Energy Content Research Articles

Chemical Composition of Newborn Piglets with Different Weights at Birth in Sows with a High Reproductive Performance.

The present study aimed to quantify and update the data on the body composition (energy nutrients) of newborn piglets of different body weights at the time of birth, as well as of the placenta mass. Data were collected from newborn piglets (n = 25) from modern genetic lines which were stillborn or died within the first 24 h of life after being crushed to death with various body weights at birth (<0.8 kg (n = 5); 0.8-1.2 kg (n = 5); >1.2-1.6 kg (common birth weight, n = 10) and >1.6 kg (n = 5)). The placenta (n = 20) of sows from a conventional breeding farm were collected, too. The body composition of newborns of "normal" (>1.2-1.6 kg) and even lighter (0.8-1.2) weights still indicated a "normal" composition. In the case of a lower body weight of piglets <0.8 kg at birth, the crude ash (24.1%) and crude protein (8.21%) contents were higher, but the crude fat (16.1%), carbohydrate (57.4%), and gross energy (3.60%) contents were lower. The placental composition in comparison to the piglet body composition was characterized by higher crude protein contents (24.3%) and lower crude ash (31.6%), crude fat (9.08%), and carbohydrate (55.6%) contents. In conclusion, the energy and protein accumulation in the total mass of fetuses and placentas increased by 75% and 64%, respectively, in comparison to times in which the litter size varied around 10-12 piglets, essentially as a result of the larger fetal mass and not of a different body composition.

111 Current and future usage of soybean meal in swine diets in China

Abstract The objective of this presentation was to introduce the utilization tendency and research progress of soybean meal (SBM) in swine diets in China. As for the utilization tendency of SBM in China, it not only brings great pressure to the food security of China, but also directly pushes the high production cost of animal products. In 2022, 117 million tons of protein feed was consumed by the animal husbandry in China, accounting for nearly 1/3 of the total protein feed consumption in the world. Thus, the application of low-protein diet has been promoted with the strong support of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in China since 2018. With the related techniques, including popularizing low protein diet, developing new protein feed resources, promoting precise nutrition, and feeding technology, even though the compound feed output has increased by more than 84 million tons in 2022 in China, the SBM consumption in feed has reduced 6%. Recently, the geopolitical challenges, regional unrest and climate change tendency have increased the great uncertainty of protein feed supply, which requires us to deeply understand the significance of SBM reduction and substitution in animal feed. As for the research progress, the available energy contents of SBM were determined on growing pigs. Barrows [n = 24; initial body weight (BW) = 36 ± 1.4 kg] were randomly allotted to 4 diets containing SBM with either corn basal or corn-soybean meal basal, and total feces and urine collection method and indirect calorimetry method were used to determine the available energy of SBM. The results showed that the average digestible energy (DE), metabolizable energy (ME), net energy (NE), and retained energy (RE) values in SBM [17.36, 16.52, 10.62, and 5.06 MJ/kg dry matter (DM), respectively] determined using the corn-SBM-basal diet were not different from the those determined using the corn-basal diet. Moreover, the best fitted prediction equations developed based on 22 SBM samples produced from soybeans from China (n = 6), USA (n = 6), Brazil (n = 7) or Argentina (n = 3) were: DE = 38.44 - 0.43 CF - 0.98 GE + 0.11 ADF (R2 = 0.67, P &amp;lt; 0.01) and ME = 2.74 + 0.97 DE - 0.06 CP (R2 = 0.79, P &amp;lt; 0.01). The in vitro digestion kinetics of SBM from different sources showed that the release of amino acids in the 0-10 min time interval was significantly negatively correlated with the NE of SBM (R2 = -0.34).

107 Soybean meal energy value under field conditions: Where are we at and where are we going?

Abstract Soybean meal (SBM) is the main protein source for swine diets globally. Considering its wide utilization and relevance to the swine industry, it is critical to accurately characterize its nutritional profile. The net energy (NE) of SBM has been particularly scrutinized as an increasing amount of evidence suggests it may be underestimated. For instance, the NRC (2012) reports the NE of SBM as 2,087 kcal/kg. Recent indirect calorimetry trials suggest, however, that this value could be at least 8% greater. Furthermore, large scale growth assays conducted under the rigors and challenges of field conditions indicate that the energy of SBM may be even greater. The foundation of such growth assays is to relate the energy value of a test ingredient, in this case SBM, to the energy value of a known ingredient it replaces in diet formulation, such as corn. Changes in feed and caloric efficiencies are measured and can then be used to estimate the energy content of SBM relative to corn. Multiple field trials established that when fed increasing levels of SBM, late nursery, growing, and finishing pigs respond with linear improvements in feed and caloric efficiencies, suggesting an underestimation of the energy value of SBM. In those cases, while the NRC value for SBM NE is 78% of corn NE, this value ranges from 100 to 125% under field conditions. It is hypothesized that the discrepancy between NE values derived from academic and commercial facilities could be driven by differences in health and environmental conditions and the functional molecules within SBM. These functional molecules, such as isoflavones and saponins, have been reported to exert anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and antioxidant properties. In a challenging field environment, such molecules could bolster the immune response, consequently conserving and redirecting energy from the immune system to growth. Although the evidence is robust, it is critical to understand the particularities of such trials. The methodology utilized is clearly not the same as classic NE measurements. Thus, the term productive energy has been proposed to describe the energy value observed in growth assays. Although all studies agree that the energy of SBM should be greater than traditional publications, there is significant variability across studies which should be further investigated. Nevertheless, these findings provide important insight regarding the value of SBM, particularly for practical swine nutritionists.

172 Effects of post-MSC DDGS inclusion in gestation diets on total tract nutrient and energy digestibility compared with other fiber sources

Abstract The high fiber content of corn dried distiller grains with solubles (DDGS) make it an ideal candidate for inclusion in gestation sow diets. Gestating sows, however, have greater utilization of fibrous ingredients, and nutrient values attained in grower pigs are not representative of nutrient metrics for gestating sows. The objective of this study was to evaluate apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of energy and nutrients from post-protein separation (post-MSC) DDGS provided to gestating sows in comparison with soyhulls and sugar beet pulp; two commonly used fiber sources in gestation diets. Pregnant sows [n = 22; parity 0 to 1; initial body weight (BW) = 190 ± 10 kg] were allocated to 1 of 6 dietary treatments in a crossover design with two collection periods (period 1 from d 40-59 of gestation and period 2 from d 60-79 of gestation) to attain at least 7 observations per treatment. Two of the six diets were practical corn-soybean meal-based gestation diets with either soyhulls (17.5% inclusion) or post-MSC DDGS (15% inclusion) to determine ATTD of energy and nutrients in complete diets. The remaining four diets included a corn-basal diet and the basal diet plus 30% inclusion of post-MSC DDGS, soyhulls, or sugar beet pulp. Titanium dioxide was included as an indigestible marker to calculate ATTD. Sows were fed experimental diets (2.2 kg/d in a single feeding) in two 20-d collection periods where the initial 14 d considered a diet adaptation period followed by 5 d for total collection of urine (collected using urine catheters inserted on d 14) and grab fecal samples. Energy values for the post-MSC DDGS, soyhulls, and sugar beet pulp in the corn-basal diets were calculated using differential procedure. Data were analyzed with ANOVA and fixed to a mixed linear model using treatment as the main effect and collection period as a random variable. The ATTD of the post-MSC DDGS practical diet was 8% greater in ATTD of crude protein and 13% greater in ATTD of ether extract than the practical soyhull diet (P &amp;lt; 0.01). The ATTD of gross energy of post-MSC DDGS was 16% greater than soyhulls (P &amp;lt; 0.01). This resulted in an 800 and 750 kcal/kg greater digestible energy and metabolizable energy content, respectively on an as-fed basis in post-MSC DDGS compared with soyhulls and sugar beet pulp (P &amp;lt; 0.01). The post-MSC DDGS also had a net energy value (as-fed basis) 700 kcal/kg greater than soyhulls and sugar beet pulp. In conclusion, post-MSC DDGS is suitable for inclusion in gestating sow diets as a fiber source while meeting the energy needs of the gestating sow.

Performance Assessment Of Two Active Absorption Systems In A Large Wave Flume

The quality of most coastal or ocean laboratory experiment depends on the accuracy, uniformity and stability of the generated waves. Generation of waves in the laboratory seems simple, but it should consider the spatio-temporal variability of the wave profile. As they propagate, waves interact with the boundaries, i.e. changes in water depth, lateral walls, test specimens, instrument supporting structures, passive absorbers, etc., as well as with varying hydrodynamic conditions (wave-induced currents, wave-wave interactions, or nonlinear energy transfer, among others). Reflected, scattered and radiated waves may propagate back to the wave generator and reflect back. Re-reflections from the wave generator may be a non-realistic representation of the intended wave field, to the extent that the total energy content in the testing facility may increase significantly and uncontrollably. Theoretically, for weakly nonlinear unidirectional waves propagating over a relatively small number of wavelengths, and as long as the still water depth and facility width does not change, the wave properties should remain constant in space and time, which can be identified as the uniformity and stability of the waves. Under these conditions, nonuniform or unsteady wave properties can be associated to an inadequate selection of the wave theory (Airy, Stokes n-order, Cnoidal, Stream Function, etc., e.g. Fenton 1999), the approximation of the wave generation technique (first or second order, nonlinear - see e.g. Mohtat et al., 2020), formation of wave instabilities (e.g. Benjamin-Feir, 1967), wave reflection, scattering or radiation, and the performance of the active wave absorption system. It can be said that the performance of the active wave absorption control system is one of the responsible factors that can affect directly the quality of the generated waves. Many laboratories have implemented different passive and active wave absorption systems, but the performance on the uniformity and stability of the generated waves, as well as the performance of the active wave absorption system used, have not been assessed in a systematic way, and related published data and information is quite scarce, with few interesting exceptions, e.g. (Lykke-Andersen, 2016; Spinneken 2010; Schäffer and Skourup 1996). However, a direct comparison among the different available active wave absorption control systems is still missing. This paper presents a thorough experimental study on the performance assessment of two different active wave absorption control systems (MTS and Awasys7) as a means to establish the quality of the experiment in terms of the uniformity (space) and stability (time) of generated wave parameters (descriptors) in the laboratory.

143 Effect of increasing dietary net energy content at a constant lysine on feed intake and performance of 7 to 11 kg and 11 to 20 kg pigs

Abstract Information about NE requirements for nursery pigs is still limited. Therefore, 2 experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary NE contents on growth performance of 7 to 11 kg pigs (Exp. 1) and 11 to 20 kg pigs (Exp. 2). In Exp. 1, mixed-sex pigs (n = 192; PIC; initial body weight (BW) of 7.8 ± 1.07 kg] were assigned to 4 diets for 14 d. Diets 1 to 4 were formulated to contain 4 levels of NE (9.8, 10.1, 10.4 and 10.7 MJ/kg) and adequate in all AA with standardized ileal digestible (SID) Lys being constant at 1.42%. In Exp. 2, mixed-sex pigs (n = 192; PIC; initial BW of 11.2 ± 1.54 kg) were assigned to 4 diets for 21 d. Diets 1 to 4 contained 4 levels of NE (9.6, 9.9, 10.2 and 10.5 MJ/kg) and adequate in all AA (1.32% SID Lys). For both studies, there were 6 pen replicates (4 entire males and 4 gilts/pen) per treatment, and diets were based on corn, soybean meal, whey powder, wheat bran and soy oil. Pigs had ad libitum access to feed (mash) and water. Individual pigs and pen feed disappearance were weighed weekly to calculate average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), and feed efficiency gain to feed ratio (G:F). Data were analyzed by ANOVA using the GLM procedure of SAS with pen as the experimental unit. In Exp. 1, ADFI tended to decrease (quadratic; P ≤ 0.08) with increasing NE levels during d 0 to 7 and d 8 to 14. The ADG during d 0 to 7 tended to be greater (158, 192, 187 and 152 g for diets 1 to 4; quadratic; P = 0.08) at 10.1 MJ/kg NE; however, the overall ADG (d 0 to 14) was not affected by the NE levels. Although not significant, G:F, Lys utilization efficiency were greatest at 10.1 MJ/kg NE for the overall period. In Exp. 2, ADFI decreased (827, 783, 768 and 749 g for diets 1 to 4; linear; P = 0.05) with increasing NE levels during d 15 to 21 but was not affected (P &amp;gt; 0.05) for other periods. The ADG (d 8 to 14) tended to be greater at 9.6 MJ/kg NE (quadratic; P = 0.06) and G:F (d 15 to 21) tended to be greater at a dietary NE of 10.2 MJ/kg (linear; P = 0.10). However, the overall (d 0 to 21) ADG and G:F were not affected (P &amp;gt; 0.05) by NE levels. Although not significant, G:F and Lys utilization efficiency were greatest at a dietary NE of 10.2 MJ/kg for the overall period. These results indicate that G:F of 7 to 11 kg pigs and 11 to 20 kg pigs maximized at a dietary NE content of 10.1 MJ/kg and 10.2 MJ/kg, which correspond to 1.41 and 1.29 g SID Lys/MJ NE, respectively.

Relationship Between Energy and Protein Intake with The Nutritional Status of Children Aged 7-18 Years at Griya Sahabat Yatim Dhuafa in Gedangan Sidoarjo

At the age of 7-18 years, consumption of carbohydrates as a source of energy and consumption of protein sources greatly affects their nutritional status. There are several foster children at GSY Dhuafa who are facing nutritional problems due to insufficient nutrition from food that is rich in energy and protein content. This study aims to determine whether there is a relationship between energy and protein intake with the nutritional status of foster children At GSY Dhuafa in 2023. Using a cross-sectional research method with a sample of 35 children using a total sampling technique. Data analysis in this study used univariate and bivariate analysis with the Chi-square test. From the research that has been done, the results show that there is a strong relationship between the adequacy of energy and protein nutrition and nutritional status (p=0.000), while protein intake has results (p=0.354), which means that there is no relationship between protein and nutritional status. There is a relationship between energy intake and nutritional status and there is no relationship between protein intake and the nutritional status of the respondents. It is expected to pay more attention to intake to meet nutritional needs in order to achieve good nutritional status.

Performance Evaluation of an Anode-Supported SOFC Short-Stack Operating with Different Fuel Blends as Stationary-CHP System

Abstract In the perspective of the transition of gas grids towards hydrogen/natural gas blends or even pure hydrogen, Solid Oxide Fuel Cells “SOFC” could play a crucial role as efficient and clean stationary Combined Heat and Power systems, flexibly operating on different feedstocks. A solid oxide fuel cell short stack is analyzed experimentally under different fuel gas compositions which emulate different gas grid transition scenarios. The testing campaign is defined with the aid of a preliminary system-level simulation which assesses system architecture and operating strategy (off-gas recirculation, external reforming, etc.). Experimental tests (polarization curves and performance/efficiency maps) are run in different operating conditions in terms of fuel utilization and temperature in three gas composition scenarios. &amp;#xD;To assess the efficiency of the SOFC unit under the different feedstock operation, different formulations of stack and system efficiencies are proposed and analyzed, based on the boundary conditions considered for the input/output energy streams. &amp;#xD;Experimental results were key to evaluate the different efficiency definitions proposed; albeit the highest voltage/power is obtained with the 100% H2 scenario, the efficiency may be higher with 100% NG and blend scenarios, due to the lower energy content of the input fuel.&amp;#xD;

Green hydrogen as a source of renewable energy: a step towards sustainability, an overview

AbstractHydrogen has emerged as a promising energy source for a cleaner and more sustainable future due to its clean-burning nature, versatility, and high energy content. Moreover, hydrogen is an energy carrier with the potential to replace fossil fuels as the primary source of energy in various industries. In this review article, we explore the potential of hydrogen as a part of the global energy mix and the current state of its development. The majority of hydrogen production currently occurs through steam methane reforming, which produces significant greenhouse gas emissions and limits the potential of hydrogen as a clean energy source. Significant investment and advancements in renewable hydrogen production through electrolysis are necessary to overcome this limitation. There is also a growing demand for hydrogen infrastructure, including hydrogen refueling stations and storage and transportation systems, which are crucial for the growth and success of the hydrogen industry. The future of hydrogen as a part of the global energy mix will depend on continued investment and commitment to develop and commercialize this promising energy source. Our review also explores the relationship between eco-industrial parks and hydrogen production, including the benefits and challenges of hydrogen production in EIPs and the various technologies being developed to facilitate this process.

Comprehensive analysis of differences in the physiochemical composition of foremilk and hindmilk of grazing indigenous and crossbred dairy goats; implications for growth, milk production and industry.

This study was conducted on 90 grazing Hair, Alpine × Hair F1 (AHF1), and Saanen × Hair F1 (SHF1) crossbred goats in three farms located around the Taurus Mountains in Konya, Türkiye. The study investigated variation in milk production, physico-chemical traits of milk fractions (foremilk, hindmilk and total milk), and growth traits. Genotype, parity, offspring sex, birth type, and flock factors significantly influenced milk production and quality traits of milk fractions (P < 0.05 to P < 0.01). Does with male/single offspring produced less milk, but with higher nutrient density (P < 0.05). Hindmilk was 272%, 31% and 61% richer in fat, total solids and energy content than foremilk, respectively (P < 0.001). However, the protein, lactose and solids-non-fat content of hindmilk was on average 7% lower than that of foremilk (P < 0.001). Physico-chemical quality traits of foremilk, hindmilk and total milk had a strong negative correlation with daily milk yield (P < 0.05 to P < 0.001). Live weight and average daily gains (ADG) of kids were influenced by maternal parity, flock, offspring sex and birth type (P < 0.05). The overall Kleiber ratios (KR) from birth to 2 months, birth to 3 months, birth to 6 months and 3 to 6 months of age were 21.0 ± 0.22, 17.1 ± 0.11, 10.5 ± 0.06 and 8.5 ± 0.21g/kg of metabolic weight, respectively. It was concluded that these findings are critical for milk sampling protocols, offspring growth strategies, product development and precision livestock management.

Multi-pellet injection into the NBI-heated phase of TJ-II plasmas

A pellet-induced enhanced confinement (PiEC) phase, with general characteristics similar to those reported for the stellarator W7-X, is observed after single pellet injection (>1019 H atoms) into the neutral beam injection heated phase of plasmas in the mid-sized heliac-type stellarator TJ-II. In addition to a step-like increase in density, plasma diamagnetic energy content rises significantly with respect to that of reference discharges, energy confinement time is similarly enhanced when compared to International Stellarator Scaling law predictions (Yamada et al 2005 Nucl. Fusion 45 1684) renormalized for TJ-II, and the triple product, n e · T i · τ E, exhibits a clear bifurcation towards an improved confinement branch when compared to the branch product predicted by the same law. In this work, multiple pellets are injected in series into NBI-heated plasmas in the TJ-II and post-injection plasma performance is reported and discussed. For instance, a charge-exchange recombination spectroscopy diagnostic reveals significantly increased core ion temperatures after pellet injection compared to temperatures achieved in comparable reference plasmas, this pointing to increased ion energy content and improved ion energy confinement during a PiEC phase. It is also found that enhanced performance is independent of whether co- or counter-NBI heating beam is employed. Finally, record stored diamagnetic energy content and plasma beta values are achieved when the largest available pellets are employed. The results indicate that pellet injections extend the operational regime well beyond limits previously achieved in TJ-II without pellets.

Relationship of selected properties of Cambisols to altitude and forest ecosystems of four vegetation grades

Currently, little is known about the spatial variability of significant soil properties and their relationships to forest ecosystems of different vegetation grades. This work evaluates the variability of the properties of the upper layer of Cambisol taxa and their relationship to altitude and forest ecosystems of 2nd to 5th forest vegetation grades selected in the Western Carpathians using PCA and regression analysis. The content of clay, total carbon and total nitrogen, humus, energy, and ash in the soils varied between 5.43 and 11.53 %, 21–65 mg g−1, 1.9–4.7 mg g−1, 36–112 mg g−1, 438.4–5845.7 J g−1 and 852.9–946.3 mg g−1, and C/N, pHH2O, and pHKCl values ranged between 11.2 and 16.7, 4.0–5.8 and 3.1–4.6. PCA showed that EAC in the 3rd oak-beech vegetation grade had significantly higher pH values and significantly lower energy content, ESC in the 4th beech vegetation grade had a significantly higher ash content and a significantly lower energy content, and DC in the 5th fir-beech vegetation grade had a significantly higher content of Ct, Nt, and humus. Linear regression revealed a strong negative correlation between the energy content and soil reaction (R2 for pHH2O = 0.48; R2 for pHKCl = 0.38) for all Cambisol taxa. Ct content and ash show a strong negative correlation (R2 = 0.78). The positive relationship between altitude and FVGs was found only for the soil Ct (R2 = 0.87), Nt (R2 = 0.81), and humus content (R2 = 0.87). A strong negative linear relationship between altitude and FVGs showed the ash content (R2 = 0.77). In turn, the oscillatory, polynomial course had a relationship between the clay content (R2 = 0.65) and energy (R2 = 0.75) to altitude and FVGs. Recognizing significant soil variables and better understanding their impact on the development of forest ecosystems is a prerequisite for distinguishing areas with the highest risk of their damage under conditions of various anthropogenic interventions and climate change. Therefore, this topic continues to require increased research efforts. For this reason, a better understanding of the relationships between soil properties and ecologically differentiated communities of forest ecosystems will allow us to identify areas with the highest risk of ecological changes that could lead to the degradation of European forests in the future.

The analysis of nutritive value, vitamin, and minerals content of natural isotonic beverages formulated from Smart Green House Melon

The development of isotonic beverages on the market is very rapid because many types of isotonic beverages meet the standards for consumption. One of the local food ingredients that has the potential to be developed as a natural isotonic beverage is melon because it has good nutritional and energy content. This study aims to determine the nutritional and mineral content of three isotonic beverage formulations made from Smart Green House (SGH) melon. The method of this study is an experimental laboratory. There are three formulations of isotonic beverages, P1 contains 89.5% of melon, P1 contains 84.5% of melon, and P3 contains 74.5% of melon. The Laboratory analysis showed that formula P1 has higher nutritional content than formula P2 and P3. The nutrition contents of P1 are potassium 149 + 2.83 mg/100g, sodium 132 + 4.24 mg/100g, pH 4.35 + 0.01, vitamin C 11.3 + 0.28%, calories 44.99 + 0.06 kcal/100 g, carbohydrates 10.23 + 0.04%, and sucrose 8.78 + 0.04%. Based on the results of this research, it can be concluded that SGH melon has the potential to be developed into a healthy isotonic beverage.

Transient analysis of growth/decay in materials utilizing a digital exponential peeling method

AbstractAn algorithm is proposed to implement digital peeling to determine dominant time constants of an exponential transient process. The method is simpler to implement and reduces computational time to a large extent in comparison to other techniques widely used. Apart from a synthetic test function, the algorithm has been implemented on reported experimental transient decay curves of Cs2HfCl6 (CHC) single crystal scintillation to verify its efficacy. Finally, drain current detrapping transients of unpassivated AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) are analyzed to determine the trap energy levels and concentrations. The validation of this digital peeling technique is also carried out by comparing with conventional method of time constant extraction from HEMT current transients. The extracted exponentials from the transient data efficiently fits well with the experimental data and can be extensively used for transient analysis. The digital peeling technique has wide applicability and can be used to analyze all exponential processes which occur in all domains of science.

Thermodynamic and economic analysis of a deployable and scalable process to recover Monomer-Grade styrene from waste polystyrene

Less than 5 % of polystyrene is recycled, motivating a search for energy efficient and economical methods for polystyrene recycling that can be deployed at scale. One option is chemical recycling, consisting of thermal depolymerization and purification to produce monomer-grade styrene (>99 %) and other co-products. Thermal depolymerization and distillation are readily scalable, well-established technologies; however, to be considered practical, they must be thermodynamically efficient, economically feasible, and environmentally responsible. Accordingly, mass and energy balances of a pyrolysis reactor for thermal depolymerization and two distillation columns to separate styrene from α-methyl styrene, styrene dimer, toluene, and ethyl benzene co-products, were simulated using ASPEN to evaluate thermodynamic and economic feasibility. These simulations indicate that monomer-grade styrene can be recovered with energy inputs < 10 MJ/kg, comparable to the energy content of pyrolysis co-products. Thermodynamic sensitivity analysis indicates the scope to reduce these values and enhance the robustness of the predictions. A probabilistic economic analysis of multiple scenarios combined with detailed sensitivity analysis indicates that the cost for recycled styrene is approximately twice the historical market value of fossil-derived styrene when styrene costs are fixed at 15 % of the total product cost or less than the historical value when feedstock costs are assumed to be zero. A Monte Carlo and Net Present Value-based economic performance analysis indicates that chemical recycling is economically viable for scenarios assuming realistic feedstock costs. Furthermore, the CO2 abatement cost is roughly $1.5 per ton of averted CO2, relative to a pyrolysis process system to produce fuels. As much as 60 % of all polystyrene used today could be replaced by chemically recycled styrene, thus quantifying the potential benefits of this readily scalable approach.

Impact of germination and hydrothermal treatment on nutrient profiles and color characteristics of minor millets (kodo millet, little millet, and barnyard millet)

The impact of different pre-treatment methods, namely germination and hydrothermal treatment, on the proximate and physiochemical properties of kodo millet, barnyard millet, and little millet were investigated in this study. This study involved subjecting these millet varieties to various conditions in each pre-treatment method. In germination, the soaking time was varied with three time periods, which were 4 h, 6 h, and 8 h, followed by germination for 48 h. For hydrothermal treatment, the soaking time and temperature were constant, but the steaming times were 10 min, 15 min, and 20 min. In germination, the protein, moisture, and energy contents increased, while the fat, ash, and carbohydrate contents decreased. In hydrothermal treatment, the protein, fat, and ash contents decreased, while the moisture, energy, and carbohydrate contents increased. In germination, the L values increased and the a and b values decreased, while in hydrothermal treatment, the L values decreased and the a and b values increased. These findings shed light on the effects of these pre-treatment methods on the nutritional and physiochemical composition of millet varieties, providing valuable insights for further research and potential applications in the food industry.

Understanding stoichiometric constraints on growth using resource use efficiency imbalances

Growth is a function of the net accrual of resources by an organism. Energy and elemental contents of organisms are dynamically linked through their uptake and allocation to biomass production, yet we lack a full understanding of how these dynamics regulate growth rate. Here, we develop a multivariate imbalance framework, the growth efficiency hypothesis, linking organismal resource contents to growth and metabolic use efficiencies, and demonstrate its effectiveness in predicting consumer growth rates under elemental and food quantity limitation. The relative proportions of carbon (%C), nitrogen (%N), phosphorus (%P), and adenosine triphosphate (%ATP) in consumers differed markedly across resource limitation treatments. Differences in their resource composition were linked to systematic changes in stoichiometric use efficiencies, which served to maintain relatively consistent relationships between elemental and ATP content in consumer tissues and optimize biomass production. Overall, these adjustments were quantitatively linked to growth, enabling highly accurate predictions of consumer growth rates.

Determination of Energy Content of “Zero-Sugar” Artificial Sweeteners via Bomb Calorimetry and Theoretical Calculations

Determination of Energy Content of “Zero-Sugar” Artificial Sweeteners via Bomb Calorimetry and Theoretical Calculations

Guiding Transient Peptide Assemblies with Structural Elements Embedded in Abiotic Phosphate Fuels

Despite great progress on the construction of non‐equilibrium systems, most approaches do not consider the structure of the fuel as a critical element to control the processes. Herein, we show that the amino acid side chains (A, F, Nal) in the structure of abiotic phosphates can direct assembly and reactivity during transient structure formation. The fuels bind covalently to substrates and subsequently influence the structures in the assembly process. We focus on the ways in which the phosphate esters guide structure formation and how structures and reactivity cross regulate when constructing assemblies. Through the chemical functionalization of energy‐rich aminoacyl phosphate esters, we are able to control the yield to esters and thioesters upon adding dipeptides containing tyrosine or cysteine residues. The structural elements around the phosphate esters guide the lifetime of the structures formed and their supramolecular assemblies. These properties can further be influenced by the peptide sequence of substrates, incorporating anionic, aliphatic and aromatic residues. Furthermore, we illustrate that oligomerization of esters can be initiated from a single aminoacyl phosphate ester incorporating a tyrosine residue (Y). These findings suggest that activated amino acids with varying reactivity and energy contents can pave the way for designing and fabricating structured fuels.

Guiding Transient Peptide Assemblies with Structural Elements Embedded in Abiotic Phosphate Fuels.

Despite great progress on the construction of non-equilibrium systems, most approaches do not consider the structure of the fuel as a critical element to control the processes. Herein, we show that the amino acid side chains (A, F, Nal) in the structure of abiotic phosphates can direct assembly and reactivity during transient structure formation. The fuels bind covalently to substrates and subsequently influence the structures in the assembly process. We focus on the ways in which the phosphate esters guide structure formation and how structures and reactivity cross regulate when constructing assemblies. Through the chemical functionalization of energy-rich aminoacyl phosphate esters, we are able to control the yield to esters and thioesters upon adding dipeptides containing tyrosine or cysteine residues. The structural elements around the phosphate esters guide the lifetime of the structures formed and their supramolecular assemblies. These properties can further be influenced by the peptide sequence of substrates, incorporating anionic, aliphatic and aromatic residues. Furthermore, we illustrate that oligomerization of esters can be initiated from a single aminoacyl phosphate ester incorporating a tyrosine residue (Y). These findings suggest that activated amino acids with varying reactivity and energy contents can pave the way for designing and fabricating structured fuels.