn (44.1 vs. 12.5% of total starch, respectively). Starter intake was not affected by corn processing methods or AH provision during the pre- or postweaning periods. However, we noted an interaction between corn processing methods and forage supplementation for starter intake during d 31 to 50 of the experiment, where calves fed on SF-AH starter had greater starter intake than those fed SF-NO starter, but the starter intake was not different between CR-NO and CR-AH fed calves. Furthermore, AH increased average daily gain (ADG) of calves fed an SF-based diet but not in calves fed a CR-based diet during the preweaning and overall periods. Interaction between forage provision and time was significant for ADG and feed efficiency, as calves supplemented with forage had higher ADG (0.982 vs. 0.592, respectively) and feed efficiency compared with forage unsupplemented calves at the weaning week. Forage supplementation resulted in more stable ruminal condition compared with nonforage-fed calves, as evidenced by higher ruminal pH (5.71 vs. 5.29, respectively) at postweaning and lower non-nutritive oral behavior around weaning time (55 vs. 70.5 min, respectively). The concentration of blood β-hydroxybutyrate was also greater in calves supplemented with forage than in unsupplemented calves. Results of the present study indicated that performance response and skeletal growth were the same between 2 corn processing methods. Forage provision improved ADG of calves fed the SF-based diet, but not the CR-based diet throughout the study. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Corn stover hydrolysate, a lignocellulosic feedstock for polyhydroxyalkanoate biosynthesis: property manipulation using a co-feed strategy with levulinic acid

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Lignocellulosic feedstocks are interesting materials for bio-based product synthesis because of their availability and cheap cost. Our laboratory utilized corn stover hydrolysate (CSH) as a base feedstock for bacterially-derived polyhydroxyalkanoate biopolymer synthesis. Burkholderia sacchari DSM 17...

Determination of coumarins in the roots of Angelica dahurica by supercritical fluid chromatography.

PubMed

Pfeifer, Isabella; Murauer, Adele; Ganzera, Markus

2016-09-10

The fact that supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) offers many desirable features is known for a long time. Yet, the number of applications on natural products is still limited, because robust and user-friendly instrumentation became available just a few years ago. As coumarins hardly have been studied by this technique we developed the first SFC assay for their determination in crude plant material. After method optimization eight standard compounds, including simple coumarins, linear and angular furanocoumarins, could be baseline separated in 6min using an Acquity UPC(2) CSH Fluoro-Phenyl 1.7μm column with supercritical CO2, methanol and diethylamine as mobile phase. Method validation confirmed that the assay is linear (R(2)≥0.9995), precise (intra-day variation≤5.8%; inter-day variation≤4.4%) and accurate (recovery rates from 96.5 to 104.2%). Detection limits determined at 300nm were below 2ng on-column, and the method showed to be well suited for the analysis of coumarins in Angelica dahurica roots. It was observed that qualitative as well as quantitative composition vary significantly. In all samples Imperatorin (0.09-0.28%) was the major coumarin, followed either by Isoimperatorin or Oxypeucedanin; the total coumarin content ranged from 0.16 to 0.77%. The results were in good agreement to published data, so that because of its speed and green nature SFC is definitely an interesting alternative for the analysis of this important class of natural products. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Quantitative determination of salbutamol sulfate impurities using achiral supercritical fluid chromatography.

PubMed

Dispas, Amandine; Desfontaine, Vincent; Andri, Bertyl; Lebrun, Pierre; Kotoni, Dorina; Clarke, Adrian; Guillarme, Davy; Hubert, Philippe

2017-02-05

In the last years, supercritical fluid chromatography has largely been acknowledged as a singular and performing technique in the field of separation sciences. Recent studies highlighted the interest of SFC for the quality control of pharmaceuticals, especially in the case of the determination of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). Nevertheless, quality control requires also the determination of impurities. The objectives of the present work were to (i) demonstrate the interest of SFC as a reference technique for the determination of impurities in salbutamol sulfate API and (ii) to propose an alternative to a reference HPLC method from the European Pharmacopeia (EP) involving ion-pairing reagent. Firstly, a screening was carried out to select the most adequate and selective stationary phase. Secondly, in the context of robust optimization strategy, the method was developed using design space methodology. The separation of salbutamol sulfate and related impurities was achieved in 7min, which is seven times faster than the LC-UV method proposed by European Pharmacopeia (total run time of 50min). Finally, full validation using accuracy profile approach was successfully achieved for the determination of impurities B, D, F and G in salbutamol sulfate raw material. The validated dosing range covered 50 to 150% of the targeted concentration (corresponding to 0.3% concentration level), LODs close to 0.5μg/mL were estimated. The SFC method proposed in this study could be presented as a suitable fast alternative to EP LC method for the quantitative determination of salbutamol impurities. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Preparation of porous (Ba,Sr)TiO3 by adding corn-starch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, J.-G.; Sim, J.-H.; Cho, W.-S.

2002-11-01

A new method of preparing porous (Ba,Sr)TiO3 ceramics has been introduced, using an ordinary ceramics processing technique. The effect of corn-starch on the positive temperature coefficient of resistivity characteristics and microstructure of the porous (Ba,Sr)TiO3 ceramics has been investigated. When the corn-starch addition was 1-20 wt%, the PTCR jump was over 106 and 1-2 orders higher than that of samples without corn-starch. Also, it was found that the (Ba,Sr)TiO3 ceramics had porous microstructure by the addition of corn-starch. The porosity of the ceramics with 20 wt% corn-starch was 44%. The electrical properties of the (Ba,Sr)TiO3 ceramics have been discussed, based on the microstructure, resistivity of grain boundaries, donor concentration of grains and the electrical potential barrier of grain boundaries.

Response of the North American corn belt to climate warming, CO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1983-08-01

The climate of the North American corn belt was characterized to estimate the effects of climatic change on that agricultural region. Heat and moisture characteristics of the current corn belt were identified and mapped based on a simulated climate for a doubling of atmospheric CO2 concentrations. The result was a map of the projected corn belt corresponding to the simulated climatic change. Such projections were made with and without an allowance for earlier planting dates that could occur under a CO2-induced climatic warming. Because the direct effects of CO2 increases on plants, improvements in farm technology, and plant breeding are not considered, the resulting projections represent an extreme or worst case. The results indicate that even for such a worst case, climatic conditions favoring corn production would not extend very far into Canada. Climatic buffering effects of the Great Lakes would apparently retard northeastward shifts in corn-belt location.

Influence of Wheat Straw Pelletizing and Inclusion Rate in Dry Rolled or Steam-flaked Corn-based Finishing Diets on Characteristics of Digestion for Feedlot Cattle.

PubMed

Manríquez, O M; Montano, M F; Calderon, J F; Valdez, J A; Chirino, J O; Gonzalez, V M; Salinas-Chavira, J; Mendoza, G D; Soto, S; Zinn, R A

2016-06-01

Eight Holstein steers (216±48 kg body weight) fitted with ruminal and duodenal cannulas were used to evaluate effects of wheat straw processing (ground vs pelleted) at two straw inclusion rates (7% and 14%; dry matter basis) in dry rolled or steam-flaked corn-based finishing diets on characteristics of digestion. The experimental design was a split plot consisting of two simultaneous 4×4 Latin squares. Increasing straw level reduced ruminal (p<0.01) and total tract (p = 0.03) organic matter (OM) digestion. As expected, increasing wheat straw level from 7% to 14% decreased (p<0.05) ruminal and total tract digestion of OM. Digestion of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and starch, per se, were not affected (p>0.10) by wheat straw level. Likewise, straw level did not influence ruminal acetate and propionate molar proportions or estimated methane production (p>0.10). Pelleting straw did not affect (p≥0.48) ruminal digestion of OM, NDF, and starch, or microbial efficiency. Ruminal feed N digestion was greater (7.4%; p = 0.02) for ground than for pelleted wheat straw diets. Although ruminal starch digestion was not affected by straw processing, post-ruminal (p<0.01), and total-tract starch (p = 0.05) digestion were greater for ground than for pelleted wheat straw diets, resulting in a tendency for increased post-ruminal (p = 0.06) and total tract (p = 0.07) OM digestion. Pelleting wheat straw decreased (p<0.01) ruminal pH, although ruminal volatile fatty acids (VFA) concentration and estimated methane were not affected (p≥0.27). Ruminal digestion of OM and starch, and post-ruminal and total tract digestion of OM, starch and N were greater (p<0.01) for steam-flaked than for dry rolled corn-based diets. Ruminal NDF digestion was greater (p = 0.02) for dry rolled than for steam-flaked corn, although total tract NDF digestion was unaffected (p = 0.94). Ruminal microbial efficiency and ruminal degradation of feed N were not affected (p>0.14) by corn processing. However, microbial N flow to the small intestine and ruminal N efficiency (non-ammonia N flow to the small intestine/N intake) were greater (p<0.01) for steam-flaked than for dry rolled corn-based diets. Ruminal pH and total VFA concentration were not affected (p≥ 0.16) by corn processing method. Compared with dry rolled corn, steam-flaked corn-based diets resulted in decreased acetate:propionate molar ratio (p = 0.02). It is concluded that at 7% or 14% straw inclusion rate, changes in physical characteristics of wheat straw brought about by pelleting negatively impact OM digestion of both steam-flaked and dry-rolled corn-based finishing diets. This effect is due to decreased post-ruminal starch digestion. Replacement of ground straw with pelleted straw also may decrease ruminal pH.

Investigation of silica fume concrete bridge deck overlay failures.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-02-23

Many of these microsilica-modified concrete or silica fume concrete (SFC) bridge deck overlays across the State of Wyoming are suffering from premature distress that includes random cracking, loss of bond and delaminations. To determine the most like...

Conventional and Advanced Separations in Mass Spectrometry-Based Metabolomics: Methodologies and Applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Heyman, Heino M.; Zhang, Xing; Tang, Keqi

2016-02-16

Metabolomics is the quantitative analysis of all metabolites in a given sample. Due to the chemical complexity of the metabolome, optimal separations are required for comprehensive identification and quantification of sample constituents. This chapter provides an overview of both conventional and advanced separations methods in practice for reducing the complexity of metabolite extracts delivered to the mass spectrometer detector, and covers gas chromatography (GC), liquid chromatography (LC), capillary electrophoresis (CE), supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) and ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) separation techniques coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) as both uni-dimensional and as multi-dimensional approaches.

Multiple transatlantic introductions of the western corn rootworm.

PubMed

Miller, Nicholas; Estoup, Arnaud; Toepfer, Stefan; Bourguet, Denis; Lapchin, Laurent; Derridj, Sylvie; Kim, Kyung Seok; Reynaud, Philippe; Furlan, Lorenzo; Guillemaud, Thomas

2005-11-11

The invasion of Europe by the western corn rootworm, North America's most destructive corn pest, is ongoing and represents a serious threat to European agriculture. Because this pest was initially introduced in Central Europe, it was believed that subsequent outbreaks in Western Europe originated from this area. Using model-based Bayesian analyses of the genetic variability of the western corn rootworm, we demonstrate that this belief is false: There have been at least three independent introductions from North America during the past two decades. This result raises questions about changing circumstances that have enabled a sudden burst of transatlantic introductions.

Lost P1 allele in sh2 sweet corn: quantitative effects of p1 and a1 genes on concentrations of maysin, apimaysin, methoxymaysin, and chlorogenic acid in maize silk.

PubMed

Guo, B Z; Zhang, Z J; Butrón, A; Widstrom, N W; Snook, M E; Lynch, R E; Plaisted, D

2004-12-01

In the United States, insecticide is used extensively in the production of sweet corn due to consumer demand for zero damage to ears and to a sweet corn genetic base with little or no resistance to ear-feeding insects. Growers in the southern United States depend on scheduled pesticide applications to control ear-feeding insects. In a study of quantitative genetic control over silk maysin, AM-maysin (apimaysin and methoxymaysin), and chlorogenic acid contents in an F2 population derived from GE37 (dent corn, P1A1) and 565 (sh2 sweet corn, p1a1), we demonstrate that the P1 allele from field corn, which was selected against in the development of sweet corn, has a strong epistatic interaction with the a1 allele in sh2 sweet corn. We detected that the p1 gene has significant effects (P < 0.0001) not only on silk maysin concentrations but also on AM-maysin, and chlorogenic acid concentrations. The a1 gene also has significant (P < 0.0005) effects on these silk antibiotic chemicals. Successful selection from the fourth and fifth selfed backcrosses for high-maysin individuals of sweet corn homozygous for the recessive a1 allele (tightly linked to sh2) and the dominant P1 allele has been demonstrated. These selected lines have much higher (2 to 3 times) concentrations of silk maysin and other chemicals (AM-maysin and chlorogenic acid) than the donor parent GE37 and could enhance sweet corn resistance to corn earworm and reduce the number of applications of insecticide required to produce sweet corn.

Nondestructive In Situ Measurement Method for Kernel Moisture Content in Corn Ear.

PubMed

Zhang, Han-Lin; Ma, Qin; Fan, Li-Feng; Zhao, Peng-Fei; Wang, Jian-Xu; Zhang, Xiao-Dong; Zhu, De-Hai; Huang, Lan; Zhao, Dong-Jie; Wang, Zhong-Yi

2016-12-20

Moisture content is an important factor in corn breeding and cultivation. A corn breed with low moisture at harvest is beneficial for mechanical operations, reduces drying and storage costs after harvesting and, thus, reduces energy consumption. Nondestructive measurement of kernel moisture in an intact corn ear allows us to select corn varieties with seeds that have high dehydration speeds in the mature period. We designed a sensor using a ring electrode pair for nondestructive measurement of the kernel moisture in a corn ear based on a high-frequency detection circuit. Through experiments using the effective scope of the electrodes' electric field, we confirmed that the moisture in the corn cob has little effect on corn kernel moisture measurement. Before the sensor was applied in practice, we investigated temperature and conductivity effects on the output impedance. Results showed that the temperature was linearly related to the output impedance (both real and imaginary parts) of the measurement electrodes and the detection circuit's output voltage. However, the conductivity has a non-monotonic dependence on the output impedance (both real and imaginary parts) of the measurement electrodes and the output voltage of the high-frequency detection circuit. Therefore, we reduced the effect of conductivity on the measurement results through measurement frequency selection. Corn moisture measurement results showed a quadric regression between corn ear moisture and the imaginary part of the output impedance, and there is also a quadric regression between corn kernel moisture and the high-frequency detection circuit output voltage at 100 MHz. In this study, two corn breeds were measured using our sensor and gave R ² values for the quadric regression equation of 0.7853 and 0.8496.

Effect of plant density and mixing ratio on crop yield in sweet corn/mungbean intercropping.

PubMed

Sarlak, S; Aghaalikhani, M; Zand, B

2008-09-01

In order to evaluate the ear and forage yield of sweet corn (Zea mays L. var. Saccarata) in pure stand and intercropped with mung bean (Vigna radiata L.), a field experiment was conducted at Varamin region on summer 2006. Experiment was carried out in a split plot design based on randomized complete blocks with 4 replications. Plant density with 3 levels [Low (D1), Mean (D2) and High (D3) respecting 6, 8 and 10 m(-2) for sweet corn, cultivar S.C.403 and 10, 20 and 30 m(-2) for mung bean cultivar, Partow] was arranged in main plots and 5 mixing ratios [(P1) = 0/100, (P2) = 25/75, (P3) = 50/50, (P4) = 75/25, (P5) = 100/0% for sweet corn/mung bean, respectively] were arranged in subplots. Quantitative attributes such as plant height, sucker numbers, LER, dry matter distribution in different plant organs were measured in sweet corn economical maturity. Furthermore the yield of cannable ear corn and yield components of sweet corn and mung bean were investigated. Results showed that plant density has not any significant effect on evaluated traits, while the effect of mixing ratio was significant (p < 0.01). Therefore, the mixing ratio of 75/25 (sweet corn/mung bean) could be introduced as the superior mixing ratio; because of it's maximum rate of total sweet corn's biomass, forage yield, yield and yield components of ear corn in intercropping. Regarding to profitability indices of intercropping, the mixing ratio 75/25 (sweet corn/mung bean) in low density (D1P2) which showed the LER = 1.03 and 1.09 for total crop yield before ear harvesting and total forage yield after ear harvest respectively, was better than corn or mung bean monoculture.

Establishment of Cry9C susceptibility baselines for European corn borer and southwestern corn borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae).

PubMed

Reed, J P; Halliday, W R

2001-04-01

In 1997 and 1998, Cry9C susceptibility baselines were established for field-collected populations of European corn borer, Osrinia nubilalis (Hubner), and southwestern corn borer, Diatraea grandiosella Dyar. Bioassay of neonate European corn borer larvae of 16 colonies collected from the midwestern United States indicated LC50 values ranging from 13.2 to 65.1 ng of Cry9C protein per square centimeter. Neonate European corn borer LC50 values ranged from 46.5 to 214 ng/cm2. Neonate larvae of three colonies of southwestern corn borer collected from the southern and southwestern United States exhibited LC50 values from 16.9 to 39.9 ng of Cry9C protein per square centimeter. Southwestern corn borer neonate LC90 confidence limit values ranged from 40.3 to 157 ng of Cry9C protein per centimeter. The most sensitive southwestern corn borer colony was collected from the Mississippi delta exhibiting an LC50 value of 22.6 ng of Cry9C per cm2 and also displayed the widest LC0 confidence limits of 40.3-94.8 ng of Cry9C per cm2. Geographic baseline susceptibility data establishes the natural genetic variation and provides the foundation for future testing of insect populations exposed to increased use of Bacillus thuringiensis-based crops. Insect resistance management and stewardship of Cry9C will rely upon baseline data for the validation of discriminating dose assays for European corn borer and southwestern corn borer.

Getting Over the Barrel- Achieving Independence from Foreign Oil in 2018

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-02-03

material called kerogen. Kerogen can be converted into oil via heating in the chemical process of pyrolysis .44 Depending on the richness of oil shale, it...vegetable oil, animal fat, corn , soybeans, jatropha seed oil, palm oil, switch grass and even algae. Biofuel production techniques and technologies...vary widely based on the input source – sugar-based, starch-based or oil-based. This document only examines corn -based ethanol production. The other

Characterization of corn starch-based edible film incorporated with nutmeg oil nanoemulsion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aisyah, Y.; Irwanda, L. P.; Haryani, S.; Safriani, N.

2018-05-01

This study aimed to formulate corn starch-based edible films by varying concentrations of nutmeg oil nanoemulsion and glycerol. Furthermore, the resulted edible film was characterized by its mechanical properties and antibacterial activity. The edible films were made using corn starch, nutmeg oil nanoemulsion, and glycerol. Concentrations of nutmeg oil nanoemulsion were 1%, 2%, and 3%, and glycerol were 10%, 20%, and 30%. Results indicated that the increase of nutmeg oil nanoemulsion concentration could increase the film thickness. However, the nutmeg oil had no effect on the film tensile strength and elongation. Glycerol had no effect on the film tensile strength. The best treatment of the corn starch-based film was obtained by adding 1% of nutmeg oil and 30% of glycerol, yielding a tensile strength of 18.73 Kgf/mm2, elongation of 69.44% and thickness of 0.0840. The addition of 1% nutmeg oil nanoemulsion has been able to inhibit the growth of two types of the bacteria tested (Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli).

Monitoring corn and soybean crop development by remote sensing techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tucker, C. J.; Elgin, J. H., Jr.; Mcmurtrey, J. E., III

1978-01-01

A system for spectrally monitoring the stages of crop development for corn and soybeans based upon red and photographic infrared spectral radiances is proposed. The red and photographic infrared spectral radiance, highly correlated with the green leaf area index or green leaf biomass, enable nondestructive monitoring of the crop canopy throughout the growing season. Five distinct periods are apparent which are related to crop development for corn and soybeans.

Directed Biosynthesis of Oriented Crystalline Cellulose for Advanced Composite Fibers

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-05-03

8 growth rate Table 2. An optimized minimal salts high conductivity growth medium (named 9 Son-Matsuoka- Fructose , SMF) based on the optimized...basis for a high -conductivity medium for Acetobacter that also contained corn steep liquor. List of Figures Figure 1. Scanning electron micrographs of...bacterial cellulose production include corn steep liquor (Matsuoka et al., 1996) apples, beer wort (Brown, 1886; Herrmann, 1928), corn syrup , kale (black

The corn smut-made cholera oral vaccine is thermostable and induces long-lasting immunity in mouse.

PubMed

Monreal-Escalante, Elizabeth; Navarro-Tovar, Gabriela; León-Gallo, Amalia; Juárez-Montiel, Margarita; Becerra-Flora, Alicia; Jiménez-Bremont, Juan Francisco; Rosales-Mendoza, Sergio

2016-09-20

The use of corn smut for the production of recombinant vaccines has been recently implemented by our group. In this study, the stability and immunogenic properties of the corn smut-based cholera vaccine, based on the cholera toxin B subunit (CTB), were determined in mouse. The immunogenic potential of distinct corn smut CTB doses ranging from 1 to 30μg were assessed, with maximum humoral responses at both the systemic (IgG) and intestinal (IgA) levels at a dose of 15μg. The humoral response last for up to 70days after the third boost. Mice were fully protected against a challenge with cholera toxin after receiving three 15μg-doses. Remarkably, the corn smut-made vaccine retained its immunogenic activity after storage at room temperature for a period of 1year and no reduction on CTB was observed following exposure at 50°C for 2h. These data support the use of the corn smut-made CTB vaccine as a highly stable and effective immunogen and justify its evaluation in target animal models, such as piglet and sheep, as well as clinical evaluations in humans. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Rapid corn and soybean mapping in US Corn Belt and neighboring areas

PubMed Central

Zhong, Liheng; Yu, Le; Li, Xuecao; Hu, Lina; Gong, Peng

2016-01-01

The goal of this study was to promptly map the extent of corn and soybeans early in the growing season. A classification experiment was conducted for the US Corn Belt and neighboring states, which is the most important production area of corn and soybeans in the world. To improve the timeliness of the classification algorithm, training was completely based on reference data and images from other years, circumventing the need to finish reference data collection in the current season. To account for interannual variability in crop development in the cross-year classification scenario, several innovative strategies were used. A random forest classifier was used in all tests, and MODIS surface reflectance products from the years 2008–2014 were used for training and cross-year validation. It is concluded that the fuzzy classification approach is necessary to achieve satisfactory results with R-squared ~0.9 (compared with the USDA Cropland Data Layer). The year of training data is an important factor, and it is recommended to select a year with similar crop phenology as the mapping year. With this phenology-based and cross-year-training method, in 2015 we mapped the cropping proportion of corn and soybeans around mid-August, when the two crops just reached peak growth. PMID:27811989

Rapid corn and soybean mapping in US Corn Belt and neighboring areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong, Liheng; Yu, Le; Li, Xuecao; Hu, Lina; Gong, Peng

2016-11-01

The goal of this study was to promptly map the extent of corn and soybeans early in the growing season. A classification experiment was conducted for the US Corn Belt and neighboring states, which is the most important production area of corn and soybeans in the world. To improve the timeliness of the classification algorithm, training was completely based on reference data and images from other years, circumventing the need to finish reference data collection in the current season. To account for interannual variability in crop development in the cross-year classification scenario, several innovative strategies were used. A random forest classifier was used in all tests, and MODIS surface reflectance products from the years 2008-2014 were used for training and cross-year validation. It is concluded that the fuzzy classification approach is necessary to achieve satisfactory results with R-squared ~0.9 (compared with the USDA Cropland Data Layer). The year of training data is an important factor, and it is recommended to select a year with similar crop phenology as the mapping year. With this phenology-based and cross-year-training method, in 2015 we mapped the cropping proportion of corn and soybeans around mid-August, when the two crops just reached peak growth.

Accumulation of sphingoid bases and sphingoid base 1-phosphates: A possible mechanism for Fusarium verticillioides corn-seedling disease

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Sphingolipids are important structural components of membranes involved in signaling pathways that regulate cell growth and death. Fumonisins (FB) are water soluble mycotoxins produced by F. verticillioides, which is parasitic to corn. FBs are inhibitors of ceramide synthase (CS), a key enzyme in sp...

Limited irrigation of corn-based no-till crop rotations in west central Great Plains.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Identifying the most profitable crop rotation for an area is a continuous research challenge. The objective of this study was to evaluate 2, 3, and 4 yr. limited irrigation corn (Zea mays L.) based crop rotations for grain yield, available soil water, crop water productivity, and profitability in co...

Trends in fumonisin research: recent studies on the developmental effects of fumonisins and fusarium verticillioides

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Fumonisins are mycotoxins found in corn and corn-based foods. Fumonisin B1 (FB1) causes cancer in rodents and is a suspected human carcinogen. FB1 inhibits ceramide synthase and increases sphingoid bases concentrations in tissues. It has recently been suggested that fumonisins are risk factors for ...

Biological control of aflatoxin contamination and pests in U.S. crops using formulations of corn starch-based bioplastic

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

For many years, these laboratories have studied the use of biological control methods to reduce aflatoxin contamination in harvested corn using non-aflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus isolates in grain-based granule and liquid formulations. More recently, research has focused on using various formulat...

Techno-economic analysis for upgrading the biomass-derived ethanol-to-jet blendstocks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tao, Ling; Markham, Jennifer N.; Haq, Zia

Here, this study summarizes the detailed techno-economic analysis of the ethanol-to-jet (ETJ) process based on two different feedstocks (corn grain and corn stover) at the plant scale of 2000 dry metric tons per day. Ethanol biologically derived from biomass is upgraded catalytically to jet blendstocks via alcohol dehydration, olefin oligomerization, and hydrotreating. In both pathways, corn-grain-derived ethanol to jet (corn mill ETJ) and corn-stover-derived ethanol to jet (corn stover ETJ), there are portions of gasoline and diesel produced as coproducts. Two cost bases are used in this study: the minimum jet fuel selling prices (MJSP) for jet-range blendstocks and themore » minimum fuel selling prices (MFSP) for all the hydrocarbons (gasoline, jet, and diesel) produced using a gallon gasoline equivalent (GGE) basis. The n th-plant MJSPs for the two pathways are estimated to be 4.20 per gal for corn mill and 6.14 per gal for corn stover, while MFSPs are 3.91 per GGE for corn mill and 5.37 per GGE for corn stover. If all of the hydrocarbon products (gasoline, jet, and diesel ranges) can be considered as fuel blendstocks using a GGE basis, the total hydrocarbon yield for fuel blendstock is 49.6 GGE per dry ton biomass for corn stover and 71.0 GGE per dry ton biomass for corn grain. The outcome of this study shows that the renewable jet fuel could be cost competitive with fossil derived jet fuel if further improvements could be made to increase process yields (particularly yields of sugars, sugar to ethanol, and ethanol to hydrocarbons), research and development of sustainable feedstocks, and more effective catalytic reaction kinetics. Pioneer plant analysis, which considers the increased capital investment and the decreased plant performance over the nth-plant analysis, is also performed, showing a potential 31%–178% increase in cost compared to the n th-plant assumptions for the dry mill pathway, but with a much wider range of 69%–471% cost increase over the n th-plant assumptions for the corn stover pathway. While there are large differences between the estimated first of a kind plant cost and the targeted nth-plant case, reduction of costs is possible through improvement of the overall process efficiency, yields, reduction in overall capital, co-product revenues and strategically improve performance by process learnings.« less

Techno-economic analysis for upgrading the biomass-derived ethanol-to-jet blendstocks

DOE PAGES

Tao, Ling; Markham, Jennifer N.; Haq, Zia; ...

2016-12-30

Here, this study summarizes the detailed techno-economic analysis of the ethanol-to-jet (ETJ) process based on two different feedstocks (corn grain and corn stover) at the plant scale of 2000 dry metric tons per day. Ethanol biologically derived from biomass is upgraded catalytically to jet blendstocks via alcohol dehydration, olefin oligomerization, and hydrotreating. In both pathways, corn-grain-derived ethanol to jet (corn mill ETJ) and corn-stover-derived ethanol to jet (corn stover ETJ), there are portions of gasoline and diesel produced as coproducts. Two cost bases are used in this study: the minimum jet fuel selling prices (MJSP) for jet-range blendstocks and themore » minimum fuel selling prices (MFSP) for all the hydrocarbons (gasoline, jet, and diesel) produced using a gallon gasoline equivalent (GGE) basis. The n th-plant MJSPs for the two pathways are estimated to be 4.20 per gal for corn mill and 6.14 per gal for corn stover, while MFSPs are 3.91 per GGE for corn mill and 5.37 per GGE for corn stover. If all of the hydrocarbon products (gasoline, jet, and diesel ranges) can be considered as fuel blendstocks using a GGE basis, the total hydrocarbon yield for fuel blendstock is 49.6 GGE per dry ton biomass for corn stover and 71.0 GGE per dry ton biomass for corn grain. The outcome of this study shows that the renewable jet fuel could be cost competitive with fossil derived jet fuel if further improvements could be made to increase process yields (particularly yields of sugars, sugar to ethanol, and ethanol to hydrocarbons), research and development of sustainable feedstocks, and more effective catalytic reaction kinetics. Pioneer plant analysis, which considers the increased capital investment and the decreased plant performance over the nth-plant analysis, is also performed, showing a potential 31%–178% increase in cost compared to the n th-plant assumptions for the dry mill pathway, but with a much wider range of 69%–471% cost increase over the n th-plant assumptions for the corn stover pathway. While there are large differences between the estimated first of a kind plant cost and the targeted nth-plant case, reduction of costs is possible through improvement of the overall process efficiency, yields, reduction in overall capital, co-product revenues and strategically improve performance by process learnings.« less

Evolution of Resistance by Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Infesting Insecticidal Crops in the Southern United States

PubMed Central

Onstad, David; Crain, Philip; Crespo, Andre; Hutchison, William; Buntin, David; Porter, Pat; Catchot, Angus; Cook, Don; Pilcher, Clint; Flexner, Lindsey; Higgins, Laura

2016-01-01

We created a deterministic, frequency-based model of the evolution of resistance by corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), to insecticidal traits expressed in crops planted in the heterogeneous landscapes of the southern United States. The model accounts for four generations of selection by insecticidal traits each year. We used the model results to investigate the influence of three factors on insect resistance management (IRM): 1) how does adding a third insecticidal trait to both corn and cotton affect durability of the products, 2) how does unstructured corn refuge influence IRM, and 3) how do block refuges (50% compliance) and blended refuges compare with regard to IRM? When Bt cotton expresses the same number of insecticidal traits, Bt corn with three insecticidal traits provides longer durability than Bt corn with two pyramided traits. Blended refuge provides similar durability for corn products compared with the same level of required block refuge when the rate of refuge compliance by farmers is 50%. Results for Mississippi and Texas are similar, but durabilities for corn traits are surprisingly lower in Georgia, where unstructured corn refuge is the highest of the three states, but refuge for Bt cotton is the lowest of the three states. Thus, unstructured corn refuge can be valuable for IRM but its influence is determined by selection for resistance by Bt cotton. PMID:26637533

Utilizing fluorescence hyperspectral imaging to differentiate corn inoculated with toxigenic and atoxigenic fungal strains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Haibo; Hruska, Zuzana; Kincaid, Russell; Brown, Robert L.; Bhatnagar, Deepak; Cleveland, Thomas E.

2012-05-01

Naturally occurring Aspergillus flavus strains can be either toxigenic or atoxigenic, indicating their ability to produce aflatoxin or not, under specific conditions. Corn contaminated with toxigenic strains of A. flavus can result in great losses to the agricultural industry and pose threats to public health. Past research showed that fluorescence hyperspectral imaging could be a potential tool for rapid and non-invasive detection of aflatoxin contaminated corn. The objective of the current study was to assess, with the use of a hyperspectral sensor, the difference in fluorescence emission between corn kernels inoculated with toxigenic and atoxigenic inoculums of A. flavus. Corn ears were inoculated with AF13, a toxigenic strain of A. flavus, and AF38, an atoxigenic strain of A. flavus, at dough stage of development and harvested 8 weeks after inoculation. After harvest, single corn kernels were divided into three groups prior to imaging: control, adjacent, and glowing. Both sides of the kernel, germplasm and endosperm, were imaged separately using a fluorescence hyperspectral imaging system. It was found that the classification accuracies of the three manually designated groups were not promising. However, the separation of corn kernels based on different fungal inoculums yielded better results. The best result was achieved with the germplasm side of the corn kernels. Results are expected to enhance the potential of fluorescence hyperspectral imaging for the detection of aflatoxin contaminated corn.

Quality Assessment of Physical and Organoleptic Instant Corn Rice on Scale-Up Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumalasari, R.; Ekafitri, R.; Indrianti, N.

2017-12-01

Development of instant corn rice product has been successfully conducted on a laboratory scale. Corn has high carbohydrate content but low in fiber. The addition of fiber in instant corn rice, intended to improve the functioning of the product, and replace fiber loss during the process. Scale up process of Instant corn rice required to increase the production capacity. Scale up was the process to get identic output on a larger scale based on predetermined production scale. This study aimed to assess the changes and differences in the quality of instant corn rice during scale up. Instant corn rice scale up was done on production capacity 3 kg, 4 kg and 5 kg. Results showed that scale up of instant corn rice producing products with rehydration ratio ranges between 514% - 570%, the absorption rate ranged between 414% - 470%, swelling rate ranging between 119% - 134%, bulk density ranged from 0.3661 to 0.4745 (g/ml) and porosity ranging between 30-37%. The physical quality of instant corn rice on scale up were stable from the ones at laboratory scale on swelling rate, rehydration ratio, and absorption rate but not stable on bulk density and porosity. Organoleptic qualities were stable at increased scale compared on a laboratory scale. Bulk density was higher than those at laboratory scale, and the porosity was lower than those at laboratory scale.

Growing season temperature and precipitation variability and extremes in the U.S. Corn Belt from 1981 to 2012

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, S.; Shulski, M.

2013-12-01

Climate warming and changes in rainfall patterns and increases in extreme events are resulting in higher risks of crop failures. A greater sense of urgency has been induced to understand the impacts of past climate on crop production in the U.S. As one of the most predominant sources of feed grains, corn is also the main source of U.S. ethanol. In the U.S. Corn Belt, region-scale evaluation on temperature and precipitation variability and extremes during the growing season is not well-documented yet. This study is part of the USDA-funded project 'Useful to Usable: Transforming climate variability and change information for cereal crop producers'. The overall goal of our work is to study the characteristics of average growing season conditions and changes in growing season temperature- and precipitation-based indices that are closely correlated with corn grain yield in the U.S. Corn Belt. The research area is the twelve major Corn Belt states, including IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, OH, SD, ND, and WI. Climate data during 1981-2010 from 132 meteorological stations (elevation ranges from 122 m to 1,202 m) are used in this study, including daily minimum, maximum, and mean temperature, and daily precipitation. From 1981 to 2012, beginning date (BD), ending date (ED), and growing season length (GSL) in the climatological corn growing season are studied. Especially, during the agronomic corn growing season, from Apr to Oct, temperature- and precipitation-based indices are analyzed. The temperature-based indices include: number of days with daily mean temperature below 10°C, number of days with daily mean temperature above 30°C, the sum of growing degree days (GDD) between 10°C to 30°C (GDD10,30, growth range for corn), the sum of growing degree days above 30°C (GDD30+, exposure to harmful warming for corn), the sum of growing degree days between 0°C and 44°C (GDD0,44, survival range limits for corn), the sum of growing degree days between 5°C and 35°C (GDD5,35, growth range limits for corn), and the sum of growing degree days between 20°C and 22°C (GDD20,22, optimal growth range for corn). And the precipitation-based indices include: cumulative precipitation, consecutive dry days, and number of extreme precipitation events in June. As to the decadal trend analysis in climatic factors, Sen's Nonparametric Estimator of Slope and the nonparametric Mann-Kendall test are used. In the U.S. Corn Belt, annual mean Tavg ranges from 5.7°C to 14.7°C, and annual cumulative precipitation ranges from 396 mm to 1,203 mm. According to the decadal trend of annual mean Tavg and annual cumulative precipitation, 30 stations (45%) demonstrate a warm and dry trend, and 28 stations demonstrate a warm and wet trend. In monthly scale, Jun mean Tmin presents the most significantly increasing trend, and no significant decreasing or zero trend is detected from 1981 to 2012. During the climatological corn growing season, BD ranges from 76 to 128 DOY, ED ranges from 276 to 316 DOY, and GSL ranges from 150 to 242 days. From 1981 to 2012, BD is significantly advanced at the rate of 1 to 8 DOY per decade, ED is significantly delayed at the rate of 1 to 5 per decade, and GSL is significantly prolonged at the rate of 1 to 11 days per decade.

Economic impact of ethanol production on U.S. livestock sector: A spatial analysis of corn and distillers grain shipment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

N'guessan, Yapo Genevier

2007-12-01

The production of corn-based ethanol in the U.S. has increased from 1,630 million gallons in 2000 to 4,855 million gallons in 2006, representing a 198% growth over the period considered. This growth is favored by the availability of more efficient technologies in the production process of ethanol and is sustained by the high prices of ethanol in the market. The industry is also supported by a favorable public policy, expressed in the form of laws, mandating an increase in the use of ethanol, and also in the form of tax incentives. The tremendous increase in the use of corn for the ethanol industry is made at the expense of the livestock industry that was the traditional destination for much of the U.S. corn grain. As the ethanol industry continues to expand, concerns are raised in regard to its impact as more and more corn is diverted from the livestock sector. This study investigates the economic impact of the ethanol industry on the U.S. livestock sector. Specifically, a shipping cost model is developed to simulate the impact of the ethanol industry on the shipping cost of corn at the national and individual state levels. The dynamics for major livestock producing states are also analyzed at the crop reporting district level. Different scenarios based on assumptions on the availability of corn and the production capacities of the ethanol industry are displayed. Results from the model indicate that nationwide there is a 5 to 22% increase in the shipping cost of corn for the livestock industry due to the ethanol industry, depending on the scenario involved. At the state level, there is an increase in the transportation cost for most of the states, with shipping cost doubling in some cases. Nevertheless, some states benefit from the dynamics created by the development of ethanol plants and are experiencing a reduction in their livestock industry corn transportation cost.

Standardized ileal digestible tryptophan-to-lysine ratios in growing pigs fed corn-based and non-corn-based diets.

PubMed

Quant, A D; Lindemann, M D; Kerr, B J; Payne, R L; Cromwell, G L

2012-04-01

Two 21-d experiments were conducted to determine the optimum standardized ileal digestible (SID) Trp:Lys in growing pigs fed corn-based diets compared with non-corn-based diets. The primary response variables in both experiments were ADG and plasma urea N (PUN) concentrations with the optimum SID Trp:Lys determined using broken-line analysis. Experiment 1 evaluated the optimum SID Trp:Lys in growing pigs fed corn-based diets consisting primarily of corn with minor inclusion of Canadian field peas and corn gluten meal to keep the SID Trp:Lys low. This experiment used 120 crossbred pigs (initial BW: 25.73 ± 2.46 kg) that were blocked by sex and initial BW and allotted to 5 SID Trp:Lys with 5 pens each for the first 4 treatments and 4 pens for the last treatment and 5 pigs/pen. Diets were formulated by the addition of supplemental Trp to create various SID Trp:Lys (12.77, 14.07, 15.50, 16.91, and 17.94%) with a constant SID Lys of 0.66%, which was determined to be 83% of the Lys requirement for pigs at this location. As the SID Trp:Lys increased from 12.77 to 17.94%, ADG increased (0.562, 0.648, 0.788, 0.787, and 0.815 kg/d) linearly (P < 0.001) and quadratically (P = 0.009), resulting in an optimum SID Trp:Lys of 15.73% (P < 0.001). Plasma urea N decreased (10.43, 9.30, 8.21, 8.55, and 9.25 mg/dL) linearly (P = 0.069) and quadratically (P = 0.015), resulting in an optimum SID Trp:Lys of 15.83% (P = 0.007). Experiment 2 evaluated the optimum SID Trp:Lys in growing pigs fed non-corn-based diets consisting primarily of barley and Canadian field peas, with smaller proportions of corn and wheat. Experiment 2 used 120 crossbred pigs (initial BW: 28.49 ± 2.92 kg) that were allotted to 5 increasing SID Trp:Lys (13.05, 14.32, 15.59, 16.85, and 18.11%; 0.66% SID Lys) in the same manner as Exp. 1. As SID Trp:Lys increased in Exp. 2, ADG increased linearly (P = 0.007) with the optimum SID Trp:Lys of 15.99% (P = 0.048). Plasma urea N concentrations decreased linearly (P = 0.056) and quadratically (P = 0.067) as SID Trp:Lys increased, resulting in an optimum SID Trp:Lys of 15.29% (P = 0.009). Averaging the break point values for ADG and PUN obtained from broken-line analysis for Exp. 1 and 2 produced optimum SID Trp:Lys of 15.78 and 15.64%, respectively. Based on the results from these 2 experiments, it seems that the optimum SID Trp:Lys is virtually unaffected by the dietary feedstuffs used as long as the diets are formulated on an SID AA basis.

The Results of a Laboratory Feasibility Study for the Biological Treatment of Umatilla Groundwater

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

high fructose corn syrup Kroger brand lactose Columbia River Processors, Boardman, OR cheese whey Columbia River Processors, Boardman, OR lactate...Processing Roy Dugan 541·481-3771 79588 Rippee Road 55 High Fructose Corn Syrup Malt Products Corp. Joanne McGuire 530-677-8282 #677 Blackstrap...communication with experts) tested in Run 1 were: • high - fructose corn sugar (based on promising results obtained using soft drink by-products

In-situ Substrate Addition to Create Reactive Zones for Treatment of Chlorinated Aliphatic Hydrocarbons: Hanscom Air Force Base

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-04-04

processes in the subsurface. This substrate is typically molasses although these substrates can include high fructose corn syrup , whey, etc. (Suthersan...typically comprised of a carbohydrate such as molasses, whey, high fructose corn syrup , lactate, butyrate, or benzoate). Through periodic subsurface...this purpose; other carbohydrates such as high fructose corn syrup and whey can also be effective. This approach has been accepted by regulators and

Penetration Mechanics of Composites

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-04-01

distribution for tensile strength of hollow virgin filaments, based on 128 tests (source: Owens / Corning Fiberglas Corp). 14 1.2 Schematic of split Hopkinson...These were supplied by Owens / Corning Fiberglas Corporation, Granville, Ohio in two forms: 463AA750 (750 yd/lb) roving tow and G150 (1500 yd/lb...penetration of 12.7-mm thick (25-ply) GRP. Targets were fabricated by Owens Corning Fiberglas (OCF) by a licensed process designated HJ1. This complies

Simultaneous determination of inorganic anions and cations by supercritical fluid chromatography using evaporative light scattering detection.

PubMed

Foulon, Catherine; Di Giulio, Pauline; Lecoeur, Marie

2018-01-26

Supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) is commonly used for the analysis of non-polar compounds, but remains poorly explored for the separation of polar and ionized molecules. In this paper, SFC has been investigated for the separation of 14 inorganic ions sampled in aqueous solutions. Four polar stationary phases were first screened using CO 2 -methanol-based mobile phases containing water or different acidic or basic additives, in order to select the most efficient conditions for the simultaneous retention of inorganic cations and anions and to favor their detection using evaporative light scattering detector (ELSD). Orthogonal selectivity was obtained depending on the stationary phase used: whereas anions are less retained on HILIC stationary phase, 2-ethylpyridine (2-EP) stationary phase exhibits strong interaction for anions. Best results were obtained under gradient elution mode using a 2-EP stationary phase and by adding 0.2% triethylamine in the CO 2 -methanol-based mobile phase. The composition of the injection solvent was also investigated. The results showed that a methanolic sample containing a percentage of water not exceeding 20% does not affect the analytical performances obtained on 2-EP. Moreover, the presence of triethylamine in the injection solvent contributes to eliminate peaks shoulders. Among the 14 inorganic ions tested, three cations (Li + , Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ ) and five anions (Cl - , Br - , NO 3 - , I - , SCN - ) were totally resolved in 15 min. NO 3 - and NO 2 - still coeluted in the final optimized conditions. The other investigated ions were either strongly retained on the stationary phase or not detected by the ELSD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Enzymatic production of xylooligosaccharides from corn stover and corn cobs treated with aqueous ammonia.

PubMed

Zhu, Yongming; Kim, Tae Hyun; Lee, Y Y; Chen, Rongfu; Elander, Richard T

2006-01-01

A novel method of producing food-grade xylooligosaccharides from corn stover and corn cobs was investigated. The process starts with pretreatment of feedstock in aqueous ammonia, which results delignified and xylan-rich substrate. The pretreated substrates are subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis of xylan using endoxylanase for production of xylooligosaccharides. The conventional enzyme-based method involves extraction of xylan with a strong alkaline solution to form a liquid intermediate containing soluble xylan. This intermediate is heavily contaminated with various extraneous components. A costly purification step is therefore required before enzymatic hydrolysis. In the present method, xylan is obtained in solid form after pretreatment. Water-washing is all that is required for enzymatic hydrolysis of this material. The complex step of purifying soluble xylan from contaminant is essentially eliminated. Refining of xylooligosaccharides to food-grade is accomplished by charcoal adsorption followed by ethanol elution. Xylanlytic hydrolysis of the pretreated corn stover yielded glucan-rich residue that is easily digestible by cellulase enzyme. The digestibility of the residue reached 86% with enzyme loading of 10 filter paper units/g-glucan. As a feedstock for xylooligosaccharides production, corn cobs are superior to corn stover because of high xylan content and high packing density. The high packing density of corn cobs reduces water input and eventually raises the product concentration.

Estimating the required logistical resources to support the development of a sustainable corn stover bioeconomy in the USA

DOE PAGES

Ebadian, Mahmood; Sokhansanj, Shahabaddine; Webb, Erin

2016-11-23

In this paper, the logistical resources required to develop a bioeconomy based on corn stover in the USA are quantified, including field equipment, storage sites, transportation and handling equipment, workforce, corn growers, and corn lands. These resources are essential to mobilize large quantities of corn stover from corn fields to biorefineries. The logistical resources are estimated over the lifetime of the biorefineries. Seventeen corn-growing states are considered for the logistical resource assessment. Over 6.8 billion gallons of cellulosic ethanol can be produced annually from 108 million dry tons of corn stover in these states. The maximum number of required fieldmore » equipment (i.e., choppers, balers, collectors, loaders, and tractors) is estimated to be 194 110 units with a total economic value of about 26 billion dollars. In addition, 40 780 trucks and flatbed trailers would be required to transport bales from corn fields and storage sites to biorefineries with a total economic value of 4.0 billion dollars. About 88 899 corn growers need to be contracted with an annual net income of over 2.1 billion dollars. About 1903 storage sites would be required to hold 53.1 million dry tons of inventory after the harvest season. These storage sites would take up about 35 320.2 acres and 4077 loaders with an economic value of 0.4 billion dollars would handle this inventory. The total required workforce to run the logistics operations is estimated to be 50 567. Furthermore, the magnitude of the estimated logistical resources demonstrates the economic and social significance of the corn stover bioeconomy in rural areas in the USA.« less

Estimating the required logistical resources to support the development of a sustainable corn stover bioeconomy in the USA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ebadian, Mahmood; Sokhansanj, Shahabaddine; Webb, Erin

In this paper, the logistical resources required to develop a bioeconomy based on corn stover in the USA are quantified, including field equipment, storage sites, transportation and handling equipment, workforce, corn growers, and corn lands. These resources are essential to mobilize large quantities of corn stover from corn fields to biorefineries. The logistical resources are estimated over the lifetime of the biorefineries. Seventeen corn-growing states are considered for the logistical resource assessment. Over 6.8 billion gallons of cellulosic ethanol can be produced annually from 108 million dry tons of corn stover in these states. The maximum number of required fieldmore » equipment (i.e., choppers, balers, collectors, loaders, and tractors) is estimated to be 194 110 units with a total economic value of about 26 billion dollars. In addition, 40 780 trucks and flatbed trailers would be required to transport bales from corn fields and storage sites to biorefineries with a total economic value of 4.0 billion dollars. About 88 899 corn growers need to be contracted with an annual net income of over 2.1 billion dollars. About 1903 storage sites would be required to hold 53.1 million dry tons of inventory after the harvest season. These storage sites would take up about 35 320.2 acres and 4077 loaders with an economic value of 0.4 billion dollars would handle this inventory. The total required workforce to run the logistics operations is estimated to be 50 567. Furthermore, the magnitude of the estimated logistical resources demonstrates the economic and social significance of the corn stover bioeconomy in rural areas in the USA.« less

Understanding N timing in corn yield and fertilizer N recovery: An insight from an isotopic labeled-N determination

PubMed Central

de Almeida, Rodrigo Estevam Munhoz; Pierozan Junior, Clovis; Lago, Bruno Cocco; Trivelin, Paulo Cesar Ocheuze

2018-01-01

Early fertilizer nitrogen (N) application on cover crops or their residues during the off-season is a practice adopted in Brazil subtropical conditions under no-tillage corn (Zea mays L.) systems. However, the effect of early N application on yield, plant N content, and N recovery efficiency (NRE) for corn is not yet well documented. Five fertilizer N timings in an oat-corn system were evaluated in two studies utilizing an isotopic-labeled N determination, 15N isotope. The N fertilization timings were: (i) oat tillering, (ii) 15 days before corn planting time, over the oat residues, (iii) at corn planting time, (iv) in-season at the three-leaf growth stage (V3), and (v) in-season split application at V3 and six-leaf (V6) growth stages. Based on the statistical analysis, the N fertilization timings were separated into three groups: 1) N-OATS, designated to N applied at oat; 2) N-PLANT, referred to pre-plant and planting N applications; and 3) N-CORN, designated to in-season corn N applications. Corn yield was not affected by the N fertilization timing. However, the N-CORN N fertilization timings enhanced NRE by 17% and 35% and final N recovery system (plant plus soil) by 16% and 24% all relative to N-OATS and N-PLANT groups, respectively. Overall, N-OATS resulted in the largest N derived from fertilizer (NDFF) amount in the deeper soil layer, in overall a delta of 10 kg N ha-1 relative to the rest of the groups. Notwithstanding corn yield was not affected, early N fertilization under subtropical conditions is not a viable option since NRE was diminished and the non-recovery N increased relative to the in-season N applications. PMID:29462178

Effect of dietary inclusion of whole ear corn silage on stomach development and gastric mucosa integrity of heavy pigs at slaughter.

PubMed

Mason, Federico; Pascotto, Ernesto; Zanfi, Cristina; Spanghero, Mauro

2013-12-01

The effect of dietary inclusion of whole ear corn silage on stomach development and on the incidence of gastric lesions was studied in heavy pigs. Three groups of 14 castrated male pigs were fed a control cereal-based diet and two diets containing whole ear corn silage (15% or 30% DM) from 90 kg bodyweight to slaughter at 170 kg. The diets with whole ear corn silage increased the amount of neutral detergent fibre in the stomach contents, the weight of the organs and the area of the pyloric region. Follicular gastritis was significantly lower and gastritis less severe in pigs fed the whole ear corn silage diets than pigs fed the control diet. The inclusion of whole ear corn silage in the diet influenced the development of the stomach and reduced the incidence of gastritis in heavy pigs. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Limited irrigation of corn-based no-till crop rotations in West Central Great Plains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Due to numerous alternatives in crop sequence and changes in crop yield and price, finding the most profitable crop rotation for an area is a continuous research challenge. The objective of this study was to evaluate 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-yr limited irrigation corn (Zea mays L.)-based crop rotations for...

In growing pigs, the true ileal and total tract digestibility of acid hydrolyzed ether extract in extracted corn oil is greater than in intact sources of corn oil or soybean oil.

PubMed

Kim, B G; Kil, D Y; Stein, H H

2013-02-01

An experiment was conducted to determine the true ileal digestibility (TID) and the true total tract digestibility (TTTD) of acid-hydrolyzed ether extract (AEE) in extracted corn oil, high-oil corn, distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), corn germ, and high protein distillers dried grains (HP DDG) and to compare these values to the TID and TTTD of AEE in full-fat soybeans. Nineteen barrows with an initial BW of 52.2 kg (SD = 3.8) were fitted with a T-cannula in the distal ileum and allotted to a 19 × 11 Youden square design with 19 diets and 11 periods. A basal diet based on cornstarch, casein, sucrose, and corn bran was formulated. Eighteen additional diets were formulated by adding 3 levels of extracted corn oil, high-oil corn, DDGS, corn germ, HP DDG, or full-fat soybeans to the basal diet. The apparent ileal and the apparent total tract digestibility of AEE were calculated for each diet. The endogenous flow of AEE associated with each ingredient and values for TID and TTTD were calculated using the regression procedure. Results indicated that digested AEE in ileal digesta and feces linearly increased as AEE intake increased regardless of ingredient (P < 0.001) and the regression of ileal and fecal AEE output against AEE intake was significant for all ingredients (P < 0.001; r(2) > 0.77). However, the ileal and fecal endogenous losses of AEE were different (P < 0.05) from 0 only for extracted corn oil, HP DDG, and full-fat soybeans. The TID of AEE was greater (P < 0.05) for extracted corn oil (95.4%) than for all other ingredients. The TID of AEE in HP DDG (76.5%) was not different from the TID of AEE in full-fat soybeans (85.2%) but greater (P < 0.05) than high-oil corn, DDGS, and corn germ (53.0, 62.1, and 50.1%, respectively). The TTTD of AEE was greater (P < 0.05) for extracted corn oil (94.3%) than for all other ingredients, and the TTTD in full-fat soybeans (79.7%) was greater (P < 0.05) than the TTTD of AEE in high-oil corn, DDGS, corn germ, and HP DDG (41.4, 51.9, 43.9, and 70.2%, respectively). The TTTD of AEE in HP DDG was also greater (P < 0.05) than in high-oil corn, DDGS, and corn germ. In conclusion, the intact sources of oil originating from high-oil corn, DDGS, corn germ, or HP DDG are much less digestible than extracted corn oil, and with the exception of HP DDG, these sources of corn oil are also less digestible than the intact oil in full fat soybeans.

Numerical modeling of elution peak profiles in supercritical fluid chromatography. Part I--elution of an unretained tracer.

PubMed

Kaczmarski, Krzysztof; Poe, Donald P; Guiochon, Georges

2010-10-15

When chromatography is carried out with high-density carbon dioxide as the main component of the mobile phase (a method generally known as "supercritical fluid chromatography" or SFC), the required pressure gradient along the column is moderate. However, this mobile phase is highly compressible and, under certain experimental conditions, its density may decrease significantly along the column. Such an expansion absorbs heat, cooling the column, which absorbs heat from the outside. The resulting heat transfer causes the formation of axial and radial gradients of temperature that may become large under certain conditions. Due to these gradients, the mobile phase velocity and most physico-chemical parameters of the system (viscosity, diffusion coefficients, etc.) are no longer constant throughout the column, resulting in a loss of column efficiency, even at low flow rates. At high flow rates and in serious cases, systematic variations of the retention factors and the separation factors with increasing flow rates and important deformations of the elution profiles of all sample components may occur. The model previously used to account satisfactorily for the effects of the viscous friction heating of the mobile phase in HPLC is adapted here to account for the expansion cooling of the mobile phase in SFC and is applied to the modeling of the elution peak profiles of an unretained compound in SFC. The numerical solution of the combined heat and mass balance equations provides temperature and pressure profiles inside the column, and values of the retention time and efficiency for elution of this unretained compound that are in excellent agreement with independent experimental data. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Simultaneous determination of 11 phthalate esters in bottled beverages by graphene oxide coated hollow fiber membrane extraction coupled with supercritical fluid chromatography.

PubMed

Lou, Chaoyan; Guo, Dandan; Zhang, Kai; Wu, Can; Zhang, Peimin; Zhu, Yan

2018-05-12

Phthalate esters (PAEs) are a group of serious environmental pollutants, which lead to carcinogenicity or tumorigenicity in human body. In this study, a rapid, sensitive and green method by graphene oxide coated hollow fiber membrane extraction (GO-HFME) coupled with supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) was proposed for the determination of 11 phthalate esters in bottled beverages. Graphene oxide (GO) was prepared and coated onto a porous hollow fiber membrane (HFM) to reinforce the efficiency of membrane extraction. The modified hollow fiber membrane was employed for the extraction of phthalate esters from bottled beverages prior to the determination by the supercritical fluid chromatography with UV detection. To achieve the maximum extraction efficiency, several parameters were investigated including GO concentration, extraction time, desorption solution and desorption time. SFC variables including stationary phase, modifier composition and percentage, column temperature, flow rate and backpressure were studied to improve the separation conditions. Under these optimized conditions, all the studied 11 phthalate esters were well separated and simultaneously determined in 7 min by SFC. The performance of the developed method was evaluated. Good linearity was observed (R ≥ 0.999) in the range of 0.02-10.0 μg/mL with limit of detection (LOD, S/N = 3) ranging from 1.5 to 3.0 ng/mL. Recoveries of all the PAEs for the spiked samples were between 92.1% and 99.3% with satisfactory relative standard deviations (RSD) less than 5.9%. The proposed method is time-saving, green, simple and robust, which will be an alternative way to the analysis of PAEs in real samples. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Response to Indacaterol/Glycopyrronium (IND/GLY) by Sex in Patients with COPD: A Pooled Analysis from the IGNITE Program.

PubMed

Tsiligianni, Ioanna; Mezzi, Karen; Fucile, Sebastian; Kostikas, Konstantinos; Shen, Steven; Banerji, Donald; Fogel, Robert

2017-08-01

In this pooled analysis, we compared the effect of indacaterol/glycopyrronium (IND/GLY) by sex versus other commonly used chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) treatments and placebo. Male and female patients with moderate-to-very-severe COPD who had participated in six randomized controlled trials were included in the analysis. Baseline demographics and disease characteristics were analyzed by sex, and any differences noted. The effects of IND/GLY versus salmeterol/fluticasone (SFC), glycopyrronium, tiotropium and placebo, on lung function and the patient-reported outcomes (health status, dyspnea, rescue medication use and symptoms) were assessed by sex after 26 weeks treatment. The analysis population comprised 4719 men and 1389 women. Most baseline parameters differed significantly between men and women. Nonetheless, despite these differences in baseline characteristics, IND/GLY significantly improved lung function versus placebo (p < 0.0001) and all active comparators (p < 0.01) in men and women. Overall, IND/GLY showed better improvement in dyspnea and health status compared with all other treatments in both sex. Greater reduction of rescue medication use was observed with IND/GLY versus placebo and other treatments (all p < 0.01 expect IND/GLY versus SFC). Although some variability was observed, improvements in health status, dyspnea, rescue medication use and symptoms were generally larger in women than in men. Irrespective of sex, IND/GLY provided superior efficacy to monotherapy or SFC in both men and women. Small differences in efficacy response by sex were observed, which should be evaluated further in prospective clinical studies. Nevertheless, the benefits observed with IND/GLY confirm dual bronchodilator as the preferred therapy in patients with moderate-to-very-severe COPD regardless of sex.

Evaluation of innovative stationary phase ligand chemistries and analytical conditions for the analysis of basic drugs by supercritical fluid chromatography.

PubMed

Desfontaine, Vincent; Veuthey, Jean-Luc; Guillarme, Davy

2016-03-18

Similar to reversed phase liquid chromatography, basic compounds can be highly challenging to analyze by supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC), as they tend to exhibit poor peak shape, especially those with high pKa values. In this study, three new stationary phase ligand chemistries available in sub -2 μm particle sizes, namely 2-picolylamine (2-PIC), 1-aminoanthracene (1-AA) and diethylamine (DEA), were tested in SFC conditions for the analysis of basic drugs. Due to the basic properties of these ligands, it is expected that the repulsive forces may improve peak shape of basic substances, similarly to the widely used 2-ethypyridine (2-EP) phase. However, among the 38 tested basic drugs, less of 10% displayed Gaussian peaks (asymmetry between 0.8 and 1.4) using pure CO2/methanol on these phases. The addition of 10mM ammonium formate as mobile phase additive, drastically improved peak shapes and increased this proportion to 67% on 2-PIC. Introducing the additive in the injection solvent rather than in the organic modifier, gave acceptable results for 2-PIC only, with 31% of Gaussian peaks with an average asymmetry of 1.89 for the 38 selected basic drugs. These columns were also compared to hybrid silica (BEH), DIOL and 2-EP stationary phases, commonly employed in SFC. These phases commonly exhibit alternative retention and selectivity. In the end, the two most interesting ligands used as complementary columns were 2-PIC and BEH, as they provided suitable peak shapes for the basic drugs and almost orthogonal selectivities. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of a performance-based industrial energy efficiency indicator for corn refining plants.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Boyd, G. A.; Decision and Information Sciences; USEPA

2006-07-31

Organizations that implement strategic energy management programs have the potential to achieve sustained energy savings if the programs are carried out properly. A key opportunity for achieving energy savings that plant managers can take is to determine an appropriate level of energy performance by comparing their plant's performance with that of similar plants in the same industry. Manufacturing facilities can set energy efficiency targets by using performance-based indicators. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), through its ENERGY STAR{reg_sign} program, has been developing plant energy performance indicators (EPIs) to encourage a variety of U.S. industries to use energy more efficiently. Thismore » report describes work with the corn refining industry to provide a plant-level indicator of energy efficiency for facilities that produce a variety of products--including corn starch, corn oil, animal feed, corn sweeteners, and ethanol--for the paper, food, beverage, and other industries in the United States. Consideration is given to the role that performance-based indicators play in motivating change; the steps needed to develop indicators, including interacting with an industry to secure adequate data for an indicator; and the actual application and use of an indicator when complete. How indicators are employed in the EPA's efforts to encourage industries to voluntarily improve their use of energy is discussed as well. The report describes the data and statistical methods used to construct the EPI for corn refining plants. Individual equations are presented, as are the instructions for using them in an associated Excel spreadsheet.« less

New Estimates of Land Use Intensity of Potential Bioethanol Production in the U.S.A.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kheshgi, H. S.; Song, Y.; Torkamani, S.; Jain, A. K.

2016-12-01

We estimate potential bioethanol land use intensity (the inverse of potential bioethanol yield per hectare) across the United States by modeling crop yields and conversion to bioethanol (via a fermentation pathway), based on crop field studies and conversion technology analyses. We apply the process-based land surface model, the Integrated Science Assessment model (ISAM), to estimate the potential yield of four crops - corn, Miscanthus, and two variants of switchgrass (Cave-in-Rock and Alamo) - across the U.S.A. landscape for the 14-year period from 1999 through 2012, for the case with fertilizer application but without irrigation. We estimate bioethanol yield based on recent experience for corn bioethanol production from corn kernel, and current cellulosic bioethanol process design specifications under the assumption of the maximum practical harvest fraction for the energy grasses (Miscanthus and switchgrasses) and a moderate (30%) harvest fraction of corn stover. We find that each of four crops included has regions where that crop is estimated to have the lowest land use intensity (highest potential bioethanol yield per hectare). We find that minimizing potential land use intensity by including both corn and the energy grasses only improves incrementally to that of corn (using both harvested kernel and stover for bioethanol). Bioethanol land use intensity is one fundamental factor influencing the desirability of biofuels, but is not the only one; others factors include economics, competition with food production and land use, water and climate, nitrogen runoff, life-cycle emissions, and the pace of crop and technology improvement into the future.

Update of distillers grains displacement ratios for corn ethanol life-cycle analysis.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Arora, S.; Wu, M.; Wang, M.

2011-02-01

Production of corn-based ethanol (either by wet milling or by dry milling) yields the following coproducts: distillers grains with solubles (DGS), corn gluten meal (CGM), corn gluten feed (CGF), and corn oil. Of these coproducts, all except corn oil can replace conventional animal feeds, such as corn, soybean meal, and urea. Displacement ratios of corn-ethanol coproducts including DGS, CGM, and CGF were last updated in 1998 at a workshop at Argonne National Laboratory on the basis of input from a group of experts on animal feeds, including Prof. Klopfenstein (University of Nebraska, Lincoln), Prof. Berger (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign), Mr.more » Madson (Rapheal Katzen International Associates, Inc.), and Prof. Trenkle (Iowa State University) (Wang 1999). Table 1 presents current dry milling coproduct displacement ratios being used in the GREET model. The current effort focuses on updating displacement ratios of dry milling corn-ethanol coproducts used in the animal feed industry. Because of the increased availability and use of these coproducts as animal feeds, more information is available on how these coproducts replace conventional animal feeds. To glean this information, it is also important to understand how industry selects feed. Because of the wide variety of available feeds, animal nutritionists use commercial software (such as Brill Formulation{trademark}) for feed formulation. The software recommends feed for the animal on the basis of the nutritional characteristics, availability, and price of various animal feeds, as well as on the nutritional requirements of the animal (Corn Refiners Association 2006). Therefore, feed formulation considers both the economic and the nutritional characteristics of feed products.« less

Analysis of the profile characteristics of corn and soybeans using field reflectance data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crist, E. P.

1982-01-01

The typical patterns of spectral development (profiles) for corn and soybeans are presented, based on field-collected reflectance data transformed to correspond to LANDSAT-MSS Tasseled Cap coordinates. Reasonable variations in field conditions and cultural practices are shown to significantly influence profile features. The separability of the two crops is determined to be primarily related to the maximum value of the reflectance equivalent of Greenness, and to the plateau effect seen in corn Greenness profiles. The impact of changes in conditions on separability is described. In addition, association is made between profile features and stages of development for corn and soybeans. Corn is shown to peak at a stage well before tasseling or maximum LAI, while the characteristics of the soybean profile are shown to be unrelated to any particular stage of development.

Evaluation of Cuphea as a rotation crop for control of western corn rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).

PubMed

Behle, Robert W; Isbell, Terry A

2005-12-01

The ability to prevent significant root feeding damage to corn, Zea mays L., by the western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, by crop rotation with soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr., has been lost in portions of the Corn Belt because this pest has adapted to laying eggs in soybean fields. Cuphea spp. has been proposed as a new broadleaf crop that may provide an undesirable habitat for rootworm adults because of its sticky surface and therefore may reduce or prevent oviposition in these fields. A 4-yr study (1 yr to establish seven rotation programs followed by 3 yr of evaluation) was conducted to determine whether crop rotation with Cuphea would provide cultural control of corn rootworm. In support of Cuphea as a rotation crop, fewer beetles were captured by sticky traps in plots of Cuphea over the 4 yr of this study compared with traps in corn and soybean, suggesting that fewer eggs may be laid in plots planted to Cuphea. Also, corn grown after Cuphea was significantly taller during vegetative growth, had significantly lower root damage ratings for 2 of 3 yr, and had significantly higher yields for 2 of 3 yr compared with continuous corn plots. In contrast to these benefits, growing Cuphea did not prevent economic damage to subsequent corn crops as indicated by root damage ratings > 3.0 recorded for corn plants in plots rotated from Cuphea, and sticky trap catches that exceeded the threshold of five beetles trap(-1) day(-1). Beetle emergence from corn plots rotated from Cuphea was significantly lower, not different and significantly higher compared with beetle emergence from continuous corn plots for 2002, 2003 and 2004 growing seasons, respectively. A high number of beetles were captured by emergence cages in plots planted to Cuphea, indicating that rootworm larvae may be capable of completing larval development by feeding on roots of Cuphea, although peak emergence lagged approximately 4 wk behind peak emergence from corn. Based on these data, it is unlikely that crop rotation with Cuphea will provide consistent, economical, cultural control of corn rootworm.

Development of a split-flow system for high precision variable sample introduction in supercritical fluid chromatography.

PubMed

Sakai, Miho; Hayakawa, Yoshihiro; Funada, Yasuhiro; Ando, Takashi; Fukusaki, Eiichiro; Bamba, Takeshi

2017-09-15

In this study, we propose a novel variable sample injection system based on full-loop injection, named the split-flow sample introduction system, for application in supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC). In this system, the mobile phase is split by the differential pressure between two back pressure regulators (BPRs) after full-loop injection suitable for SFC, and this differential pressure determines the introduction rate. Nine compounds with a wide range of characteristics were introduced with high reproducibility and universality, confirming that a robust variable sample injection system was achieved. We also investigated the control factors of our proposed system. Sample introduction was controlled by the ratio between the column-side pressure drops in splitless and split flow, ΔP columnsideinsplitless and ΔP columnsideinsplit , respectively, where ΔP columnsideinsplitless is related to the mobile phase flow rate and composition and the column resistance. When all other conditions are kept constant, increasing the make-up flow induces an additional pressure drop on the column side of the system, which leads to a reduced column-side flow rate, and hence decreased the amount of sample injected, even when the net pressure drop on the column side remains the same. Thus, sample introduction could be highly controlled at low sample introduction rate, regardless of the introduction conditions. This feature is advantageous because, as a control factor, the solvent in the make-up pump is independent of the column-side pressure drop. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Combined Effects of Soil Biotic and Abiotic Factors, Influenced by Sewage Sludge Incorporation, on the Incidence of Corn Stalk Rot

PubMed Central

Fortes, Nara Lúcia Perondi; Navas-Cortés, Juan A; Silva, Carlos Alberto; Bettiol, Wagner

2016-01-01

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the combined effects of soil biotic and abiotic factors on the incidence of Fusarium corn stalk rot, during four annual incorporations of two types of sewage sludge into soil in a 5-years field assay under tropical conditions and to predict the effects of these variables on the disease. For each type of sewage sludge, the following treatments were included: control with mineral fertilization recommended for corn; control without fertilization; sewage sludge based on the nitrogen concentration that provided the same amount of nitrogen as in the mineral fertilizer treatment; and sewage sludge that provided two, four and eight times the nitrogen concentration recommended for corn. Increasing dosages of both types of sewage sludge incorporated into soil resulted in increased corn stalk rot incidence, being negatively correlated with corn yield. A global analysis highlighted the effect of the year of the experiment, followed by the sewage sludge dosages. The type of sewage sludge did not affect the disease incidence. A multiple logistic model using a stepwise procedure was fitted based on the selection of a model that included the three explanatory parameters for disease incidence: electrical conductivity, magnesium and Fusarium population. In the selected model, the probability of higher disease incidence increased with an increase of these three explanatory parameters. When the explanatory parameters were compared, electrical conductivity presented a dominant effect and was the main variable to predict the probability distribution curves of Fusarium corn stalk rot, after sewage sludge application into the soil. PMID:27176597

In-situ Substrate Addition to Create Reactive Zones for Treatment of Chlorinated Aliphatic Hydrocarbons: Vandenberg Air Force Base

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-12-17

other substrates can also be used, including high fructose corn syrup , whey, etc. Through this subsurface molasses injection, the existing aerobic or...is not the only carbohydrate material that can be used for this purpose; other carbohydrates such as high fructose corn syrup and whey can also be... fructose corn syrup , lactate, butyrate, or benzoate). Through periodic subsurface substrate injection, the ERD technology alters existing aerobic or mildly

Argentina corn yield model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Callis, S. L.; Sakamoto, C.

1984-01-01

A model based on multiple regression was developed to estimate corn yields for the country of Argentina. A meteorological data set was obtained for the country by averaging data for stations within the corn-growing area. Predictor variables for the model were derived from monthly total precipitation, average monthly mean temperature, and average monthly maximum temperature. A trend variable was included for the years 1965 to 1980 since an increasing trend in yields due to technology was observed between these years.

Corn silage replacement with barley silage in dairy cows' diet does not change milk quality, cheese quality and yield.

PubMed

Migliorati, Luciano; Boselli, Leonardo; Pirlo, Giacomo; Moschini, Maurizio; Masoero, Francesco

2017-08-01

Considering that water availability for agricultural needs is being restricted, an alternative to corn in animal nutrition should be explored in the Po Valley. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of either a partial (Trial I) or a total (Trial II) corn silage substitution with barley silage in dairy cows' diet on milk yield and composition, its coagulation properties, cheese yield and the sensorial profile of 16-month-aged Grana Padano cheese. A partial or a total substitution of corn silage with barley silage had no effect on milk yield. Milk fat content in Trial I and milk urea content in both trials were higher with barley silage based diets than in corn silage based diets. No effects were observed concerning the lactodinamographic profile for milk aptitude to cheese-making, cheese yield and its organoleptic traits between feed treatments in Trials I and II. In both trials, hardness, friability and solubility scores were generally lower than reference values, whereas deformability, elasticity and stickiness scores were generally higher than reference values. A partial or a total substitution of corn silage with barley silage in diets for dairy cows did not induce any negative effects on animal performance, nor on milk-quality traits, cheese quality and yield. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Optimization of ultrasonic-assisted preparation of dietary fiber from corn pericarp using response surface methodology.

PubMed

Wang, Anna; Wu, Ligen; Li, Xiulin

2013-09-01

Corn pericarp, which is an industrial waste of corn starch production, is an important source of dietary fiber in cereals, with claimed health benefits. However, they used to be discarded or utilized as animal feed. The application of pre-ultrasound treatment is critical for achieving rapid preparation of desired components from plant materials and for preserving structural and molecular properties of these compounds. Ultrasonic-assisted preparation was used to produce dietary fiber from corn pericarp using response surface methodology. The optimal particle size of corn pericarp (mesh size 40), the ratio of liquid to solid (25 mL g⁻¹), ultrasonic power (180 W) and ultrasonic time (80 min) were determined based on response surface methodology analysis. The interaction effects of particle size of corn pericarp and ultrasonic time had a highlysignificant effect on the yield of dietary fiber, and a significant effect was shown by ultrasonic power and ultrasonic time. The maximum yield of dietary fiber was 86.84%, which agreed closely with the predicted value. Using ultrasonic-assisted preparation, it may be possible to enhance the yield of dietary fiber from corn pericarp. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

Transient infrared spectroscopy for detection of toxigenic fungi in corn: potential for on-line evaluation.

PubMed

Gordon, S H; Jones, R W; McClelland, J F; Wicklow, D T; Greene, R V

1999-12-01

An urgent need for rapid sensors to detect contamination of food grains by toxigenic fungi such as Aspergillus flavus prompted research and development of Fourier transform infrared photoacoustic spectroscopy (FTIR-PAS) as a highly sensitive probe for fungi growing on the surfaces of individual corn kernels. However, the photoacoustic technique has limited potential for screening bulk corn because currently available photoacoustic detectors can accommodate only a single intact kernel at a time. Transient infrared spectroscopy (TIRS), on the other hand, is a promising new technique that can acquire analytically useful infrared spectra from a moving mass of solid materials. Therefore, the potential of TIRS for on-line, noncontact detection of A. flavus contamination in a moving bed of corn kernels was explored. Early test results based on visual inspection of TIRS spectral differences predict an 85% or 95% success rate in distinguishing healthy corn from grain infected with A. flavus. Four unique infrared spectral features which identified infected corn in FTIR-PAS were also found to be diagnostic in TIRS. Although the technology is still in its infancy, the preliminary results indicate that TIRS is a potentially effective screening method for bulk quantities of corn grain.

APPLICATION OF CAPILLARY SUPERCRITICAL FLUID CHROMATOGRAPHY TO THE ANALYSIS OF A MIDDLE DISTILLATE FUEL

EPA Science Inventory

The paper describes the application of capillary supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) to the analysis of a middle distillate fuel. Small diameter (50 micrometer i.d.) fused silica capillary columns coated with crosslinked 50% phenyl polymethylsiloxane provided high separation...

The effects of corn silk on glycaemic metabolism.

PubMed

Guo, Jianyou; Liu, Tongjun; Han, Linna; Liu, Yongmei

2009-11-23

Corn silk contains proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates, Ca, K, Mg and Na salts, fixed and volatile oils, steroids such as sitosterol and stigmasterol, alkaloids, saponins, tannins, and flavonoids. Base on folk remedies, corn silk has been used as an oral antidiabetic agent in China for decades. However, the hypoglycemic activity of it has not yet been understood in terms of modern pharmacological concepts. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of corn silk on glycaemic metabolism. Alloxan and adrenalin induced hyperglycemic mice were used in the study. The effects of corn silk on blood glucose, glycohemoglobin (HbA1c), insulin secretion, damaged pancreatic beta-cells, hepatic glycogen and gluconeogenesis in hyperglycemic mice were studied respectively. After the mice were orally administered with corn silk extract, the blood glucose and the HbA1c were significantly decreased in alloxan-induced hyperglycemic mice (p < 0.05, p < 0.01, respectively), while the level of insulin secretionn was markedly elevated in alloxa-induced hyperglycemic mice (p < 0.05). The alloxan-damaged pancreatic beta-cells of the mice were partly recovered gradually after the mice were administered with corn silk extract 15 days later. Also, the body weight of the alloxan-induced hyperglycemic mice was increased gradually. However, ascension of blood glucose induced by adrenalin and gluconeogenesis induced by L-alanine were not inhibited by corn silk extract treatment (p > 0.05). Although corn silk extract increased the level of hepatic glycogen in the alloxan-induced hyperglycemic mice, there was no significant difference between them and that of the control group(p > 0.05). Corn silk extract markedly reduced hyperglycemia in alloxan-induced diabetic mice. The action of corn silk extract on glycaemic metabolism is not via increasing glycogen and inhibiting gluconeogenesis but through increasing insulin level as well as recovering the injured beta-cells. The results suggest that corn silk extract may be used as a hypoglycemic food or medicine for hyperglycemic people in terms of this modern pharmacological study.

An evaluation of corn earworm damage and thresholds in soybean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, Brian Patrick

Interactions between corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), and soybean, Glycine max L. (Merrill), were investigated in the Mid-South to evaluate thresholds and damage levels. Field studies were conducted in both indeterminate and determinate modern cultivars to evaluate damage, critical injury levels, and soybean response to simulated corn earworm injury. Field studies were also conducted to evaluate the response of indeterminate cultivars to infestations of corn earworm. Field studies were also conducted to investigate the relationship between pyrethroid insecticide application and corn earworm oviposition in soybean. Results of field studies involving simulated corn earworm damage indicated the need for a dynamic threshold that becomes more conservative as soybean phenology progressed through the reproductive growth stages. This suggested that soybean was more tolerant to fruit loss during the earlier reproductive stages and was able to compensate for fruit loss better during this time than at later growth stages. Results of field studies involving infestations of corn earworm indicated that current thresholds are likely too liberal. This resulted in economic injury level tables being constructed based upon a range of crop values and control costs, however, a general action threshold was also recommended for indeterminate soybean in the Mid-South. Field study results investigating the relationship of pyrethroid application and corn earworm oviposition indicated that even in the presence of an insecticide, corn earworm prefers to oviposit in the upper portion of the canopy, as well as on the leaves as opposed to all other plant parts, consistent with all previous literature.

Supercritical Fluid Chromatography/Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy Of Food Components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calvey, Elizabeth M.; Page, Samuel W.; Taylor, Larry T.

1989-12-01

Supercritical fluid (SF) technologies are being investigated extensively for applications in food processing. The number of SF-related patents issued testifies to the level of interest. Among the properties of materials at temperatures and pressures above their critical points (supercritical fluids) is density-dependent solvating power. Supercritical CO2 is of particular interest to the food industry because of its low critical temperature (31.3°C) and low toxicity. Many of the components in food matrices react or degrade at elevated temperatures and may be adversely affected by high temperature extractions. Likewise, these components may not be amenable to GC analyses. Our SF research has been in the development of methods employing supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) and extraction (SFE) coupled to a Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer to investigate food composition. The effects of processing techniques on the isomeric fatty acid content of edible oils and the analysis of lipid oxidation products using SFC/FT-IR with a flow-cell interface are described.

Supercritical Fluid Chromatography in Natural Product Analysis - An Update.

PubMed

Gibitz Eisath, Nora; Sturm, Sonja; Stuppner, Hermann

2018-04-01

The wide chemical diversity of natural products has challenged analysts all over the world and has been a driving force for the development of innovative technologies since decades. In the last years, supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) has finally emerged from the shadow of liquid chromatography (LC) and gas chromatography (GC) and has become a powerful tool in modern natural product analysis. Whereas in the past the technique had mainly been restricted to a small group of nonpolar compounds, it has largely expanded its suitability in the last years and has demonstrated possibilities without boundaries. This mini-review, focused on the latest applications, provides a brief update on the current status of SFC in natural product analysis with the aim to demonstrate its applicability for both polar and nonpolar plant constituents. The approaches cover the whole range of polarity, including carotenoids, flavonoids, water-unstable ginkgolides, and even highly polar triterpene saponins with several sugar residues. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Integrated weed management strategies in cover crop-based, organic rotational no-till corn and soybean in the mid-Atlantic region

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Cover crop-based, organic rotational no-till (CCORNT) corn and soybean systems have been developed in the mid-Atlantic region to build soil health, increase management flexibility, and reduce labor. In this system, a roll-crimped cover crop mulch provides within-season weed suppression in no-till co...

Evidence for inhibition of ceramide synthase by fumonisins in maize-based foods: studies in high- and low-exposure communities in Guatemala

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Fumonisins (FB) are found predominantly in corn and corn-based foods. Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is the most common FB and causes species-specific diseases in animals including hepto- and nephrotoxicity in rodents and neural tube defects (NTDs; serious birth defects) in mice. The critical event in the mec...

Developmental outcomes among 18-month-old Malawians after a year of complementary feeding with lipid-based nutrient supplements or corn-soy flour

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The major aim of this trial was to compare the development of 18-month-old infants who received complementary feeding for 1 year with either lipid-based nutrient supplements or micronutrient-fortified corn-soy porridge. Our secondary aim was to determine the socio-economic factors associated with de...

Diversity of formyltetrahydrofolate synthetase genes in the rumens of roe deer (Capreolus pygargus) and sika deer (Cervus nippon) fed different diets.

PubMed

Li, Zhipeng; Henderson, Gemma; Yang, Yahan; Li, Guangyu

2017-01-01

Reductive acetogenesis by homoacetogens represents an alternative pathway to methanogenesis to remove metabolic hydrogen during rumen fermentation. In this study, we investigated the occurrence of homoacetogen in the rumens of pasture-fed roe deer (Capreolus pygargus) and sika deer (Cervus nippon) fed either oak-leaf-based (tannin-rich, 100 mg/kg dried matter), corn-stover-based, or corn-silage-based diets, by using formyltetrahydrofolate synthetase (FTHFS) gene sequences as a marker. The diversity and richness of FTHFS sequences was lowest in animals fed oak leaf, indicating that tannin-containing plants may affect rumen homoacetogen diversity. FTHFS amino acid sequences in the rumen of roe deer significantly differed from those of sika deer. The phylogenetic analyses showed that 44.8% of sequences in pasture-fed roe deer, and 72.1%, 81.1%, and 37.5% of sequences in sika deer fed oak-leaf-, corn-stover-, and corn-silage-based diets, respectively, may represent novel bacteria that have not yet been cultured. These results demonstrate that the rumens of roe deer and sika deer harbor potentially novel homoacetogens and that diet may influence homoacetogen community structure.

Effects on performance of ground wheat with or without insoluble fiber or whole wheat in sequential feeding for laying hens.

PubMed

Traineau, M; Bouvarel, I; Mulsant, C; Roffidal, L; Launay, C; Lescoat, P

2013-09-01

Sequential feeding (SF) is an innovative system for laying hens consisting of nutrients separating energy, protein, and calcium supplies to fulfill nutrient requirements at the relevant time of day. In previous studies, hens received whole wheat in the morning and a balancer diet (rich in protein and calcium) in the afternoon. To improve SF utilization, the aim was to substitute whole wheat in the morning by an alternative energy supply: ground wheat and ground corn, with or without a proportion of whole wheat and insoluble fiber. The goal was to obtain the advantages observed in previous experiments with whole wheat [bigger gizzard, thinner hens, reduced feed conversion ratio (FCR)]. Four hundred thirty-two ISA Brown hens were housed in collective cages from 20 to 35 wk of age divided into 8 different treatments: a continuous control diet, a sequential diet with whole wheat in the morning, 3 wheat-based diets (ground wheat, ground wheat and 20% whole wheat, and ground wheat with 5% insoluble fiber) and 3 ground corn-based (ground corn, ground corn and 20% whole wheat, and ground corn with 5% insoluble fiber) provided in the morning. All sequential regimens received the same balancer diet rich in protein and calcium in the afternoon. Whole wheat SF gave the best results with an improved FCR compared with continuous control and all other SF diets. Wheat- and corn-based diets showed intermediate results between whole wheat SF and continuous feeding. Gizzard weight was higher and hens were lighter than with conventional continuous feeding, leading to an average FCR improvement of 3.2% compared with a continuous control. Thus, it is possible in SF diets to substitute, at least partially, whole wheat by ground wheat or ground corn with added insoluble fiber or some whole wheat, allowing more flexibility and economic optimization.

Use of corn steep liquor as an economical nitrogen source for biosuccinic acid production by Actinobacillus succinogenes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, J. P.; Jahim, J. M.; Wu, T. Y.; Harun, S.; Mumtaz, T.

2016-06-01

Expensive raw materials are the driving force that leads to the shifting of the petroleum-based succinic acid production into bio-based succinic acid production by microorganisms. Cost of fermentation medium is among the main factors contributing to the total production cost of bio-succinic acid. After carbon source, nitrogen source is the second largest component of the fermentation medium, the cost of which has been overlooked for the past years. The current study aimed at replacing yeast extract- a costly nitrogen source with corn steep liquor for economical production of bio-succinic acid by Actinobacillus succinogenes 130Z. In this study, a final succinic acid concentration of 20.6 g/L was obtained from the use of corn steep liquor as the nitrogen source, which was comparable with the use of yeast extract as the nitrogen source that had a final succinate concentration of 21.4 g/l. In terms of economical wise, corn steep liquor was priced at 200 /ton, which was one fifth of the cost of yeast extract at 1000 /ton. Therefore, corn steep liquor can be considered as a potential nitrogen source in biochemical industries instead of the costly yeast extract.

A Simple and Sensitive Plant-Based Western Corn Rootworm Bioassay Method for Resistance Determination and Event Selection.

PubMed

Wen, Zhimou; Chen, Jeng Shong

2018-05-26

We report here a simple and sensitive plant-based western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), bioassay method that allows for examination of multiple parameters for both plants and insects in a single experimental setup within a short duration. For plants, injury to roots can be visually examined, fresh root weight can be measured, and expression of trait protein in plant roots can be analyzed. For insects, in addition to survival, larval growth and development can be evaluated in several aspects including body weight gain, body length, and head capsule width. We demonstrated using the method that eCry3.1Ab-expressing 5307 corn was very effective against western corn rootworm by eliciting high mortality and significantly inhibiting larval growth and development. We also validated that the method allowed determination of resistance in an eCry3.1Ab-resistant western corn rootworm strain. While data presented in this paper demonstrate the usefulness of the method for selection of events of protein traits and for determination of resistance in laboratory populations, we envision that the method can be applied in much broader applications.

Comparison of gamma radiation effects on natural corn and potato starches and modified cassava starch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teixeira, Bruna S.; Garcia, Rafael H. L.; Takinami, Patricia Y. I.; del Mastro, Nelida L.

2018-01-01

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of irradiation treatment on physicochemical properties of three natural polymers, i.e. native potato and corn starches and a typical Brazilian product, cassava starch modified through fermentation -sour cassava- and also to prepare composite hydrocolloid films based on them. Starches were irradiated in a 60Co irradiation chamber in doses up to 15 kGy, dose rate about 1 kGy/h. Differences were found in granule size distribution upon irradiation, mainly for corn and cassava starch but radiation did not cause significant changes in granule morphology. The viscosity of the potato, corn and cassava starches hydrogels decreased as a function of absorbed dose. Comparing non-irradiated and irradiated starches, changes in the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra in the 2000-1500 cm-1 region for potato and corn starches were observed but not for the cassava starch. Maximum rupture force of the starch-based films was affected differently for each starch type; color analysis showed that doses of 15 kGy promoted a slight rise in the parameter b* (yellow color) while the parameter L* (lightness) was not significantly affected; X-ray diffraction patterns remained almost unchanged by irradiation.

Energy sources and levels influenced on performance parameters, thyroid hormones, and HSP70 gene expression of broiler chickens under heat stress.

PubMed

Raghebian, Majid; Sadeghi, Ali Asghar; Aminafshar, Mehdi

2016-12-01

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of energy sources and levels on body and organs weights, thyroid hormones, and heat shock protein (HSP70) gene expression in broilers under heat stress. In a completely randomized design, 600 1-day-old Cobb chickens were assigned to five dietary treatments and four replicates. The chickens were fed diet based on corn as main energy source and energy level based on Cobb standard considered as control (C), corn-based diet with 3 % lesser energy than the control (T1), corn-based diet with 6 % lesser energy than the control (T2), corn and soybean oil-based diet according to Cobb standard (T3), and corn and soybean oil-based diet with 3 % upper energy than the control (T4). Temperature was increased to 34 °C for 8 h daily from days 12 to 41 of age to induce heat stress. The chickens in T1 and T2 had lower thyroid hormones and corticosterone levels than those in C, T3, and T4. The highest liver weight was for C and the lowest one was for T4. The highest gene expression was found in chickens fed T4 diet, and the lowest gene expression was for those in T2 group. The highest feed intake and worse feed conversion ratio was related to chickens in T2. The chickens in T3 and T4 had higher feed intake and weight gain than those in C. The results showed that the higher energy level supplied from soybean oil could enhance gene expression of HSP70 and decline the level of corticosterone and thyroid hormones and consequently improved performance.

Evaluation of the Impact of Varied Carvacrol Concentrations on Salmonella Recovery in Oregano and How Corn Oil Can Minimize the Effect of Carvacrol during Preenrichment.

PubMed

Beaubrun, Junia Jean-Gilles; Addy, Nicole; Keltner, Zachary; Farris, Samantha; Ewing, Laura; Gopinath, Gopal; Hanes, Darcy E

2018-06-01

Phenolic compounds, like carvacrol, in oregano interfere with the detection of foodborne pathogens such as Salmonella enterica. Carvacrol concentration varies based on plant cultivars and growth region. Six oregano cultivars were used to compare the impact of carvacrol concentration on Salmonella and to evaluate the effectiveness of corn oil to help increase Salmonella survival for detection. The results of Agilent 1200 series high-performance liquid chromatography analysis showed that carvacrol concentration in the six oregano cultivars ranged from 64 to 11,200 ppm. Oregano samples were artificially contaminated with S. enterica and were preenriched in Trypticase soy broth with or without 2% (v/v) corn oil. After 18 to 24 h at 37°C, aliquots were transferred to selective enrichment broths. Salmonella was recovered onto xylose lysine Tergitol 4 agar. Six Salmonella serovars were compared, and recovery varied based on carvacrol concentration and serovar. Samples with higher concentrations of carvacrol showed Salmonella recovery only when they were preenriched with corn oil. Based on metagenomic analysis, the microflora associated with the oregano also varied per cultivar. The results show that, as carvacrol levels increased, Salmonella survival decreased. However, the addition of corn oil to the preenrichment broth can minimize the antimicrobial effects of the phenolic compounds, thus allowing for increased detection of Salmonella from oregano cultivars.

General aviation internal combustion engine research programs at NASA-Lewis Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Willis, E. A.

1978-01-01

An update is presented of non-turbine general aviation engine programs underway at the NASA-Lewis Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The program encompasses conventional, lightweight diesel and rotary engines. Its three major thrusts are: (a) reduced SFC's; (b) improved fuels tolerance; and (c) reducing emissions. Current and planned future programs in such areas as lean operation, improved fuel management, advanced cooling techniques and advanced engine concepts, are described. These are expected to lay the technology base, by the mid to late 1980's, for engines whose life cycle fuel costs are 30 to 50% lower than today's conventional engines.

Production of methanol from heat-stressed pepper and corn leaf disks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anderson, J.A.

Early Calwonder'' pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) and Jubilee'' corn (Zea mays L.) leaf disks exposed to high temperature stress produced ethylene, ethane, methanol, acetaldehyde, and ethanol based on comparison of retention times during gas chromatography to authentic standards. Methanol, ethanol, and acetaldehyde were also identified by mass spectroscopy. Corn leaf disks produced lower levels of ethylene, ethane, and methanol, but more acetaldehyde and ethanol than pepper. Production of ethane, a by-product of lipid peroxidation, coincided with an increase in electrolyte leakage (EL) in pepper but not in corn. Compared with controls, pepper leaf disks infiltrated with linolenic acid evolved significantlymore » greater amounts of ethane, acetaldehyde, and methanol and similar levels of ethanol. EL and volatile hydrocarbon production were not affected by fatty acid infiltration in corn. Infiltration of pepper leaves with buffers increasing in pH from 5.5 to 9.5 increased methanol production.« less

An evaluation of dilute acid and ammonia fiber explosion pretreatment for cellulosic ethanol production.

PubMed

Mathew, Anil Kuruvilla; Parameshwaran, Binod; Sukumaran, Rajeev Kumar; Pandey, Ashok

2016-01-01

The challenge associated with cellulosic ethanol production is maximizing sugar yield at low cost. Current research is being focused to develop a pretreatment method to overcome biomass recalcitrance in an efficient way. This review is focused on two major pretreatments: dilute acid (DA) and ammonia fiber explosion (AFEX) pretreatment of corn stover and how these pretreatment cause morphological and chemical changes to corn stover in order to overcome the biomass recalcitrance. This review highlights the key differences of these two pretreatments based on compositional analysis, cellulose and its crystallinity, morphological changes, structural changes to lignin, enzymatic reactivity and enzyme adsorption onto pretreated solids and finally cellulosic ethanol production from the hydrolysate of DA and AFEX treated corn stover. Each stage of the process, AFEX pretreated corn stover was superior to DA treated corn stover. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Preparation and structural characterization of corn starch-aroma compound inclusion complexes.

PubMed

Zhang, Shu; Zhou, Yibin; Jin, Shanshan; Meng, Xin; Yang, Liping; Wang, Haisong

2017-01-01

Six corn starch inclusion complexes were synthesized using small nonpolar or weak polar aroma compounds (heptanolide, carvone and menthone) and small polar aroma compounds (linalool, heptanol and menthol). The objectives of this study were to (a) investigate the ability of corn starch to form inclusion complexes with these aroma compounds and (b) characterize the structure of the corn starch inclusion complexes. The resulting inclusion ratios were 75.6, 36.9, 43.8, 91.9, 67.2 and 54.7% for heptanolide, carvone, menthone, linalool, heptanol and menthol respectively. The inclusion complexes had laminated structures with a certain amount of holes or blocky constructions. Compared with gelatinized corn starch, the transition temperatures, peak temperatures and enthalpies of the inclusion complexes were significantly different. The major peak of CO at 1771 cm -1 and significant peak shifts revealed the formation of inclusion complexes. X-ray diffractometry (XRD) analyses revealed that the crystallinity of corn starch-polar aroma compound inclusion complexes increased. Based on cross-polarization magic angle spinning 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance (CP-MAS 13 C NMR) results, novel peaks and chemical shifts were attributed to the presence of small aroma compounds, thereby confirming the formation of corn starch inclusion complexes. Small nonpolar and polar aroma compounds can be complexed to corn starch. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Isotopic Determination of Region of Origin in Modern Peoples: Applications for Identification of U.S. War-Dead From the Vietnam Conflict

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-08-01

corn increased, but corn -based snacks such as popcorn, chips, and sodas/colas sweetened with high - fructose corn syrup are essentially a staple of...Identification Laboratory (JPAC-CIL). The identification of unknown remains believed to be missing U.S. service personnel is frequently hampered by high ...the collagen in dentin, because of its high nitrogen content, primarily mirrors the protein content of the diet (van der Merwe 1982, Harrison and

Quantifying Cradle-to-Farm Gate Life-Cycle Impacts Associated with Fertilizer used for Corn, Soybean, and Stover Production

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Powers, S. E.

2005-05-01

Fertilizer use can cause environmental problems, particular eutrophication of water bodies from excess nitrogen or phosphorus. Increased fertilizer runoff is a concern for harvesting corn stover for ethanol production. This modeling study found that eutrophication potential for the base case already exceeds proposed water quality standards, that switching to no-till cultivation and collecting stover increased that eutrophication potential by 21%, and that switching to continuous-corn production on top of that would triple eutrophication potential.

Using Landsat digital data to detect moisture stress in corn-soybean growing regions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thompson, D. R.; Wehmanen, O. A.

1980-01-01

As a part of a follow-on study to the moisture stress detection effort conducted in the Large Area Crop Inventory Experiment (LACIE), a technique utilizing transformed Landsat digital data was evaluated for detecting moisture stress in humid growing regions using sample segments from Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana. At known growth stages of corn and soybeans, segments were classified as undergoing moisture stress or not undergoing stress. The remote-sensing-based information was compared to a weekly ground-based index (Crop Moisture Index). This comparison demonstrated that the remote sensing technique could be used to monitor the growing conditions within a region where corn and soybeans are the major crop.

Relationship between antioxidant capacity, oxidative stress, and feed efficiency in beef steers.

PubMed

Russell, J R; Sexten, W J; Kerley, M S; Hansen, S L

2016-07-01

Feed efficiency (FE) can vary between individuals but sources of variation are not well characterized. Oxidative stress is among the biological mechanisms believed to contribute to variation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between FE, antioxidant activity, and oxidative stress in feedlot steers representing phenotypic extremes for FE. Crossbred beef steers ( = 181) fed 70-d growing phase (GP) whole-shell corn-based (G-Corn) or rye baleage and soybean hull-based (G-Rough) diets in GrowSafe bunks at the University of Missouri were shipped to Iowa State University where the 12 most feed efficient (HFE) and 12 least feed efficient (LFE) steers from each diet (n = 48; 467 kg [SD 51]) were selected for evaluation. Steers received diets similar to GP diets, and 3 d after arrival, blood was sampled to evaluate antioxidant activity and oxidative stress markers for the GP following transit. Steers were transitioned to finishing phase (FP) cracked corn-based (F-Corn) or dried distillers' grains and soybean hull-based (F-Byp) diets, and on FP d 97, blood samples for the FP were collected. Data for the GP were analyzed as a 2 × 2 factorial, and data for the FP were analyzed as a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial using PROC MIXED of SAS. No GP diet × FP diet, FP diet × FE group, or 3-way interactions were noted ( ≥ 0.11) for FP measures. Steers fed the G-Rough diet had greater ( = 0.04) GP plasma protein carbonyl concentrations. During the GP, HFE steers had greater ( ≤ 0.04) protein carbonyl and ratio of oxidized:reduced blood lysate glutathione concentrations than LFE steers. There were GP diet × FE group interactions ( ≤ 0.03) during the GP and FP. During the GP, total blood lysate superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was greater ( ≤ 0.03) in G-Rough/LFE steers than in G-Rough/HFE and G-Corn/LFE steers; G-Corn/HFE steers were intermediate. The G-Rough/LFE steers had greater ( < 0.04) glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity than other groups and greater ( = 0.03) plasma malondialdehyde concentrations than G-Corn/LFE steers. During the FP, the G-Rough/LFE steers had greater ( ≤ 0.04) GPX activity than G-Rough/HFE and G-Corn/LFE steers; G-Corn/HFE steers were intermediate. The F-Byp diet had greater ( < 0.01) protein carbonyl than the F-Corn diet, and no other FP diet effects were noted ( ≥ 0.3) for any FP measures. The GP diet and FE groups had stronger relationships with antioxidant activity and oxidative stress markers measured for the GP than for the FP. Overall, antioxidant activity may play a role in FE as LFE steers, driven largely by G-Rough/LFE steers, had greater SOD activity and GPX activity than HFE steers, potentially using a greater proportion of energy otherwise available for tissue accretion.

DIRECT-DEPOSITION INFRARED SPECTROMETRY WITH GAS AND SUPERCRITICAL FLUID CHROMATOGRAPHY

EPA Science Inventory

A direct-deposition Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) system has been evaluated for applicability to gas chromatography (GC) and supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) of environmental analytes. A 100-um i.d. fused-silica transfer line was used for GC, and a 50-um transfer lin...

Journal Writing: Pedagogical Perspectives. [SFC Monograph #3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Casanave, Christine Pearson, Ed.

Articles on the use of student journals in high school and college English-as-a-Second-Language instruction, specifically in the Japanese context, include: "Journal Writing and the Damaged Language Learner" (Alan J. McCormick); "Interested?" (Sven G. M. Puetter); "Tradition and the Student Journal" (George Deaux);…

SEPARATION OF OCTYLPHENOL POLYETHER ALCOHOLS SURFACTANTS BY CAPILLARY COLUMN AND HPLC

EPA Science Inventory

Separation of nonionic octylphenol polyether alcohols (OPA) by supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) and HPLC is described. sing a density programming and a 50-pm i.d. capillary column, a total of 18 group oligomers was separated. he effects of the operating parameters, such a...

Persistence of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Total Escherichia coli in Feces and Feedlot Surface Manure from Cattle Fed Diets with and without Corn or Sorghum Wet Distillers Grains with Solubles.

PubMed

Berry, Elaine D; Wells, James E; Varel, Vincent H; Hales, Kristin E; Kalchayanand, Norasak

2017-08-01

Feeding corn wet distillers grains with solubles (WDGS) to cattle can increase the load of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in feces and on hides, but the mechanisms are not fully understood. The objective of these experiments was to examine a role for the persistence of E. coli O157:H7 in the feces and feedlot pen surfaces of cattle fed WDGS. In the first study, feces from steers fed 0, 20, 40, or 60% corn WDGS were inoculated with E. coli O157:H7. The E. coli O157:H7 numbers in feces from cattle fed 0% corn WDGS rapidly decreased (P < 0.05), from 6.28 to 2.48 log CFU/g of feces by day 14. In contrast, the E. coli O157:H7 numbers in feces from cattle fed 20, 40, and 60% corn WDGS were 4.21, 5.59, and 6.13 log CFU/g of feces, respectively, on day 14. A second study evaluated the survival of E. coli O157:H7 in feces from cattle fed 0 and 40% corn WDGS. Feces were collected before and 28 days after the dietary corn was switched from high-moisture corn to dry-rolled corn. Within dietary corn source, the pathogen persisted at higher concentrations (P < 0.05) in 40% corn WDGS feces at day 7 than in 0% WDGS. For 40% corn WDGS feces, E. coli O157:H7 persisted at higher concentrations (P < 0.05) at day 7 in feces from cattle fed high-moisture corn (5.36 log CFU/g) than from those fed dry-rolled corn (4.27 log CFU/g). The percentage of WDGS had no effect on the E. coli O157:H7 counts in feces from cattle fed steam-flaked corn-based diets containing 0, 15, and 30% sorghum WDGS. Greater persistence of E. coli O157:H7 on the pen surfaces of animals fed corn WDGS was not demonstrated, although these pens had a higher prevalence of the pathogen in the feedlot surface manure after the cattle were removed. Both or either the greater persistence and higher numbers of E. coli O157:H7 in the environment of cattle fed WDGS may play a part in the increased prevalence of E. coli O157:H7 in cattle by increasing the transmission risk.

Identification of Fourier transform infrared photoacoustic spectral features for detection of Aspergillus flavus infection in corn.

PubMed

Gordon, S H; Schudy, R B; Wheeler, B C; Wicklow, D T; Greene, R V

1997-04-01

Aspergillus flavus and other pathogenic fungi display typical infrared spectra which differ significantly from spectra of substrate materials such as corn. On this basis, specific spectral features have been identified which permit detection of fungal infection on the surface of corn kernels by photoacoustic infrared spectroscopy. In a blind study, ten corn kernels showing bright greenish yellow fluorescence (BGYF) in the germ or endosperm and ten BGYF-negative kernels were correctly classified as infected or not infected by Fourier transform infrared photoacoustic spectroscopy. Earlier studies have shown that BGYF-positive kernels contain the bulk of the aflatoxin contaminating grain at harvest. Ten major spectral features, identified by visual inspection of the photoacoustic spectra of A. flavus mycelium grown in culture versus uninfected corn, were interpreted and assigned by theoretical comparisons of the relative chemical compositions of fungi and corn. The spectral features can be built into either empirical or knowledge-based computer models (expert systems) for automatic infrared detection and segregation of grains or kernels containing aflatoxin from the food and feed supply.

Single aflatoxin contaminated corn kernel analysis with fluorescence hyperspectral image

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Haibo; Hruska, Zuzana; Kincaid, Russell; Ononye, Ambrose; Brown, Robert L.; Cleveland, Thomas E.

2010-04-01

Aflatoxins are toxic secondary metabolites of the fungi Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, among others. Aflatoxin contaminated corn is toxic to domestic animals when ingested in feed and is a known carcinogen associated with liver and lung cancer in humans. Consequently, aflatoxin levels in food and feed are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US, allowing 20 ppb (parts per billion) limits in food and 100 ppb in feed for interstate commerce. Currently, aflatoxin detection and quantification methods are based on analytical tests including thin-layer chromatography (TCL) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). These analytical tests require the destruction of samples, and are costly and time consuming. Thus, the ability to detect aflatoxin in a rapid, nondestructive way is crucial to the grain industry, particularly to corn industry. Hyperspectral imaging technology offers a non-invasive approach toward screening for food safety inspection and quality control based on its spectral signature. The focus of this paper is to classify aflatoxin contaminated single corn kernels using fluorescence hyperspectral imagery. Field inoculated corn kernels were used in the study. Contaminated and control kernels under long wavelength ultraviolet excitation were imaged using a visible near-infrared (VNIR) hyperspectral camera. The imaged kernels were chemically analyzed to provide reference information for image analysis. This paper describes a procedure to process corn kernels located in different images for statistical training and classification. Two classification algorithms, Maximum Likelihood and Binary Encoding, were used to classify each corn kernel into "control" or "contaminated" through pixel classification. The Binary Encoding approach had a slightly better performance with accuracy equals to 87% or 88% when 20 ppb or 100 ppb was used as classification threshold, respectively.

Enzymatic digestibility and ethanol fermentability of AFEX-treated starch-rich lignocellulosics such as corn silage and whole corn plant

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Corn grain is an important renewable source for bioethanol production in the USA. Corn ethanol is currently produced by steam liquefaction of starch-rich grains followed by enzymatic saccharification and fermentation. Corn stover (the non-grain parts of the plant) is a potential feedstock to produce cellulosic ethanol in second-generation biorefineries. At present, corn grain is harvested by removing the grain from the living plant while leaving the stover behind on the field. Alternatively, whole corn plants can be harvested to cohydrolyze both starch and cellulose after a suitable thermochemical pretreatment to produce fermentable monomeric sugars. In this study, we used physiologically immature corn silage (CS) and matured whole corn plants (WCP) as feedstocks to produce ethanol using ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX) pretreatment followed by enzymatic hydrolysis (at low enzyme loadings) and cofermentation (for both glucose and xylose) using a cellulase-amylase-based cocktail and a recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae 424A (LNH-ST) strain, respectively. The effect on hydrolysis yields of AFEX pretreatment conditions and a starch/cellulose-degrading enzyme addition sequence for both substrates was also studied. Results AFEX-pretreated starch-rich substrates (for example, corn grain, soluble starch) had a 1.5-3-fold higher enzymatic hydrolysis yield compared with the untreated substrates. Sequential addition of cellulases after hydrolysis of starch within WCP resulted in 15-20% higher hydrolysis yield compared with simultaneous addition of hydrolytic enzymes. AFEX-pretreated CS gave 70% glucan conversion after 72 h of hydrolysis for 6% glucan loading (at 8 mg total enzyme loading per gram glucan). Microbial inoculation of CS before ensilation yielded a 10-15% lower glucose hydrolysis yield for the pretreated substrate, due to loss in starch content. Ethanol fermentation of AFEX-treated (at 6% w/w glucan loading) CS hydrolyzate (resulting in 28 g/L ethanol at 93% metabolic yield) and WCP (resulting in 30 g/L ethanol at 89% metabolic yield) is reported in this work. Conclusions The current results indicate the feasibility of co-utilization of whole plants (that is, starchy grains plus cellulosic residues) using an ammonia-based (AFEX) pretreatment to increase bioethanol yield and reduce overall production cost. PMID:20534126

Energy efficiency improvement and cost saving opportunities for the Corn Wet Milling Industry: An ENERGY STAR Guide for Energy and Plant Managers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Galitsky, Christina; Worrell, Ernst; Ruth, Michael

2003-07-01

Corn wet milling is the most energy intensive industry within the food and kindred products group (SIC 20), using 15 percent of the energy in the entire food industry. After corn, energy is the second largest operating cost for corn wet millers in the United States. A typical corn wet milling plant in the United States spends approximately $20 to $30 million per year on energy, making energy efficiency improvement an important way to reduce costs and increase predictable earnings, especially in times of high energy-price volatility. This report shows energy efficiency opportunities available for wet corn millers. It beginsmore » with descriptions of the trends, structure and production of the corn wet milling industry and the energy used in the milling and refining process. Specific primary energy savings for each energy efficiency measure based on case studies of plants and references to technical literature are provided. If available, typical payback periods are also listed. The report draws upon the experiences of corn, wheat and other starch processing plants worldwide for energy efficiency measures. The findings suggest that given available resources and technology, there are opportunities to reduce energy consumption cost-effectively in the corn wet milling industry while maintaining the quality of the products manufactured. Further research on the economics of the measures, as well as the applicability of these to different wet milling practices, is needed to assess the feasibility of implementation of selected technologies at individual plants.« less

Comparison of wheat or corn dried distillers grains with solubles on rumen fermentation and nutrient digestibility by feedlot heifers.

PubMed

Walter, L J; McAllister, T A; Yang, W Z; Beauchemin, K A; He, M; McKinnon, J J

2012-04-01

A 5 × 5 Latin square design trial was conducted to evaluate rumen fermentation and apparent nutrient digestibility in 5 rumen-cannulated heifers (420 ± 6 kg) fed a barley-based finishing diet supplemented with 20 or 40% wheat or corn dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS). The composition of the control diet was 88.7% rolled barley grain, 5.5% supplement, and 5.8% barley silage (DM basis). Increasing the quantity of corn DDGS in the ration resulted in a quadratic decrease in DMI (P = 0.04) and OM intake (P = 0.05). Rumen pH, pH duration, and area under rumen pH thresholds of 5.8 or 5.5 were not affected (P > 0.05) by treatment. Inclusion of wheat DDGS resulted in a quadratic increase (P = 0.05) in pH area below the cutoff value of 5.2, with the most pronounced effect at 20% inclusion. Wheat DDGS linearly increased (P = 0.01) rumen NH(3)-N concentrations. Increasing the inclusion rate of wheat and corn DDGS resulted in quadratic (P = 0.05) and linear (P = 0.04) decreases in rumen propionate, whereas butyrate increased quadratically (P < 0.01) and linearly (P < 0.01), respectively. Feeding wheat DDGS linearly decreased (P < 0.01) DM and OM digestibility values. Inclusion of corn DDGS increased the digestibility values of ether extract (P = 0.05; quadratic response) and CP (P < 0.01; linear response). Neutral detergent fiber digestibility increased in a linear fashion (P = 0.01) as both wheat and corn DDGS inclusion increased, whereas ADF digestibility increased linearly (P = 0.03) for wheat and quadratically (P = 0.02) for corn DDGS. Increased inclusion of wheat DDGS resulted in a linear decrease in GE digestibility (P = 0.01), whereas increasing corn DDGS inclusion linearly increased (P < 0.01) the DE content of the diet. Feeding both wheat and corn DDGS linearly increased (P = 0.01) the excretion of N and P. In summary, replacement of barley grain with up to 40% wheat or corn DDGS did not mitigate rumen pH conditions associated with mild to moderate acidosis in heifers fed a barley-based finishing diet. Supplementing corn DDGS increased nutrient digestibility of all nutrients and, as a result, led to greater DE content. Supplementation of wheat DDGS reduced DM and OM digestibility values, with no effect on DE content. Increased N and P excretion by heifers fed DDGS at 20 or 40% of dietary DM presents a challenge for cattle feeders with respect to nutrient management.

Three essays on agricultural price volatility and the linkages between agricultural and energy markets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Feng

This dissertation contains three essays. In the first essay I use a volatility spillover model to find evidence of significant spillovers from crude oil prices to corn cash and futures prices, and that these spillover effects are time-varying. Results reveal that corn markets have become much more connected to crude oil markets after the introduction of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Furthermore, crude oil prices transmit positive volatility spillovers into corn prices and movements in corn prices become more energy-driven as the ethanol gasoline consumption ratio increases. Based on this strong volatility link between crude oil and corn prices, a new cross hedging strategy for managing corn price risk using oil futures is examined and its performance studied. Results show that this cross hedging strategy provides only slightly better hedging performance compared to traditional hedging in corn futures markets alone. The implication is that hedging corn price risk in corn futures markets alone can still provide relatively satisfactory performance in the biofuel era. The second essay studies the spillover effect of biofuel policy on participation in the Conservation Reserve Program. Landowners' participation decisions are modeled using a real options framework. A novel aspect of the model is that it captures the structural change in agriculture caused by rising biofuel production. The resulting model is used to simulate the spillover effect under various conditions. In particular, I simulate how increased growth in agricultural returns, persistence of the biofuel production boom, and the volatility surrounding agricultural returns, affect conservation program participation decisions. Policy implications of these results are also discussed. The third essay proposes a methodology to construct a risk-adjusted implied volatility measure that removes the forecasting bias of the model-free implied volatility measure. The risk adjustment is based on a closed-form relationship between the expectation of future volatility and the model-free implied volatility assuming a jump-diffusion model. I use a GMM estimation framework to identify the key model parameters needed to apply the model. An empirical application to corn futures implied volatility is used to illustrate the methodology and demonstrate differences between my approach and the model-free implied volatility using observed corn option prices. I compare the risk-adjusted forecast with the unadjusted forecast as well as other alternatives; and results suggest that the risk-adjusted volatility is unbiased, informationally more efficient, and has superior predictive power over the alternatives considered.

Nutrient database for sorghum distillers dried grains with solubles from ethanol plants in the Western Plains Region and their effects on nursery pig performance.

PubMed

Sotak, K M; Goodband, R D; Tokach, M D; Dritz, S S; Derouchey, J M; Nelssen, J L

2014-01-01

Samples of sorghum distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) were collected and analyzed to establish a nutrient database and evaluate the quality and consistency between and within 5 ethanol plants in Kansas and Texas. Each sample (n = 21) was analyzed for AA, DM, CP, crude fiber, crude fat, ash, NDF, ADF, trace minerals, and starch. Mean values (DM basis) were 0.88% Lys, 10.49% crude fat, 34.21% CP, and 4,722 kcal/kg GE. The standard deviations among sorghum DDGS plants were similar to those within plants for most nutrients. Results of these analyses were used to formulate diets for 2 nursery trials. The 2 experiments were conducted to determine the effects of adding sorghum DDGS (29.0% CP and 7.2% crude fat) to corn- or sorghum-based diets on nursery pig growth performance. In Exp. 1, 360 nursery barrows (6.8 kg and 26 d of age) were used in a 34-d study. Pigs were allotted to 1 of 8 dietary treatments with 5 pigs per pen and 9 pens per treatment. Treatments were arranged in a 2 × 4 factorial with main effects of grain source (corn vs. sorghum) and sorghum DDGS (0, 15, 30, or 45%). Diets were formulated to 1.30 and 1.25% standardized ileal digestible (SID) Lys in phases 1 and 2, respectively, but were not balanced for energy. Overall, there were no differences among pigs fed sorghum- or corn-based diets for ADG and ADFI; however, as sorghum DDGS increased from 0 to 45% of the diet, ADG decreased (linear, P < 0.01). There was a DDGS × grain source interaction (linear, P < 0.04) observed for G:F. In corn-based diets, pigs fed increasing sorghum DDGS had relatively similar G:F. However, in pigs fed sorghum-based diets, G:F was best for those fed 0% DDGS but was decreased in pigs fed 15, 30, or 45% sorghum DDGS. In Exp. 2, 180 nursery pigs (10.7 kg and 38 d of age) were used in a 21-d study with 6 pigs per pen and 5 pens per treatment. Treatments were arranged in a 2 × 3 factorial with main effects of grain source (corn vs. sorghum) and DDGS (0 vs. 30% corn or sorghum DDGS). Diets were formulated to 1.27% SID Lys and were not balanced for energy. Overall, there were no differences in ADG among pigs fed sorghum- or corn-based diets as well as no differences among pigs fed sorghum or corn DDGS. Pigs fed diets with 30% DDGS gained less (P < 0.03) than pigs fed basal diets. These results indicate sorghum can be a suitable replacement for corn in nursery pig diets, but increasing sorghum DDGS decreased ADG.

Masked mycotoxins in corn: an update

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Mycotoxins are frequent contaminants in corn infested with Aspergillus and Fusarium molds. Consumption of mycotoxin products have been shown to be harmful to both humans and animals. Mycotoxins can be “masked” or “hidden” from detection by common antibody-based and chemical analytical methods. The “...

Improved corn protein based articles

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Developing higher value uses for zein (corn protein), a potential major co-product of the bio-ethanol industry, will improve the economics of this business. Historically, zein was predominantly used in the textile fiber industry. Unfortunately the techniques used at that time to modify the zein cann...

Exploring economically and environmentally viable northeastern US dairy farm strategies for coping with rising corn grain prices.

PubMed

Ghebremichael, L T; Veith, T L; Cerosaletti, P E; Dewing, D E; Rotz, C A

2009-08-01

In 2008, corn grain prices rose $115/t of DM above the 2005 average. Such an increase creates tight marginal profits for small (<100) and medium-sized (100 to 199) dairy farms in the northeastern United States importing corn grain as animal feed supplement. Particularly in New York State, dairy farmers are attempting to avoid or minimize profit losses by growing more corn silage and reducing corn grain purchases. This study applies the Integrated Farm Systems Model to 1 small and 1 medium-sized New York State dairy farm to predict 1) sediment and P loss impacts from expanding corn fields, 2) benefits of no-till or cover cropping on corn fields, and 3) alternatives to the economic challenge of the current farming system as the price ratio of milk to corn grain continues to decline. Based on the simulation results, expanding corn silage production by 3% of the cultivated farm area increased sediment and sediment-bound P losses by 41 and 18%, respectively. Implementing no-till controlled about 84% of the erosion and about 75% of the sediment-bound P that would have occurred from the conventionally tilled, expanded corn production scenario. Implementing a conventionally tilled cover crop with the conventionally tilled, expanded corn production scenario controlled both erosion and sediment-bound P, but to a lesser extent than no-till corn with no cover crop. However, annual farm net return using cover crops was slightly less than when using no-till. Increasing on-farm grass productivity while feeding cows a high-quality, high-forage diet and precise dietary P levels offered dual benefits: 1) improved farm profitability from reduced purchases of dietary protein and P supplements, and 2) decreased runoff P losses from reduced P-levels in applied manure. Moreover, alternatives such as growing additional small grains on marginal lands and increasing milk production levels demonstrated great potential in increasing farm profitability. Overall, it is crucial that conservation measures such as no-till and cover cropping be implemented on new or existing corn lands as these areas often pose the highest threat for P losses through runoff. Although alternatives that would likely provide the largest net profit were evaluated one at a time to better quantify their individual impacts, combinations of these strategies, such as no-till corn plus a minimum-till cover crop, are recommended whenever feasible.

Development of corn starch based green composites reinforced with Saccharum spontaneum L fiber and graft copolymers--evaluation of thermal, physico-chemical and mechanical properties.

PubMed

Kaith, B S; Jindal, R; Jana, A K; Maiti, M

2010-09-01

In this paper, corn starch based green composites reinforced with graft copolymers of Saccharum spontaneum L. (Ss) fiber and methyl methacrylates (MMA) and its mixture with acrylamide (AAm), acrylonitrile (AN), acrylic acid (AA) were prepared. Resorcinol-formaldehyde (Rf) was used as the cross-linking agent in corn starch matrix and different physico-chemical, thermal and mechanical properties were evaluated. The matrix and composites were found to be thermally more stable than the natural corn starch backbone. Further the matrix and composites were subjected for biodegradation studies through soil composting method. Different stages of biodegradation were evaluated through FT-IR and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) techniques. S. spontaneum L fiber-reinforced composites were found to exhibit better tensile strength. On the other hand Ss-g-poly (MMA) reinforced composites showed maximum compressive strength and wear resistance than other graft copolymers reinforced composite and the basic matrix. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Structure stabilization in starch-quinoa bran doughs: The role of water availability and gelatinization.

PubMed

Föste, Maike; Jekle, Mario; Becker, Thomas

2017-10-15

Bran is a promising ingredient for nutritional fortification in starch-based dough systems. However its incorporation is a technological challenge favoring a shift in dough functionality. The objective of this study was to elucidate the impact of bran on baking performance independent of dough firmness and start of gelatinization. Therefore, corn starch was replaced by quinoa bran (10% to 50%) and water addition (80-110g/100g flour) was standardized on a fixed complex shear modulus (G*) and start of gelatinization (T Onset ) based on a corn starch reference dough. A destabilizing effect by bran particles was counteracted in corn starch dough by adjusting the water content up to 110 g/100g flour. Moreover, a negative correlation between T Onset and loaf volume was determined (r=- 0.9042), thus an early T Onset should be aspired in order to prevent gas release and to stabilize corn starch- quinoa bran dough. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Digestibility and retention of zinc, copper, manganese, iron, calcium, and phosphorus in pigs fed diets containing inorganic or organic minerals.

PubMed

Liu, Y; Ma, Y L; Zhao, J M; Vazquez-Añón, M; Stein, H H

2014-08-01

The objective of this experiment was to measure the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) and the retention rate of Zn, Cu, Mn, and Fe in pigs fed either inorganic or organic sources of Zn, Cu, Mn, and Fe. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement of treatments. There were 2 types of diets (corn grits-based or corn-soybean meal [SBM]-based diets) and 3 micromineral treatments (basal micromineral premix [BMM], inorganic micromineral premix [IMM], and organic micromineral premix [OMM]). The BMM contained no added Zn, Cu, Mn, or Fe; the IMM microminerals were provided as sulfates of Zn, Cu, Mn, and Fe at 40, 50, 20, and 100 mg/kg, respectively. The OMM contained the same levels of the 4 microminerals as IMM, but Zn, Cu, Mn, and Fe in this premix were provided by Zn(2-hydroxy-4-methylthio butanoic acid [HMTBa])2, Cu(HMTBa)2, Mn(HMTBa)2, and FeGly, respectively. Forty-eight barrows (initial BW: 31.1 ± 4.2 kg) were housed individually and allowed ad libitum access to the corn grits diet with BMM for 2 wk. All pigs were then moved to metabolism cages and randomly assigned to 1 of the 6 treatment diets with 8 replicates per diet. Fecal and urine samples were collected for 5 d following a 5-d adaptation period. Compared with corn grits diets, pigs fed corn-SBM diets had greater (P < 0.05) absorption and retention of Zn, Cu, and Mn but less (P < 0.05) ATTD of Zn and Cu. Compared with BMM, supplementation of IMM or OMM increased (P < 0.05) absorption, retention, ATTD, and retention rate of Zn, Cu, Mn, and Fe. Compared with IMM, adding OMM to the corn-SBM diet improved (P < 0.05) the absorption and retention of Cu and Mn and the ATTD of Cu, but these differences were not observed in the corn grits diets (interaction, P < 0.05). In addition, adding OMM to the corn-SBM diet increased (P < 0.05) absorption and retention of Zn and Fe and ATTD of Zn, Mn, and Fe compared with adding IMM to the corn-SBM diet. Supplementation of OMM also increased (P < 0.05) the ATTD and retention rate of P in corn-SBM diets. Results indicate that Zn(HMTBa)2 has greater digestibility and Cu(HMTBa)2 and Mn(HMTBa)2 have greater digestibility and retention rates compared with their inorganic sulfates, if included in a corn-SBM diet. Supplementation of organic microminerals also improves the digestibility of P in a corn-SBM diet.

Determination of additivity of apparent and standardized ileal digestibility of amino acids in diets containing multiple protein sources fed to growing pigs.

PubMed

Xue, P C; Ragland, D; Adeola, O

2014-09-01

An experiment was conducted in growing pigs to investigate the additivity of apparent ileal digestibility (AID) or standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of CP and AA in mixed diets containing multiple protein sources. Using the determined AID or SID for CP and AA in corn, soybean meal (SBM), corn distillers' dried grains with solubles (DDGS), or canola meal (CM), the AID or SID for 4 mixed diets based on corn-SBM, corn-SBM-DDGS, corn-SBM-CM, or corn-SBM-DDGS-CM were predicted and compared with determined AID or SID, respectively. Eighteen growing pigs (initial BW = 61.3 ± 5.5 kg) were surgically fitted with T-cannulas and assigned to a duplicated 9 × 4 incomplete Latin square design with 9 diets and 4 periods. The 9 experimental diets consisted of a nitrogen-free diet (NFD) to estimate basal ileal endogenous loss (BEL) of AA, 4 semipurified diets to determine the AID and SID of CP and AA in the 4 ingredients, and 4 mixed diets to test the additivity of AID and SID. Chromic oxide was added as an indigestible marker. Pigs were fed 1 of the 9 diets during each 7-d period, and ileal digesta were collected on d 6 and 7, from 0800 to 1800 h. The analyzed AA levels for the mixed diets were close to the calculated values based on the AA composition of each ingredient. The results revealed that the predicted SID were consistent with determined values, except for Leu, Thr, Asp, Cys, Pro, and Ser in the corn-SBM diet and Met and Cys in the corn-SBM-DDGS diet. The determined AID for total AA and Arg, His, Trp, Gly, and Pro in the corn-SBM diet were greater (P < 0.05) than predicted. For the corn-SBM-DDGS diet, the determined AID were greater (P < 0.05) than predicted AID for CP, total AA, and all AA except for Arg, Leu, and Pro. In the corn-SBM-CM diet, the determined AID were greater (P < 0.05) than predicted AID for Arg, Cys, and Gly. When compared with determined values, predicted AID in the corn-SBM-DDGS-CM diet were lower (P < 0.05) for total AA and Arg, Met, Cys, and Pro. In conclusion, the results substantiate the notion that SID of AA are more accurate than AID for predicting ileal digestibility of AA in mixed diets containing multiple protein sources. In addition, the lack of additivity of AID in mixed diets could be attributed to the intrinsic characteristics of the feed ingredient, especially its AA content.

Solid fat content as a substitute for total polar compound analysis in edible oils

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The solid fat contents (SFC) of heated edible oil samples were measured and found to correlate positively with total polar compounds (TPC) and inversely with triglyceride concentration. Traditional methods for determination of total polar compounds require a laboratory setting and are time intensiv...

Energy efficient engine flight propulsion system: Aircraft/engine integration evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patt, R. F.

1980-01-01

Results of aircraft/engine integration studies conducted on an advanced flight propulsion system are reported. Economic evaluations of the preliminary design are included and indicate that program goals will be met. Installed sfc, DOC, noise, and emissions were evaluated. Aircraft installation considerations and growth were reviewed.

Learners with Profound and Complex Needs in Scotland's Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education, 2009

2009-01-01

The Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council's (SFC) Corporate Plan (2009-12) makes clear its commitment to learners with profound and complex needs. Under "Outcome 2 Access, Inclusion and Progression" it states: "we will work with the Scottish Government, colleges and other stakeholders to ensure that appropriate…

Energy efficient engine flight propulsion system: Aircraft/engine integration evaluation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Patt, R.F.

Results of aircraft/engine integration studies conducted on an advanced flight propulsion system are reported. Economic evaluations of the preliminary design are included and indicate that program goals will be met. Installed sfc, DOC, noise, and emissions were evaluated. Aircraft installation considerations and growth were reviewed.

Overmatch: Enabling the Infantry Rifle Squad as the Foundation of the Decisive Force

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-05-23

First Squad arrived in Afghanistan in January 2011, and spent 30-days receiving specific Village Stabilization Operations training from Special...enduring caustic relations with their Special Forces counterparts.”74 SFC Monti and the kill team also demonstrated flexibility when combining two non

SEPARATION OF T-MAZ ETHOXYLATED SORBITAN FATTY ACID ESTERS BY SUPERCRITICAL FLUID CHROMATOGRAPHY

EPA Science Inventory

The application of supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) to the analysis of T-MAZ ethoxylated sorbitan fatty acid esters is described. FC separation methods utilize a density programming technique and a 50 um I.D. capillary column. his work demonstrates that capillary column S...

Effect of phytate, microbial phytase, fiber, and soybean oil on calculated values for apparent and standardized total tract digestibility of calcium and apparent total tract digestibility of phosphorus in fish meal fed to growing pigs.

PubMed

González-Vega, J C; Walk, C L; Stein, H H

2015-10-01

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of phytate, phytase, fiber, and soybean oil on apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) and standardized total tract digestibility (STTD) of Ca and on ATTD of P in fish meal fed to growing pigs. In Exp. 1, 40 growing pigs (initial average BW: 19.16 ± 2.04 kg) were randomly allotted to 1 of 5 diets with 8 pigs per treatment and placed in metabolism crates. Four diets were used in a 2 ´ 2 factorial design with 2 levels of phytate (0 or 0.7%) and 2 levels of microbial phytase (0 or 500 phytase units/kg). The diet containing no phytate was based on sucrose, cornstarch, fish meal, casein, and soybean oil, and the diet containing 0.7% phytate was based on corn, corn germ, fish meal, casein, and soybean oil. A Ca-free diet was used to determine basal endogenous losses of Ca. Feces were collected from d 6 to 13 after a 5-d adaptation period. Results indicated that the ATTD and STTD of Ca in fish meal and the ATTD of P increased ( < 0.001) if phytase was used and were greater ( < 0.05) in the diets based on corn and corn germ. Experiment 2 was conducted to determine the effects of fiber and soybean oil on the ATTD and STTD of Ca and the ATTD of P in fish meal. Fifty growing pigs (initial average BW: 19.36 ± 0.99 kg) were randomly allotted to 1 of 5 diets with 10 pigs per treatment. Two diets contained sucrose, cornstarch, fish meal, casein, and either 0 or 8% of a synthetic source of fiber. Two additional diets contained fish meal, casein, corn, and either 1 or 7% soybean oil. A Ca-free diet was also used. Pigs were housed individually in metabolism crates and fecal samples were collected. Results indicated that fiber increased ( < 0.001) the ATTD and STTD of Ca and the ATTD of P, but the ATTD and STTD of Ca or the ATTD of P were not affected by soybean oil. In agreement with the results of Exp. 1, the ATTD and STTD of Ca and the ATTD of P in the corn-based diet were greater ( < 0.05) than those in the cornstarch-based diet. In conclusion, phytase and fiber increased the ATTD and STTD of Ca and the ATTD of P in fish meal, but inclusion of soybean oil did not affect digestibility of Ca or P. The observation that values for the ATTD and STTD of Ca and ATTD of P are greater in corn-based diets than in cornstarch-based diets indicates that values for the digestibility of Ca and P obtained in cornstarch-based diets may not always be representative for the digestibility in practical corn-based diets.

Development of Decision Support System for Remote Monitoring of PIP Corn

EPA Science Inventory

The EPA is developing a multi-level approach that utilizes satellite and airborne remote sensing to locate and monitor genetically modified corn in the agricultural landscape and pest infestation. The current status of the EPA IRM monitoring program based on remote sensed imager...

ECO-FRIENDLY GOLF TEES FILLED WITH CORN-BASED DDGS

EPA Science Inventory

The ethanol industry in the United States currently produces approximately 10,000,000 tons of corn processing co-products, namely distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS). The primary use of DDGS to date has been in animal feed applications. However, there are limits to th...

Effects of feeding crude glycerin on performance and ruminal kinetics of lactating Holstein cows fed corn silage- or cottonseed hull-based, low-fiber diets.

PubMed

Shin, J H; Wang, D; Kim, S C; Adesogan, A T; Staples, C R

2012-07-01

The objective was to determine whether crude glycerin could partially replace concentrate ingredients in corn silage- or cottonseed hull-based diets formulated to support minimal milk fat production without reducing milk production. Multiparous, lactating Holstein cows (n=24; 116 ± 13d in milk) were assigned to dietary treatments arranged in a 2 × 3 factorial design; namely, 2 dietary roughage sources (cottonseed hulls or corn silage) and 3 dietary concentrations of glycerin [0, 5, or 10% on a dry matter (DM) basis]. Four different cows received each dietary treatment in each of 3 periods such that each diet was evaluated using 12 cows. Crude glycerin, produced using soybean oil, contained 12% water, 5% oil, 6.8% sodium chloride, and 0.4% methanol. Glycerin partially replaced ground corn, corn gluten feed, and citrus pulp. Diets of minimum fiber concentrations were fed to lactating dairy cows and resulted in low concentrations of milk fat (averaging 3.12% for cows fed diets without glycerin). The effects of glycerin on cow performance and ruminal measurements were the same for both dietary roughage sources with the exception of feed efficiency. Replacing concentrate with crude glycerin at 5% of dietary DM increased DM intake without increasing milk yield. Concentration and yield of milk fat were reduced when glycerin was fed at 10% of dietary DM. This was accompanied by a 30% reduction in apparent total-tract digestion of dietary neutral detergent fiber. Crude glycerin affected the microbial population in the rumen as evidenced by increased molar proportions of propionic, butyric, and valeric acids and decreased molar proportions of acetic acid. Efficiency of N utilization was improved as evidenced by lower concentrations of blood urea nitrogen and ruminal ammonia-N. Cows fed cottonseed hull-based diets consumed 5.3 kg/d more DM but produced only 1.7 kg/d more milk, resulting in reduced efficiency. Increased production of ruminal microbial protein, molar proportion of propionic acid, and passage of ruminal fluid resulted from feeding the cottonseed hull- versus corn silage-based diets, although apparent digestibilities of DM and neutral detergent fiber were reduced. Replacing 5 and 10% of concentrate ingredients with crude glycerin improved efficiency of 4% fat-corrected milk production when corn silage-based diets were fed but decreased it when cottonseed hull-based diets were fed. Copyright © 2012 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Impact of recycling stillage on conversion of dilute sulfuric acid pretreated corn stover to ethanol.

PubMed

Mohagheghi, Ali; Schell, Daniel J

2010-04-01

Both the current corn starch to ethanol industry and the emerging lignocellulosic biofuels industry view recycling of spent fermentation broth or stillage as a method to reduce fresh water use. The objective of this study was to understand the impact of recycling stillage on conversion of corn stover to ethanol. Sugars in a dilute-acid pretreated corn stover hydrolysate were fermented to ethanol by the glucose-xylose fermenting bacteria Zymomonas mobilis 8b. Three serial fermentations were performed at two different initial sugar concentrations using either 10% or 25% of the stillage as makeup water for the next fermentation in the series. Serial fermentations were performed to achieve near steady state concentration of inhibitors and other compounds in the corn stover hydrolysate. Little impact on ethanol yields was seen at sugar concentrations equivalent to pretreated corn stover slurry at 15% (w/w) with 10% recycle of the stillage. However, ethanol yields became progressively poorer as the sugar concentration increased and fraction of the stillage recycled increased. At an equivalent corn stover slurry concentration of 20% with 25% recycled stillage the ethanol yield was only 5%. For this microorganism with dilute-acid pretreated corn stover, recycling a large fraction of the stillage had a significant negative impact on fermentation performance. Although this finding is of concern for biochemical-based lignocellulose conversion processes, other microorganism/pretreatment technology combinations will likely perform differently. (c) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Cost-effective binomial sequential sampling of western bean cutworm, Striacosta albicosta (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), egg masses in corn.

PubMed

Paula-Moraes, S; Burkness, E C; Hunt, T E; Wright, R J; Hein, G L; Hutchison, W D

2011-12-01

Striacosta albicosta (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a native pest of dry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and corn (Zea mays L.). As a result of larval feeding damage on corn ears, S. albicosta has a narrow treatment window; thus, early detection of the pest in the field is essential, and egg mass sampling has become a popular monitoring tool. Three action thresholds for field and sweet corn currently are used by crop consultants, including 4% of plants infested with egg masses on sweet corn in the silking-tasseling stage, 8% of plants infested with egg masses on field corn with approximately 95% tasseled, and 20% of plants infested with egg masses on field corn during mid-milk-stage corn. The current monitoring recommendation is to sample 20 plants at each of five locations per field (100 plants total). In an effort to develop a more cost-effective sampling plan for S. albicosta egg masses, several alternative binomial sampling plans were developed using Wald's sequential probability ratio test, and validated using Resampling for Validation of Sampling Plans (RVSP) software. The benefit-cost ratio also was calculated and used to determine the final selection of sampling plans. Based on final sampling plans selected for each action threshold, the average sample number required to reach a treat or no-treat decision ranged from 38 to 41 plants per field. This represents a significant savings in sampling cost over the current recommendation of 100 plants.

Detection of Fusarium verticillioides by PCR-ELISA based on FUM21 gene.

PubMed

Omori, Aline Myuki; Ono, Elisabete Yurie Sataque; Bordini, Jaqueline Gozzi; Hirozawa, Melissa Tiemi; Fungaro, Maria Helena Pelegrinelli; Ono, Mario Augusto

2018-08-01

Fusarium verticillioides is a primary corn pathogen and fumonisin producer which is associated with toxic effects in humans and animals. The traditional methods for detection of fungal contamination based on morphological characteristics are time-consuming and show low sensitivity and specificity. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop a PCR-ELISA based on the FUM21 gene for F. verticillioides detection. The DNA of the F. verticillioides, Fusarium sp., Aspergillus sp. and Penicillium sp. isolates was analyzed by conventional PCR and PCR-ELISA to determine the specificity. The PCR-ELISA was specific to F. verticillioides isolates, showed a 2.5 pg detection limit and was 100-fold more sensitive than conventional PCR. In corn samples inoculated with F. verticillioides conidia, the detection limit of the PCR-ELISA was 1 × 10 4 conidia/g and was also 100-fold more sensitive than conventional PCR. Naturally contaminated corn samples were analyzed by PCR-ELISA based on the FUM21 gene and PCR-ELISA absorbance values correlated positively (p < 0.05) with Fusarium sp. counts (CFU/g). These results suggest that the PCR-ELISA developed in this study can be useful for F. verticillioides detection in corn samples. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using an optimal CC-PLSR-RBFNN model and NIR spectroscopy for the starch content determination in corn

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Hao; Lu, Jiangang

2018-05-01

Corn starch is an important material which has been traditionally used in the fields of food and chemical industry. In order to enhance the rapidness and reliability of the determination for starch content in corn, a methodology is proposed in this work, using an optimal CC-PLSR-RBFNN calibration model and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. The proposed model was developed based on the optimal selection of crucial parameters and the combination of correlation coefficient method (CC), partial least squares regression (PLSR) and radial basis function neural network (RBFNN). To test the performance of the model, a standard NIR spectroscopy data set was introduced, containing spectral information and chemical reference measurements of 80 corn samples. For comparison, several other models based on the identical data set were also briefly discussed. In this process, the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) and coefficient of determination (Rp2) in the prediction set were used to make evaluations. As a result, the proposed model presented the best predictive performance with the smallest RMSEP (0.0497%) and the highest Rp2 (0.9968). Therefore, the proposed method combining NIR spectroscopy with the optimal CC-PLSR-RBFNN model can be helpful to determine starch content in corn.

Effects of muffin processing on fumonisins from 14C-labeled toxins produced in cultured corn kernels.

PubMed

Avantaggiato, Giuseppina; De La Campa, Regina; Miller, J David; Visconti, Angelo

2003-10-01

The persistence of fumonisins during cooking is known to be affected by several factors, including thermal degradation and the presence of various ingredients in corn-based food recipes that can react with the toxin. A method for the production of corn kernels containing 14C-fumonisins was developed. The corn kernels were colonized by Fusarium verticillioides MRC 826 and supplemented with 1,2-14C-sodium acetate. The specific activity of 14C-FB1 produced made the study of its fate in cornmeal muffins possible. The double-extraction acetonitrile-water-methanol/immunoaffinity column/o-phthaldialdehyde high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was used to determine FB1 levels in cornmeal muffins. Reductions in FB1 levels in muffins spiked with 14C-labeled and unlabeled FB1 (43 and 48%, respectively) were similar, indicating that the extraction method was efficient and consistent with previous reports. However, with the labeled corn kernel material, recovery levels based on the 14C counts for the eluate from an immunoaffinity column were much higher (90%). This finding indicates that some fumonisin-related compounds other than FB1 that were present in the cornmeal were recognized by the antibodies but not by the HPLC method.

Measurement of true ileal digestibility of phosphorus in some feed ingredients for broiler chickens.

PubMed

Mutucumarana, R K; Ravindran, V; Ravindran, G; Cowieson, A J

2014-12-01

An experiment was conducted to estimate the true ileal digestibility of P in wheat, sorghum, soybean meal, and corn distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS) in broiler chickens. Four semipurified diets were formulated from each ingredient (wheat and sorghum: 236.5, 473, 709.5, and 946 g/kg; soybean meal and corn DDGS: 135, 270, 405, and 540 g/kg) to contain graded concentrations of nonphytate P. The experiment was conducted as a randomized complete block design with 4 weight blocks of 16 cages each (5 birds per cage). A total of 320 21-d-old broilers (Ross 308) were assigned to the 16 test diets with 4 replicates per diet. Apparent ileal digestibility coefficients of P were determined by the indicator method and the linear regression method was used to determine the true P digestibility coefficients. The results showed that the apparent ileal P digestibility coefficients of wheat-based diets were not influenced (P>0.05) by increasing dietary P concentrations, whereas those of diets based on sorghum, soybean meal, and corn DDGS differed (P<0.05) at different P concentrations. Apparent ileal P digestibility in broilers fed diets with soybean meal and corn DDGS linearly (P<0.001) increased with increasing P concentrations. True ileal P digestibility coefficients of wheat, sorghum, soybean meal, and corn DDGS were determined to be 0.464, 0.331, 0.798, and 0.727, respectively. Ileal endogenous P losses in birds fed diets with wheat, soybean meal, and corn DDGS were estimated to be 0.080, 0.609, and 0.418 g/kg DMI, respectively. In birds fed sorghum-based diets, endogenous P losses were estimated to be negative (-0.087 g/kg DMI). True digestible P contents of wheat, sorghum, soybean meal, and corn DDGS were determined to be 1.49, 0.78, 5.16, and 5.94 g/kg, respectively. The corresponding nonphytate P contents in wheat, sorghum, soybean meal, and corn DDGS were 1.11, 0.55, 2.15, and 4.36 g/kg, respectively. These differences between digestible P and nonphytate P contents may be suggestive, at least in part, of overestimation of P digestibility under the calcium-deficient conditions used in the regression method.

Dye-sensitized solar cells based on purple corn sensitizers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phinjaturus, Kawin; Maiaugree, Wasan; Suriharn, Bhalang; Pimanpaeng, Samuk; Amornkitbamrung, Vittaya; Swatsitang, Ekaphan

2016-09-01

Natural dye extracted from husk, cob and silk of purple corn, were used for the first time as photosensitizers in dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The dye sensitized solar cells fabrication process has been optimized in terms of solvent extraction. The resulting maximal efficiency of 1.06% was obtained from purple corn husk extracted by acetone. The ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and incident photon-to-current efficiency (IPCE) were employed to characterize the natural dye and the DSSCs.

Multiple assays indicate varying levels of cross resistance of Cry3Bb1-selected field populations of the western corn rootworm to mCry3A, eCry3.1Ab, and Cry34/35Ab1

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Minnesota populations of the western corn rootworm (WCR) surviving Cry3Bb1-expressing corn in the field and WCR populations assumed to be susceptible to all Bt proteins were evaluated for susceptibility to Cry3Bb1, mCry3A, eCry3.1Ab, and Cry34/35Ab1 in diet assays and three different plant-based ass...

40 CFR 174.502 - Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1A.105 protein; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... or on the food and feed commodities of corn; corn, field, flour; corn, field, forage; corn, field, grain; corn, field, grits; corn, field, meal; corn, field, refined oil; corn, field, stover; corn, sweet, forage; corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husk removed; corn, sweet, stover; and corn, pop, grain and...

40 CFR 174.502 - Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1A.105 protein; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... or on the food and feed commodities of corn; corn, field, flour; corn, field, forage; corn, field, grain; corn, field, grits; corn, field, meal; corn, field, refined oil; corn, field, stover; corn, sweet, forage; corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husk removed; corn, sweet, stover; and corn, pop, grain and...

40 CFR 174.502 - Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1A.105 protein; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... or on the food and feed commodities of corn; corn, field, flour; corn, field, forage; corn, field, grain; corn, field, grits; corn, field, meal; corn, field, refined oil; corn, field, stover; corn, sweet, forage; corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husk removed; corn, sweet, stover; and corn, pop, grain and...

Corn Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS): Opportunities and Challenges

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Corn-based ethanol in the U.S. has dramatically increased in recent years; so has the quantity of associated coproducts. Nonfermentable components are removed from the process as whole stillage, centrifuged to remove water – which is then evaporated to produce condensed distillers solubles (CDS), a...

Tomato yield responses to soil-incorporated dried distillers grains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Dried distiller's grains (DDGs) are a coproduct of dry-grind corn ethanol production, most of which are used for animal feed, and are sold for under $150/metric ton. Developing higher-value uses for DDGs can increase the profitability of corn-based ethanol. Although DDGs applied directly to a pott...

Costs of Pelleting to Enhance the Logistics of Distillers Grains Shipping

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Biofuels, especially corn-based ethanol, can help meet some of the increasing demand for transportation fuels. Currently, the most heavily utilized substrate is corn grain, which is readily converted into ethanol at a relatively low cost compared to other biomass sources. The production of ethanol...

Corn response to nitrogen management under fully-irrigated vs. water-stressed conditions

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Characterizing corn grain yield response to nitrogen (N) fertilizer rate is critical for maximizing profits, optimizing N use efficiency and minimizing environmental impacts. Although a large data base of yield response to N has been compiled for highly productive soils in the upper Midwest U.S., f...

Fumonisins, Tortillas and Neural Tube Defects: Untangling a Complex Issue

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Fumonisin mycotoxins are found in corn and corn-based foods. Fumonisin B1 (FB1), the most common, disrupts sphingolipid metabolism thereby causing species-specific diseases in animals that include cancer in rodents and (birth) neural tube defects (NTD) in LM/Bc mice. Fumonisins’ affect on human heal...

Attraction, oviposition preferences, and olfactory responses of corn-infesting Ulidiidae (Diptera) to various host-based substrates

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Fresh market sweet corn produced in Florida is threatened by larval damage by Euxesta stigmatias Loew, E. eluta Loew, and Chaetopsis massyla Walker (Diptera: Ulidiidae) that renders ears unmarketable. No standard lure exists for monitoring these pests. Oviposition and attraction bioassays were desig...

SVM-based feature extraction and classification of aflatoxin contaminated corn using fluorescence hyperspectral data

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Support Vector Machine (SVM) was used in the Genetic Algorithms (GA) process to select and classify a subset of hyperspectral image bands. The method was applied to fluorescence hyperspectral data for the detection of aflatoxin contamination in Aspergillus flavus infected single corn kernels. In the...

Reduction of Fumonisin Toxicity by Extrusion and Nixtamalization (Alkaline Cooking)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Fumonisins are found in corn. They are toxic to animals, cause cancer in rodents, and neural tube defects in LM/Bc mice. Reducing their concentrations in corn-based foods is therefore desirable. Chemical analysis or in vitro bioassays of food extracts might not detect toxic fumonisin reaction pro...

REDUCTION OF WATER CONSUMPTION AND POLLUTION IN THE CORN MASA PRODUCTION PROCESS

EPA Science Inventory

Maize (corn) is the principle food source in Mexico accounting for approximately 70 percent of the total calorie intake and 50 percent of the total protein intake (Paredes and Saharopulos, 1983). Maize is primarily used to produce masa, a maize based dough. In Mexico there ...

DEMONSTRATION OF A CLOSED LOOP REUSE SYSTEM IN A FIBERGLAS TEXTILE PLANT

EPA Science Inventory

The report describes work done toward providing a totally recycled water system for Owens-Corning's textile fiber manufacturing plant at Anderson, SC. (The work was based on pre-1968 pilot plant work by Owens-Corning that resulted in development of totally recycled industrial was...

Implementation of a Prototype Registration and Administrative System for Field Use.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-10-20

Chemical U.S.A. (4), Owens - Corning Fiber- glass Corporation (5), and the Plastics Business Operations of the General Electric Company (6), it was concluded...561. 5. Lichtenberg, F.W., & Devitt, G.E. The medical data base system of Owens - Corning Fiberglass Corporation. American Industrial Hygiene

Low Efficiency Control Measures for Jet Engine Test Cells

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-09-01

replacement cost was based upon filter cost data ob- tained from Mr. Roland Langlois, Owens - Corning Fiberglas Inc., Technical Cen- ter, Granville, Ohio. 3...Torgeson’s theory was used to calculate the collection efficiency of three commercial glass fiber filter media samples obtained from Owens - Corning Fiberglas

Mechanism and DNA-based detection of field-evolved resistance to transgenic Bt corn in fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Evolution of resistance threatens sustainability of transgenic crops producing insecticidal proteins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). The fall armyworm is a devastating pest controlled by transgenic Bt corn producing the Cry1Fa insecticidal protein. However, fall armyworm populations ...

Planting of neonicotinoid-coated corn raises honey bee mortality and sets back colony development.

PubMed

Samson-Robert, Olivier; Labrie, Geneviève; Chagnon, Madeleine; Fournier, Valérie

2017-01-01

Worldwide occurrences of honey bee colony losses have raised concerns about bee health and the sustainability of pollination-dependent crops. While multiple causal factors have been identified, seed coating with insecticides of the neonicotinoid family has been the focus of much discussion and research. Nonetheless, few studies have investigated the impacts of these insecticides under field conditions or in commercial beekeeping operations. Given that corn-seed coating constitutes the largest single use of neonicotinoid, our study compared honey bee mortality from commercial apiaries located in two different agricultural settings, i.e. corn-dominated areas and corn-free environments, during the corn planting season. Data was collected in 2012 and 2013 from 26 bee yards. Dead honey bees from five hives in each apiary were counted and collected, and samples were analyzed using a multi-residue LC-MS/MS method. Long-term effects on colony development were simulated based on a honey bee population dynamic model. Mortality survey showed that colonies located in a corn-dominated area had daily mortality counts 3.51 times those of colonies from corn crop-free sites. Chemical analyses revealed that honey bees were exposed to various agricultural pesticides during the corn planting season, but were primarily subjected to neonicotinoid compounds (54% of analysed samples contained clothianidin, and 31% contained both clothianidin and thiamethoxam). Performance development simulations performed on hive populations' show that increased mortality during the corn planting season sets back colony development and bears contributions to collapse risk but, most of all, reduces the effectiveness and value of colonies for pollination services. Our results also have implications for the numerous large-scale and worldwide-cultivated crops that currently rely on pre-emptive use of neonicotinoid seed treatments.

Planting of neonicotinoid-coated corn raises honey bee mortality and sets back colony development

PubMed Central

Samson-Robert, Olivier; Labrie, Geneviève; Chagnon, Madeleine

2017-01-01

Worldwide occurrences of honey bee colony losses have raised concerns about bee health and the sustainability of pollination-dependent crops. While multiple causal factors have been identified, seed coating with insecticides of the neonicotinoid family has been the focus of much discussion and research. Nonetheless, few studies have investigated the impacts of these insecticides under field conditions or in commercial beekeeping operations. Given that corn-seed coating constitutes the largest single use of neonicotinoid, our study compared honey bee mortality from commercial apiaries located in two different agricultural settings, i.e. corn-dominated areas and corn-free environments, during the corn planting season. Data was collected in 2012 and 2013 from 26 bee yards. Dead honey bees from five hives in each apiary were counted and collected, and samples were analyzed using a multi-residue LC-MS/MS method. Long-term effects on colony development were simulated based on a honey bee population dynamic model. Mortality survey showed that colonies located in a corn-dominated area had daily mortality counts 3.51 times those of colonies from corn crop-free sites. Chemical analyses revealed that honey bees were exposed to various agricultural pesticides during the corn planting season, but were primarily subjected to neonicotinoid compounds (54% of analysed samples contained clothianidin, and 31% contained both clothianidin and thiamethoxam). Performance development simulations performed on hive populations’ show that increased mortality during the corn planting season sets back colony development and bears contributions to collapse risk but, most of all, reduces the effectiveness and value of colonies for pollination services. Our results also have implications for the numerous large-scale and worldwide-cultivated crops that currently rely on pre-emptive use of neonicotinoid seed treatments. PMID:28828265

Randomized tolerability analysis of clindamycin phosphate 1.2%-tretinoin 0.025% gel used with benzoyl peroxide wash 4% for acne vulgaris.

PubMed

Draelos, Zoe Diana; Potts, Aaron; Alió Saenz, Alessandra B

2010-12-01

The multiple etiologic factors involved in acne vulgaris make the use of several medications necessary to treat the condition. Use of a fixed combination of clindamycin phosphate 1.2% and tretinoin 0.025% in conjunction with a benzoyl peroxide (BPO) wash 4% targets several pathologic factors simultaneously and mitigates the potential for clindamycin-induced Propionibacterium acnes-resistant strains. New formulations may allow such regimens to be effectively used without overly reduced tolerability resulting from the irritation potential of tretinoin and BPO. This randomized, single-blind study investigated the local tolerability, irritation potential, and safety of an aqueous-based gel (clindamycin phosphate 7.2%-tretinoin 0.025% [CT gel]) when used in conjunction with a BPO wash 4% in participants with mild to moderate acne vulgaris. Participants applied the CT gel once daily in the evening for 4 weeks in conjunction with once-daily morning use of either BPO wash 4% or nonmedicated soap-free cleanser lotion (SFC). Local tolerability and irritation potential were assessed by participants and investigators using separate 6-point scales. The frequency and severity of dryness, scaling, erythema, burning/stinging, and itching increased during the first week of treatment in both treatment arms but decreased thereafter. Local tolerability reactions were slightly more frequent in the CT gel + BPO wash group versus the CT gel + SFC group at week 1 but were generally mild and improved within 1 to 2 weeks. In conclusion, therapy with CT gel + BPO wash appears safe and well-tolerated in participants with mild to moderate acne vulgaris.

Reduction of Fumonisin Toxicity by Extrusion and Nixtamalization (Alkaline Cooking).

PubMed

Voss, Kenneth; Ryu, Dojin; Jackson, Lauren; Riley, Ronald; Gelineau-van Waes, Janee

2017-08-23

Fumonisins are mycotoxins found in corn. They are toxic to animals and cause cancer in rodents and neural tube defects in LM/Bc mice. Reducing their concentrations in corn-based foods is therefore desirable. Chemical analysis or in vitro bioassays of food extracts might not detect toxic fumonisin reaction products that are unknown or unextractable from food matrices, thus potentially underestimating in vivo toxicity. The effectiveness of two common cooking methods, extrusion and nixtamalization (alkaline cooking), to reduce the toxicity of fumonisin-contaminated corn grits (extrusion) and whole kernel corn (nixtamalization) was shown by means of rat feeding bioassays using fumonisin-specific kidney effects as indicators of potential toxicity. A third bioassay showed that in contrast to fumonisin B 1 (FB 1 ), hydrolyzed fumonisin B 1 (HFB 1 ; formed from FB 1 during nixtamalization) did not cause neural tube defects in LM/Bc mice. The findings indicate that extrusion and nixtamalization reduce the potential toxicity of FB 1 -contaminated corn.

Energy and nutrient utilization of broiler chickens fed corn-soybean meal and corn-based diets supplemented with xylanase.

PubMed

Stefanello, C; Vieira, S L; Carvalho, P S; Sorbara, J O B; Cowieson, A J

2016-08-01

A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of increased levels of a β-xylanase on energy and nutrient utilization of broiler chickens fed corn-soy diets. A total of 480 slow feathering Cobb × Cobb 500 male broilers were randomly distributed to 10 treatments having 8 replicates of 6 birds each. Birds were fed a common starter diet to d 14 post hatch (3,050 kcal/kg AMEn, 21.7% CP, 1.05% Ca, and 0.53% nPP). The experimental diets were provided afterwards until 25 d. Two experimental diets, a conventional corn/soy-based basal diet (CS) and the basal diet in which 40% of the diet was displaced by corn (CN), were fed as-is or supplemented with 50, 100, 150, or 200 fungal β-xylanase units (FXU)/kg. Dietary treatments were distributed factorially as a 2 × 5 arrangement. Samples of feed, excreta, and ileal digesta were analyzed for determination of ileal digestible energy (IDE), metabolizable energy, and total tract retention of protein and lipid. No interactions between diet and xylanase were observed. The CS diets had higher (P < 0.05) energy utilization and nutrient digestibility when compared to the CN diets. AMEn and IDE were improved (P < 0.05) by 192 and 145 kcal/kg, respectively, when diets were supplemented with 100 FXU/kg xylanase. The xylanase added to the CN diet led to quadratic increases (P < 0.05) in IDE (Y = - 0.014x(2) + 2.570x + 3,155; r(2) = 0.60) and in AMEn (Y = - 0.016x(2) + 3.982x + 3,155; r(2) = 0.68). Crude protein digestibility and AMEn were linearly increased (P < 0.05) when xylanase was added to the CN diet. In conclusion, energy utilization and digestibility of crude protein and dry matter increased with xylanase supplementation in corn/soy-based diets. When xylanase was tested in the CS diet, 92 and 124 FXU/kg maximized the energy release effect; however, the maximum energy response in the CN diet or corn was not achieved until 200 FXU/kg. © 2016 Poultry Science Association Inc.

In vitro digestibility of banana starch cookies.

PubMed

Bello-Pérez, Luis A; Sáyago-Ayerdi, Sonia G; Méndez-Montealvo, Guadalupe; Tovar, Juscelino

2004-01-01

Banana starch was isolated and used for preparation of two types of cookies. Chemical composition and digestibility tests were carried out on banana starch and the food products, and these results were compared with corn starch. Ash, protein, and fat levels in banana starch were higher than in corn starch. The high ash amount in banana starch could be due to the potassium content present in this fruit. Proximal analysis was similar between products prepared with banana starch and those based on corn starch. The available starch content of the banana starch preparation was 60% (dmb). The cookies had lower available starch than the starches while banana starch had lower susceptibility to the in vitro alpha-amylolysis reaction. Banana starch and its products had higher resistant starch levels than those made with corn starch.

Comparison among methods of effective energy evaluation of corn silage for beef cattle.

PubMed

Wei, Ming; Chen, Zhiqiang; Wei, Shengjuan; Geng, Guangduo; Yan, Peishi

2018-06-01

This study was conducted to compare different methods on effective energy evaluation of corn silage for beef cattle. Twenty Wandong bulls (Chinese indigenous yellow cattle) with initial body weight of 281±15.6 kg, were assigned to 1 of 5 dietary treatments with 4 animals per treatment in a randomized complete block design. Five dietary treatments included group 1 with corn silage only diet, group 2 with corn silage-concentrate basal diet (BD) and 3 groups with 3 test diets, which were the BD partly substituted by corn silage at 10%, 30%, and 60%. The total collection digestion trial was conducted for 5 d for each block after a 10-d adaptation period, and then an open-circuit respiratory cage was used to measure the gas exchange of each animal in a consecutive 4-d period. The direct method-derived metabolizable energy and net energy of corn silage were 8.86 and 5.15 MJ/kg dry matter (DM), expressed as net energy requirement for maintenance and gain were 5.28 and 2.90 MJ/kg DM, respectively; the corresponding regression method-derived estimates were 8.96, 5.34, 5.37, and 2.98 MJ/kg DM, respectively. The direct method-derived estimates were not different (p>0.05) from those obtained using the regression method. Using substitution method, the nutrient apparent digestibility and effective energy values of corn silage varied with the increased corn silage substitution ratio (p<0.05). In addition, the corn silage estimates at the substitution ratio of 30% were similar to those estimated by direct and regression methods. In determining the energy value of corn silage using substitution method, there was a discrepancy between different substitution ratios, and the substitution ratio of 30% was more appropriate than 10% or 60% in the current study. The regression method based on multiple point substitution was more appropriate than single point substitution on energy evaluation of feedstuffs for beef cattle.

Improving extraction of fumonisin mycotoxins from Brazilian corn-based infant foods.

PubMed

Sewram, Vikash; Shephard, Gordon S; Marasas, Walter F O; Penteado, Maria Fernanda; de Castro, M

2003-05-01

The current AOAC International methods for the determination of fumonisins have been validated for corn and cornflakes but have produced low recoveries and high variability when applied to processed corn products for infants. Hence, an investigation was undertaken to improve the extraction efficiency for fumonisins by investigating the use of different extraction solvents. Corn-based infant foods containing cornmeal, corn starch, and corn flour were purchased in the city of Campinas, state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and were analyzed for fumonisins B1 (FB1), B2 (FB2), and B3 (FB3) following extraction with a range of solvents. Comparison of the results from each of the samples indicated that acidified 70% aqueous methanol at pH 4.0 provided the best overall performance, whereas a methanol/boric acid (pH 9.2) mixture displayed poor extraction efficiency. Extraction with acidified 70% aqueous methanol showed seven of eight test samples to be positive for FB1 (range, 30 to 6,127 microg/kg; relative SD, 4.2 to 51.7%), two of eight samples to be positive for FB2 (range, 53 to 1,738 microg/kg; relative SD, 4.5 to 5.3%), and one of eight samples to be positive for FB3 (575 microg/kg). For samples in which extraction with phosphate-buffered mixtures (pH 3) proved superior, the method suffered from poor chromatography due to interfering compounds. The findings indicate that matrix interferences play a significant role in the extractability, cleanup, and chromatography of the fumonisins.

Improving hybrid seed production in corn with glyphosate-mediated male sterility.

PubMed

Feng, Paul C C; Qi, Youlin; Chiu, Tommy; Stoecker, Martin A; Schuster, Christopher L; Johnson, Scott C; Fonseca, Augustine E; Huang, Jintai

2014-02-01

Hybrid corn varieties exhibit benefits associated with heterosis and account for most of the corn acreage in the USA. Hybrid seed corn is produced by crossing a female parent which is male-sterile and therefore incapable of self-pollination with a male parent as the pollen donor. The majority of hybrid seed corn is produced by mechanical detasseling which involves physically removing the tassel, a process that is laborious and costly. Glyphosate-resistant corn was developed via expression of a glyphosate insensitive 5-enolpyruvyl-shikimate 3-phosphate synthase enzyme (CP4-EPSPS). Experimentation with molecular expression elements resulted in selective reduction of CP4-EPSPS expression in male reproductive tissues. The resulting plant demonstrated sterile tassel following glyphosate application with little to no injury to the rest of the plant. Using (14)C-glyphosate as a marker, we also examined the translocation of glyphosate to the tassel via spray application in a track sprayer to simulate field application. The results allowed optimization of spray parameters such as dose, spray timing and target to maximize tassel delivery of glyphosate for efficient sterilization. The Roundup hybridization system (RHS) is a novel process for hybrid seed production based on glyphosate-mediated male sterility. RHS replaces mechanical detasseling with glyphosate spray and greatly simplifies the process of hybrid seed corn production. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

Life-cycle assessment of corn-based butanol as a potential transportation fuel.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wu, M.; Wang, M.; Liu, J.

2007-12-31

Butanol produced from bio-sources (such as corn) could have attractive properties as a transportation fuel. Production of butanol through a fermentation process called acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) has been the focus of increasing research and development efforts. Advances in ABE process development in recent years have led to drastic increases in ABE productivity and yields, making butanol production worthy of evaluation for use in motor vehicles. Consequently, chemical/fuel industries have announced their intention to produce butanol from bio-based materials. The purpose of this study is to estimate the potential life-cycle energy and emission effects associated with using bio-butanol as a transportation fuel.more » The study employs a well-to-wheels analysis tool--the Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET) model developed at Argonne National Laboratory--and the Aspen Plus{reg_sign} model developed by AspenTech. The study describes the butanol production from corn, including grain processing, fermentation, gas stripping, distillation, and adsorption for products separation. The Aspen{reg_sign} results that we obtained for the corn-to-butanol production process provide the basis for GREET modeling to estimate life-cycle energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. The GREET model was expanded to simulate the bio-butanol life cycle, from agricultural chemical production to butanol use in motor vehicles. We then compared the results for bio-butanol with those of conventional gasoline. We also analyzed the bio-acetone that is coproduced with bio-butanol as an alternative to petroleum-based acetone. Our study shows that, while the use of corn-based butanol achieves energy benefits and reduces greenhouse gas emissions, the results are affected by the methods used to treat the acetone that is co-produced in butanol plants.« less

Sister Mary Emil Penet, I.H.M.: Founder of the Sister Formation Conference

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glisky, Joan

2006-01-01

Mary Emil Penet, I.H.M., (1916-2001) used her talents and charisma to shape the first national organization of American women religious, the Sister Formation Conference (SFC; 1954-1964), facilitating the integrated intellectual, spiritual, psychological, and professional development of vowed women religious. In the decade preceding Vatican II, her…

Assimilation of SMOS (and SMAP) Retrieved Soil Moisture into the Land Information System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blankenship, Clay; Zavodsky, Bradley; Case, Jonathan; Stano, Geoffrey

2016-01-01

Goal: Accurate, high-resolution (approx.3 km) soil moisture in near-real time. Situational awareness (drought assessment, flood and fire threat). Local modeling applications (to improve sfc-PBL exchanges) Method: Assimilate satellite soil moisture retrievals into a land surface model. Combines high-resolution geophysical model data with latest satellite observations.

Pedagogical Perspectives on Using Films in Foreign Language Classes. SFC Monograph #4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Casanave, Christine Pearson, Ed.; Simons, J. David, Ed.

This collection of articles on use of films in second language instruction, particularly for teaching English as a second language (ESL) in Japanese colleges and universities, includes: "Whole Movies and Engaged Response in the Japanese University ESL Classroom" (David P. Shea); "Films in English Class: Going Beyond a Content…

’Coxiella Burnetii’ Vaccine Development: Lipopolysaccharide Structural Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-02-20

Analytical instrumentation and methodology is presented for the determination of endotoxin -related structures at much improved sensitivity and... ENDOTOXIN CHARACTERIZATION BY SFC .......................... 10 III. COXIELLA BURNETII LPS CHARACTERIZATION A. EXPERIMENTAL...period for the determination of endotoxin -related structures at much improved sensitivity and specificity. Reports, and their applications, are listed in

Highway concrete pavement technology development and testing. Volume 5, Field evaluation of Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP) C-206 test sites (bridge deck overlays)

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-08-01

Two types of concrete overlays silica fume concrete (SFC) and latex-modified Type III portland cement concrete (LMC-III) were installed ant tested as part of the Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP) Project C-206: Optimization of Highway Concret...

Development of a sensitive and rapid method for rifampicin impurity analysis using supercritical fluid chromatography.

PubMed

Li, Wei; Wang, Jun; Yan, Zheng-Yu

2015-10-10

A novel simple, fast and efficient supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) method was developed and compared with RPLC method for the separation and determination of impurities in rifampicin. The separation was performed using a packed diol column and a mobile phase B (modifier) consisting of methanol with 0.1% ammonium formate (w/v) and 2% water (v/v). Overall satisfactory resolutions and peak shapes for rifampicin quinone (RQ), rifampicin (RF), rifamycin SV (RSV), rifampicin N-oxide (RNO) and 3-formylrifamycinSV (3-FR) were obtained by optimization of the chromatography system. With gradient elution of mobile phase, all of the impurities and the active were separated within 4 min. Taking full advantage of features of SFC (such as particular selectivity, non-sloping baseline in gradient elution, and without injection solvent effects), the method was successfully used for determination of impurities in rifampicin, with more impurity peaks detected, better resolution achieved and much less analysis time needed compared with conventional reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) methods. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Upgraded automotive gas turbine engine design and development program, volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wagner, C. E. (Editor); Pampreen, R. C. (Editor)

1979-01-01

Results are presented for the design and development of an upgraded engine. The design incorporated technology advancements which resulted from development testing on the Baseline Engine. The final engine performance with all retro-fitted components from the development program showed a value of 91 HP at design speed in contrast to the design value of 104 HP. The design speed SFC was 0.53 versus the goal value of 0.44. The miss in power was primarily due to missing the efficiency targets of small size turbomachinery. Most of the SFC deficit was attributed to missed goals in the heat recovery system relative to regenerator effectiveness and expected values of heat loss. Vehicular fuel consumption, as measured on a chassis dynamometer, for a vehicle inertia weight of 3500 lbs., was 15 MPG for combined urban and highway driving cycles. The baseline engine achieved 8 MPG with a 4500 lb. vehicle. Even though the goal of 18.3 MPG was not achieved with the upgraded engine, there was an improvement in fuel economy of 46% over the baseline engine, for comparable vehicle inertia weight.

Considerations on comprehensive and off-line supercritical fluid chromatography x reversed-phase liquid chromatography for the analysis of triacylglycerols in fish oil.

PubMed

François, Isabelle; Pereira, Alberto dos Santos; Sandra, Pat

2010-06-01

The separation of the triacylglycerols in fish oil was performed by comprehensive and off-line supercritical fluid chromatography combined with RP-LC. The first dimension consisted of two serially coupled silver-ion (SI)-loaded columns operated with a supercritical mobile phase (supercritical fluid chromatography, SFC) in both the cases, whereas the second dimension was performed in non-aqueous RP mode (NARP-LC) on a 10-cm monolithic octadecyl silica (ODS) or a 45-cm long ODS column packed with 1.8 microm particles for the comprehensive and off-line separations, respectively. Despite the outstanding performance of the SI-SFC x NARP-LC interface, the high complexity of the sample rendered the online separation far from complete. The off-line approach gave much better separation mainly because of the higher peak capacity of the second-dimension column, but even in this case, the use of MS was mandatory to elucidate the different triacylglycerols in fish oil. The disadvantage of the off-line procedure was the long analysis time.

Lower extremity muscle activation during baseball pitching.

PubMed

Campbell, Brian M; Stodden, David F; Nixon, Megan K

2010-04-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate muscle activation levels of select lower extremity muscles during the pitching motion. Bilateral surface electromyography data on 5 lower extremity muscles (biceps femoris, rectus femoris, gluteus maximus, vastus medialis, and gastrocnemius) were collected on 11 highly skilled baseball pitchers and compared with individual maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) data. The pitching motion was divided into 4 distinct phases: phase 1, initiation of pitching motion to maximum stride leg knee height; phase 2, maximum stride leg knee height to stride foot contact (SFC); phase 3, SFC to ball release; and phase 4, ball release to 0.5 seconds after ball release (follow-through). Results indicated that trail leg musculature elicited moderate to high activity levels during phases 2 and 3 (38-172% of MVIC). Muscle activity levels of the stride leg were moderate to high during phases 2-4 (23-170% of MVIC). These data indicate a high demand for lower extremity strength and endurance. Specifically, coaches should incorporate unilateral and bilateral lower extremity exercises for strength improvement or maintenance and to facilitate dynamic stabilization of the lower extremities during the pitching motion.

A comparative study of triacylglycerol composition in Chinese human milk within different lactation stages and imported infant formula by SFC coupled with Q-TOF-MS.

PubMed

Tu, Anqi; Ma, Qiang; Bai, Hua; Du, Zhenxia

2017-04-15

Triacylglycerols (TAGs) as the major component of milk fat are significant factors to ensure the healthy growth of infants. An efficient method for identifying TAGs in human milk (HM) and infant formula (IF) was established using supercritical fluid chromatograph (SFC) coupled with quadruple time-of-flight mass spectrometry (Q-TOF-MS). The results indicated the feasibility of this method with satisfactory recoveries (>80%) and correlation coefficients (r 2 ⩾0.993). More than 60 TAGs in HM and 50 TAGs in IF were identified. The profiling results demonstrated that TAGs in HM were greatly affected by lactation stage. Significant differences were found between HM and IF, such as much higher medium chain TAGs and saturated TAGs in IF, indicating that the formulas developed by foreign manufacturers were not suitable for Chinese babies. This high-throughput method exhibits a huge potential for analysis of milk samples and the result may serve as an important guide for Chinese infants diet. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of turbine cooling assumptions on performance and sizing of high-speed civil transport

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Senick, Paul F.

1992-01-01

The analytical study presented examines the effects of varying turbine cooling assumptions on the performance of a high speed civil transport propulsion system as well as the sizing sensitivity of this aircraft to these performance variations. The propulsion concept employed in this study was a two spool, variable cycle engine with a sea level thrust of 55,000 lbf. The aircraft used for this study was a 250 passenger vehicle with a cruise Mach number of 2.4 and 5000 nautical mile range. The differences in turbine cooling assumptions were represented by varying the amount of high pressure compressor bleed air used to cool the turbines. It was found that as this cooling amount increased, engine size and weight increased, but specific fuel consumption (SFC) decreased at takeoff and climb only. Because most time is spent at cruise, the SFC advantage of the higher bleed engines seen during subsonic flight was minimized and the lower bleed, lighter engines led to the lowest takeoff gross weight vehicles. Finally, the change in aircraft takeoff gross weight versus turbine cooling level is presented.

Production response to corn silage produced from normal, brown midrib, or waxy corn hybrids.

PubMed

Barlow, J S; Bernard, J K; Mullis, N A

2012-08-01

The objective was to evaluate the nutrient intake and digestibility and milk production response of lactating dairy cows fed diets based on corn silage produced from 3 different types of corn hybrids. Experimental diets contained 36.4% of the dietary dry matter (DM) from corn silage produced from normal (Agratech 1021, AgraTech Seeds Inc., Atlanta, GA), brown midrib (BMR; Mycogen F2F797, Mycogen Seeds, Indianapolis, IN), or waxy (Master's Choice 590, Master's Choice Hybrids, Ullin, IL) hybrids. Thirty-six multiparous and primiparous Holstein cows (66 ± 22 d in milk, 41 ± 8 kg/d of milk) were used in an 11-wk completely randomized design trial during the fall of 2009. All cows were fed a diet containing normal corn silage during the first 2wk of the trial before being assigned to 1 of 3 treatments for the following 9 wk. Data collected during the first 2 wk were used as a covariate in the statistical analysis. No difference was observed in dry matter intake (DMI) among treatments, which averaged 22.6 kg/d. Milk yield was higher for cows fed BMR (37.6 kg/d) compared with waxy (35.2 kg/d) but was similar to that of cows fed control (36.2 kg/d). Milk fat percentage tended to be lower for cows fed control (3.28%) compared with those fed BMR (3.60%) or waxy (3.55%) corn silage. Milk protein percentage tended to be lower for cows fed control (2.79%) compared with waxy (2.89%) but similar to that of those fed BMR (2.85%). No differences were observed in yield of milk components. Energy-corrected milk (ECM) yield and dairy efficiency (ECM:DMI) did not differ among treatments. Cows fed BMR tended to gain more body weight compared with those fed control and waxy. Results of this trial are consistent with previous reports in which cows fed diets based on corn silage produced from BMR hybrids have higher milk yield compared with those fed other hybrids. Corn silage produced from the waxy hybrid supported a similar yield of ECM because of higher milk components, but milk yield was not improved compared with the control. Copyright © 2012 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Microscopic Analysis of Corn Fiber Using Corn Starch- and Cellulose-Specific Molecular Probes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Porter, S. E.; Donohoe, B. S.; Beery, K. E.

Ethanol is the primary liquid transportation fuel produced from renewable feedstocks in the United States today. The majority of corn grain, the primary feedstock for ethanol production, has been historically processed in wet mills yielding products such as gluten feed, gluten meal, starch, and germ. Starch extracted from the grain is used to produce ethanol in saccharification and fermentation steps; however the extraction of starch is not 100% efficient. To better understand starch extraction during the wet milling process, we have developed fluorescent probes that can be used to visually localize starch and cellulose in samples using confocal microscopy. Thesemore » probes are based on the binding specificities of two types of carbohydrate binding modules (CBMs), which are small substrate-specific protein domains derived from carbohydrate degrading enzymes. CBMs were fused, using molecular cloning techniques, to a green fluorescent protein (GFP) or to the red fluorescent protein DsRed (RFP). Using these engineered probes, we found that the binding of the starch-specific probe correlates with starch content in corn fiber samples. We also demonstrate that there is starch internally localized in the endosperm that may contribute to the high starch content in corn fiber. We also surprisingly found that the cellulose-specific probe did not bind to most corn fiber samples, but only to corn fiber that had been hydrolyzed using a thermochemical process that removes the residual starch and much of the hemicellulose. Our findings should be of interest to those working to increase the efficiency of the corn grain to ethanol process.« less

Napping-Ultra Flash Profile as a Tool for Category Identification and Subsequent Model System Formulation of Caramel Corn Products.

PubMed

Mayhew, Emily; Schmidt, Shelly; Lee, Soo-Yeun

2016-07-01

In a novel approach to formulation, the flash descriptive profiling technique Napping-Ultra Flash Profile (Napping-UFP) was used to characterize a wide range of commercial caramel corn products. The objectives were to identify product categories, develop model systems based on product categories, and correlate analytical parameters with sensory terms generated through the Napping-UFP exercise. In one 2 h session, 12 panelists participated in 4 Napping-UFP exercises, describing and grouping, on a 43×56 cm paper sheet, 12 commercial caramel corn samples by degree of similarity, globally and in terms of aroma-by-mouth, texture, and taste. The coordinates of each sample's placement on the paper sheet and descriptive terms generated by the panelists were used to conduct Multiple Factor Analysis (MFA) and hierarchical clustering of the samples. Strong trends in the clustering of samples across the 4 Napping-UFP exercises resulted in the determination of 3 overarching types of commercial caramel corn: "small-scale dark" (typified by burnt, rich caramel corn), "large-scale light" (typified by light and buttery caramel corn), and "large-scale dark" (typified by sweet and molasses-like caramel corn). Representative samples that best exemplified the properties of each category were used as guides in the formulation of 3 model systems that represent the spread of commercial caramel corn products. Analytical testing of the commercial products, including aw measurement, moisture content determination, and thermal characterization via differential scanning calorimetry, were conducted and results related to sensory descriptors using Spearman's correlation. © 2016 Institute of Food Technologists®

Phosphorus bioavailability, true metabolizable energy, and amino acid digestibilities of high protein corn distillers dried grains and dehydrated corn germ.

PubMed

Kim, E J; Amezcua, C Martinez; Utterback, P L; Parsons, C M

2008-04-01

There is currently much ongoing research and interest for developing new processing technologies to produce corn distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS). The current study evaluated a high protein (HP) distillers dried grains (DDG) and a dehydrated corn germ, which are products that can be produced by a modified dry milling process. Two chick experiments were conducted to determine the P bioavailability based on tibia ash. In addition, precision-fed rooster assays were conducted to determine TME(n) and amino acid digestibility. In the first chick assay, a P-deficient cornstarch-dextrose-soybean meal basal diet containing 0.10 to 0.13% nonphytate P was supplemented with 0.0, 0.05, and 0.10% P from KH(2)PO(4) or 7 and 14% conventional DDGS, HP DDG, and corn germ. In the second experiment, the P-deficient basal was supplemented with 7 and 14% conventional DDGS and 12.5 and 25% HP DDG. New Hampshire x Columbian female chicks were fed the experimental diets from 9 to 22 d posthatch, and bioavailability of P was estimated using the slope-ratio method where tibia ash was regressed on P intake. The total P content (90% DM basis) of the conventional DDGS, HP DDG, and corn germ were 0.76, 0.33, and 1.29%, respectively. Bioavailabilities of the P in conventional DDGS, HP DDG, and corn germ relative to KH(2)PO(4) were found to be 60, 56, and 25%, respectively. The TME(n) in conventional roosters was found to be significantly reduced for HP DDG and increased for the corn germ when compared with the conventional DDGS. The protein content (90% DM basis) of the HP DDG and corn germ was 33 and 14%, respectively, and the total lysine as a % of CP was approximately 2 times greater for the corn germ than for the HP DDG. Amino acid digestibilities in cecectomized roosters were consistently higher for the corn germ than for the HP DDG, which was similar to conventional DDGS.

Supplementing rumen-protected methionine and lysine in low-protein diets based on corn distillers grains fed to lactating dairy cows

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Feeding rumen-protected methionine (RPM) and lysine (RPL) may allow feeding lower crude protein (CP) diets to dairy cows, thereby increasing nitrogen efficiency and reducing environmental impact. Moreover, RPL supplementation may improve the value of corn distillers dried grains plus solubles (DDGS)...

A mass transfer model of ethanol emission from thin layers of corn silage

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A mass transfer model of ethanol emission from thin layers of corn silage was developed and validated. The model was developed based on data from wind tunnel experiments conducted at different temperatures and air velocities. Multiple regression analysis was used to derive an equation that related t...

In vivo Metabolism of Hydrolyzed Fumonisin B1 and Fumonisin B1

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is the most prevalent fumonisin mycotoxin found in corn and corn-based foods. It inhibits ceramide synthase, disrupts sphingolipid metabolism and function, is toxic to animals, causes cancer in rodents, and induces neural tube defects in some mouse strains. Its human health effect...

Evaluation of corn genotypes for drought and heat stress tolerance using physiological measurements and a microcontroller-based monitoring system

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Moisture deficit accompanied by high temperature are major abiotic stress factors that affect corn production in the southern United States, particularly during the reproductive stage of the plant. In evaluating plants for environmental stress tolerance, it is important to monitor changes in their ...

Determination of moisture deficit and heat stress tolerance in corn using physiological measurements and a low-cost microcontroller-based monitoring system

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In the southern United States, corn production encounters moisture deficit coupled with high temperature stress, particularly during the reproductive stage of the plant. In evaluating plants for environmental stress tolerance, it is important to monitor changes in their physical environment under na...

Propelled abrasive grit applications for weed management in transitional corn grain production systems

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Weed control is challenging to farmers who are transitioning from production systems that use synthetic herbicides to organic systems. A two-year field study examined weed control efficacy and corn grain yield of air-propelled corncob grit abrasion for in-row weed control. Grits were applied based o...

Development of a corn and soybean labeling procedure for use with profile parameter classification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Magness, E. R. (Principal Investigator)

1982-01-01

Some essential processes for the development of a green-number-based logic for identifying (labeling) crops in LANDSAT imagery are documented. The supporting data and subsequent conclusions that resulted from development of a specific labeling logic for corn and soybean crops in the United States are recorded.

Preliminary Mapping of the Western Corn Rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera) Genome and Quantitative Trait Locus (QTL) Interval Mapping for Growth

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Preliminary investigations into the organization of the western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera; WCR) genome have resulted in low to moderate density gender-specific maps constructed from progeny of a backcrossed, short-diapause WCR family. Maps were based upon variation at microsatel...

Biomass production and composition of temperate and tropical maize in central Iowa

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Bioethanol production in the Midwestern U.S. has largely focused on corn (Zea mays L.) grain for starch-based ethanol production. There has been growing interest in lignocellulosic biomass as a feedstock for biofuels. Because corn adapted to the tropics does not initiate senescence as early as ada...

Crop advisor perceptions of giant ragweed distribution, herbicide-resistance, and management in the Corn Belt

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Giant ragweed has been increasing as a major weed of row crops in North America. We conducted a web-based survey of Certified Crop Advisors in the Corn Belt to determine the current distribution of giant ragweed, the distribution of herbicide resistant populations, and management and ecological fact...

Implications of observed and simulated soil carbon sequestration for management options in corn-based rotations

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Managing cropping systems to sequester soil organic carbon (SOC) improves soil health and a system’s resiliency to impacts of changing climate. Our objectives were to 1) monitor SOC from a bio-energy cropping study in central Pennsylvania that included a corn-soybean-alfalfa rotation, switchgrass, a...

Implications of observed and simulated soil carbon sequestration for management options in corn-based rotations

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Managing cropping systems to sequester soil organic carbon (SOC) improves soil health and a system’s resiliency to impacts of changing climate. Our objectives were to 1) monitor SOC from a bio-energy cropping study in central Pennsylvania that included a corn-soybean-alfalfa rotation, switchgrass, ...

Comparison of ethanol production from corn cobs and switchgrass following a pyrolysis-based biorefinery approach.

PubMed

Luque, Luis; Oudenhoven, Stijn; Westerhof, Roel; van Rossum, Guus; Berruti, Franco; Kersten, Sascha; Rehmann, Lars

2016-01-01

One of the main obstacles in lignocellulosic ethanol production is the necessity of pretreatment and fractionation of the biomass feedstocks to produce sufficiently pure fermentable carbohydrates. In addition, the by-products (hemicellulose and lignin fraction) are of low value, when compared to dried distillers grains (DDG), the main by-product of corn ethanol. Fast pyrolysis is an alternative thermal conversion technology for processing biomass. It has recently been optimized to produce a stream rich in levoglucosan, a fermentable glucose precursor for biofuel production. Additional product streams might be of value to the petrochemical industry. However, biomass heterogeneity is known to impact the composition of pyrolytic product streams, as a complex mixture of aromatic compounds is recovered with the sugars, interfering with subsequent fermentation. The present study investigates the feasibility of fast pyrolysis to produce fermentable pyrolytic glucose from two abundant lignocellulosic biomass sources in Ontario, switchgrass (potential energy crop) and corn cobs (by-product of corn industry). Demineralization of biomass removes catalytic centers and increases the levoglucosan yield during pyrolysis. The ash content of biomass was significantly decreased by 82-90% in corn cobs when demineralized with acetic or nitric acid, respectively. In switchgrass, a reduction of only 50% for both acids could be achieved. Conversely, levoglucosan production increased 9- and 14-fold in corn cobs when rinsed with acetic and nitric acid, respectively, and increased 11-fold in switchgrass regardless of the acid used. After pyrolysis, different configurations for upgrading the pyrolytic sugars were assessed and the presence of potentially inhibitory compounds was approximated at each step as double integral of the UV spectrum signal of an HPLC assay. The results showed that water extraction followed by acid hydrolysis and solvent extraction was the best upgrading strategy. Ethanol yields achieved based on initial cellulose fraction were 27.8% in switchgrass and 27.0% in corn cobs. This study demonstrates that ethanol production from switchgrass and corn cobs is possible following a combined thermochemical and fermentative biorefinery approach, with ethanol yields comparable to results in conventional pretreatments and fermentation processes. The feedstock-independent fermentation ability can easily be assessed with a simple assay.

Automated mapping of soybean and corn using phenology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong, Liheng; Hu, Lina; Yu, Le; Gong, Peng; Biging, Gregory S.

2016-09-01

For the two of the most important agricultural commodities, soybean and corn, remote sensing plays a substantial role in delivering timely information on the crop area for economic, environmental and policy studies. Traditional long-term mapping of soybean and corn is challenging as a result of the high cost of repeated training data collection, the inconsistency in image process and interpretation, and the difficulty of handling the inter-annual variability of weather and crop progress. In this study, we developed an automated approach to map soybean and corn in the state of Paraná, Brazil for crop years 2010-2015. The core of the approach is a decision tree classifier with rules manually built based on expert interaction for repeated use. The automated approach is advantageous for its capacity of multi-year mapping without the need to re-train or re-calibrate the classifier. Time series MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) reflectance product (MCD43A4) were employed to derive vegetation phenology to identify soybean and corn based on crop calendar. To deal with the phenological similarity between soybean and corn, the surface reflectance of the shortwave infrared band scaled to a phenological stage was used to fully separate the two crops. Results suggested that the mapped areas of soybean and corn agreed with official statistics at the municipal level. The resultant map in the crop year 2012 was evaluated using an independent reference data set, and the overall accuracy and Kappa coefficient were 87.2% and 0.804 respectively. As a result of mixed pixel effect at the 500 m resolution, classification results were biased depending on topography. In the flat, broad and highly-cropped areas, uncultivated lands were likely to be identified as soybean or corn, causing over-estimation of cropland area. By contrast, scattered crop fields in mountainous regions with dense natural vegetation tend to be overlooked. For future mapping efforts, it has great potential to apply the automated mapping algorithm to other image series at various scales especially high-resolution images.

The correlation of chemical and physical corn kernel traits with production performance in broiler chickens and laying hens.

PubMed

Moore, S M; Stalder, K J; Beitz, D C; Stahl, C H; Fithian, W A; Bregendahl, K

2008-04-01

A study was conducted to determine the influence on broiler chicken growth and laying hen performance of chemical and physical traits of corn kernels from different hybrids. A total of 720 male 1-d-old Ross-308 broiler chicks were allotted to floor pens in 2 replicated experiments with a randomized complete block design. A total of 240 fifty-two-week-old Hy-Line W-36 laying hens were allotted to cages in a randomized complete block design. Corn-soybean meal diets were formulated for 3 broiler growth phases and one 14-wk-long laying hen phase to be marginally deficient in Lys and TSAA to allow for the detection of differences or correlations attributable to corn kernel chemical or physical traits. The broiler chicken diets were also marginally deficient in Ca and nonphytate P. Within a phase, corn- and soybean-based diets containing equal amounts of 1 of 6 different corn hybrids were formulated. The corn hybrids were selected to vary widely in chemical and physical traits. Feed consumption and BW were recorded for broiler chickens every 2 wk from 0 to 6 wk of age. Egg production was recorded daily, and feed consumption and egg weights were recorded weekly for laying hens between 53 and 67 wk of age. Physical and chemical composition of kernels was correlated with performance measures by multivariate ANOVA. Chemical and physical kernel traits were weakly correlated with performance in broiler chickens from 0 to 2 wk of age (P<0.05, | r |<0.42). However, from 4 to 6 wk of age and 0 to 6 wk of age, only kernel chemical traits were correlated with broiler chicken performance (P<0.05, | r |<0.29). From 53 to 67 wk of age, correlations were observed between both kernel physical and chemical traits and laying hen performance (P<0.05, | r |<0.34). In both experiments, the correlations of performance measures with individual kernel chemical and physical traits for any single kernel trait were not large enough to base corn hybrid selection on for feeding poultry.

Effect of the molecular structure of lignin-based polyoxyethylene ether on enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency and kinetics of lignocelluloses.

PubMed

Lin, Xuliang; Qiu, Xueqing; Zhu, Duming; Li, Zihao; Zhan, Ningxin; Zheng, Jieyi; Lou, Hongming; Zhou, Mingsong; Yang, Dongjie

2015-10-01

Effect of the molecular structure of lignin-based polyoxyethylene ether (EHL-PEG) on enzymatic hydrolysis of Avicel and corn stover was investigated. With the increase of PEG contents and molecular weight of EHL-PEG, glucose yield of corn stover increased. EHL-PEG enhanced enzymatic hydrolysis of corn stover significantly at buffer pH 4.8-5.5. Glucose yield of corn stover at 20% solid content increased from 32.8% to 63.8% by adding EHL-PEG, while that with PEG4600 was 54.2%. Effect of EHL-PEG on enzymatic hydrolysis kinetics of cellulose film was studied by quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). An enhancing mechanism of EHL-PEG on enzymatic hydrolysis kinetics of cellulose was proposed. Cellulase aggregates dispersed by EHL-PEG excavated extensive cavities into the surface of cellulose film, making the film become more loose and exposed. After the maximum enzymatic hydrolysis rate, the film was mainly peeled off layer by layer until equilibrium. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

40 CFR 180.1254 - Aspergillus flavus NRRL 21882; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... NRRL 21882 on corn, field, forage; corn, field, grain; corn, field, stover; corn, field, aspirated grain fractions; corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husk removed; corn, sweet, forage; corn, sweet, stover; corn, pop, grain; and corn, pop, stover. [75 FR 6576, Feb. 10, 2010] ...

40 CFR 180.1254 - Aspergillus flavus NRRL 21882; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... NRRL 21882 on corn, field, forage; corn, field, grain; corn, field, stover; corn, field, aspirated grain fractions; corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husk removed; corn, sweet, forage; corn, sweet, stover; corn, pop, grain; and corn, pop, stover. [75 FR 6576, Feb. 10, 2010] ...

40 CFR 180.1254 - Aspergillus flavus NRRL 21882; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... NRRL 21882 on corn, field, forage; corn, field, grain; corn, field, stover; corn, field, aspirated grain fractions; corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husk removed; corn, sweet, forage; corn, sweet, stover; corn, pop, grain; and corn, pop, stover. [75 FR 6576, Feb. 10, 2010] ...

40 CFR 180.1254 - Aspergillus flavus NRRL 21882; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... NRRL 21882 on corn, field, forage; corn, field, grain; corn, field, stover; corn, field, aspirated grain fractions; corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husk removed; corn, sweet, forage; corn, sweet, stover; corn, pop, grain; and corn, pop, stover. [75 FR 6576, Feb. 10, 2010] ...

40 CFR 180.1254 - Aspergillus flavus NRRL 21882; exemption from the requirement of a tolerance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... NRRL 21882 on corn, field, forage; corn, field, grain; corn, field, stover; corn, field, aspirated grain fractions; corn, sweet, kernel plus cob with husk removed; corn, sweet, forage; corn, sweet, stover; corn, pop, grain; and corn, pop, stover. [75 FR 6576, Feb. 10, 2010] ...

The effect of indacaterol/glycopyrronium versus tiotropium or salmeterol/fluticasone on the prevention of clinically important deterioration in COPD.

PubMed

Anzueto, Antonio R; Vogelmeier, Claus F; Kostikas, Konstantinos; Mezzi, Karen; Fucile, Sebastian; Bader, Giovanni; Shen, Steven; Banerji, Donald; Fogel, Robert

2017-01-01

Endpoints that evaluate deterioration rather than improvement of disease may have clinical utility in COPD. In this analysis, we compared the effects of different maintenance treatments on the prevention of clinically important deterioration (CID) in moderate-to-severe COPD patients. Data were analyzed from three 26-week studies comparing indacaterol/glycopyrronium (IND/GLY) with tiotropium (TIO) or salmeterol/fluticasone (SFC). Two definitions of CID were used; each was a composite of three outcome measures typically associated with COPD. Definition 1 (D1) comprised a ≥100 mL decrease in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV 1 ), a ≥4-unit increase in St George's Respiratory Questionnaire, and a moderate-to-severe COPD exacerbation. In Definition 2 (D2), a ≥1-unit decrease in transition dyspnea index replaced FEV 1 . Using D1, IND/GLY significantly reduced the risk of first or sustained CID versus either TIO (hazard ratio 0.72 [0.61, 0.86], P =0.0003 and 0.73 [0.61, 0.89], P =0.001) or SFC (0.67 [0.57, 0.80] and 0.63 [0.52, 0.77], both P <0.0001). With D2, IND/GLY significantly reduced the risk of first, but not sustained, CID versus TIO (0.80 [0.64 to 0.99], P =0.0359 and 0.85 [0.66, 1.10], P =0.2208) and both first and sustained CID versus SFC (0.73 [0.61, 0.88], P =0.001 and 0.72 [0.58, 0.90], P =0.0036). These data confirm the utility of the CID endpoint as a means of monitoring COPD worsening in patients with moderate-to-severe COPD. Using the CID measure, we demonstrated that dual bronchodilation with IND/GLY significantly reduced the risk of CID versus either long-acting muscarinic antagonist or long-acting β 2 -agonist/inhaled corticosteroid treatment, providing further evidence for the benefit of dual bronchodilation in this patient population.

Dopamine D2 receptor status assessed by IBZM SPECT - A sensitive indicator for cerebral hypoxia

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tatsch, K.; Schwarz, J.; Welz, A.

1995-05-01

The striatum is highly sensitive to tissue hypoxia. Thus, it may be suggested that cerebral hypoxia could affect the integrity of the striatal receptor system. Purpose of the current SPECT investigations with IBZM was to evaluate whether hypoxic conditions cause detectable changes in the D2 receptor status. 25 controls and 30 pts with history of cerebral hypoxia (resuscitation after cardiac arrest: n=19, CABG surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass: n=11) were investigated with SPECT 2h p.i. of 185 MBq I-123 IBZM. For semiquant, evaluation transverse slices corrected for attenuation were used to calculate striatal to frontal cortex (S/FC) ratios. In 13/19 ptsmore » with cerebral hypoxia due to cardiac arrest IBZM binding was severely reduced after successful resuscitation. 7 died, 5 were in a vegetative state, 1 remained severely disabled. In 6/19 S/FC ratios were normal/mildly reduced, 2 of them had a good outcome, 4 were moderatley disabled. In pts with CABG IBZM binding was preoperatively normal. After hypoxia due to cardiac surgery striatal S/FC ratios decreased slightly, persisting on this level even 6 months after surgery. Neuropsychological/psychiatric testing showed only minor or transient changes in this group of patients. The striatal D2 receptor status seems to be a sensitive indicator for cerebral hypoxia. After hypoxia due to cardiac arrest IBZM results well correlate (in contrast to morphological or SEP findings) with the clinical outcome and thus may serve as early predictor of the individual prognosis. The moderate decline in IBZM binding following CABG surgery suggests mild cerebral hypoxia despite of protective hypothermia. Sensitively indicating cerebral hypoxia changes in the D2 receptor status assessed by IBZM SPECT may serve as a valuable diagnostic tool for testing neuroprotective drugs or modified surgical techniques.« less