Energy Supplementation Research Articles

Modeling composition of properties of biogas produced from the Co-digestion of cow-dung and organic kitchen waste

Public concerns about climate change, air pollution, water quality and rising energy consumption have place pressure on producers and industry to reduce emissions and promote pollution-free sources of energy. One of the most generally available sources of renewable energy is biogas; hence, this study on kinetic modeling of the biogas composition was carried out at ambient condition for a period of 30 days to supplement energy requirements in farms and houses. The substrates, cow dung and organic kitchen waste were co-digested at different ratios for biogas production at laboratory scale. The digesters substrate had 3300g of feed each with varying ratios of 70:30 (Sample A), 50:50 (Sample B), 40:60 (Sample C), and 30:70 (Sample D) of cow dung to organic kitchen waste respectively. A biogas analyzer was used for the measurement of gas composition, biodigester operating parameter were measured using a multi-meter, while gas volume was obtained using calibrated floating drum. The model showed polynomial correlation as best fit using the R2 method.

Dietary supplements intake among youth: preliminary results of a multicentric survey

Abstract Background In the last decades, a wide spread of dietary supplements (DSs) has been observed worldwide. However, DS use is not always motivated by real nutritional needs. In this context, commercial strategies and peers’ suggestions seem to play an important role in determining this habit, with harmful effects on consumers’ health. This cross-sectional study was aimed to evaluate the DS consumption patterns among a sample of undergraduate students attending 14 Italian universities. Methods An anonymous web questionnaire was used to collect information about DS use and consumption habits, related motivations and possible adverse effects. The survey is still ongoing and its conclusion is expected to be on May 2022. Results On a total of 2019 participants enrolled so far (69.7% female, mean age 22.8±4.7), 72.6% reported the use of at least a DS in the last six months. Multivitamin and multimineral products were the most used, being reported by 35.8% of the participants, while caffeinated energy supplements were the less reported (2.0%). The main reason for DS use was to deal with a specific deficiency following a physician or nutritionist indication (47.8%). The 3.4% of participants reported the occurrence of negative outcomes, mainly gastrointestinal disorders (74%). Conclusions These preliminary results evidenced a wide use of DSs in the studied population. Although the main motivation was a nutritional need with a medical recommendation, a notable proportion of the sample assumed DSs without any specific prescription. Thus, it is essential to increase the knowledge about DSs and related threats deriving from their inappropriate use in the population, especially among youths. Further analysis will allow to identify possible correlations with socio-demographic and behavioural variables. Key messages • It is essential to increase the knowledge about dietary supplements to avoid an inappropriate use in the population. • Youths are the most exposed to this consumption.

Molecular Classification of Genes Associated with Hypoxic Lipid Metabolism in Pancreatic Cancer.

Abnormal lipid metabolism often occurs under hypoxic microenvironment, which is an important energy supplement for cancer cell proliferation and metastasis. We aimed to explore the lipid metabolism characteristics and gene expression features of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) related to hypoxia and identify biomarkers for molecular classification based on hypoxic lipid metabolism that are evaluable for PDAC prognosis and therapy. The multiple datasets were analyzed integratively, including corresponding clinical information of samples. PDAC possesses a distinct metabolic profile and oxygen level compared with normal pancreatic tissues, according to the bioinformatics methods. In addition, a study on untargeted metabolomics using Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry(UPLC-MS) revealed lipid metabolites differences affected by oxygen. Analysis of PDAC gene expression profiling in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) revealed that the sphingolipid process correlates closely with HIF1α. According to the characters of HIF-1 and sphingolipid, samples can be clustered into three subgroups using non-negative matrix factorization clustering. In cluster2, patients had an increased survival time. Relatively high MUC16 mutation arises in cluster2 and may positively influence the cancer survival rates. This study explored the expression pattern of lipid metabolism under hypoxia microenvironment in PDAC. On the basis of metabolic signatures, we identified the prognosis subtypes linking lipid metabolism to hypoxia. The classifications may be conducive to developing personalized treatment programs targeting metabolic profiles.

Oral energy supplementation improves nutritional status in hemodialysis patients with protein-energy wasting: A pilot study.

Background: Protein-energy wasting (PEW) is highly prevalent in hemodialysis (HD) patients, which is associated with poor quality of life, complications, and an increased risk of mortality. A prospective study in HD patients with 2months of oral energy supplements (OESs) was performed. Methods: A total of 37 HD patients with PEW were finally enrolled in this prospective study and were randomized into the OES group (n = 19), which received oral energy supplementation (300kcal) and dietary recommendations, while patients in the non-OES group (n = 18) received only dietary recommendations. The study duration was 2months. The nutritional status of the patients was evaluated by laboratory indexes, body composition parameters, and the modified quantitative subjective global assessment (MQSGA) and malnutrition-inflammation score (MIS). Quality of life was evaluated by the Short Form Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-36). Results: After 2months of therapy, a significant increase in serum albumin [39.6 (37.6-45.8) vs. 43.4 (39.1-46.7) g/L; p = 0.018], hemoglobin (101.0 ± 13.6g/L vs. 111.8 ± 11.7g/L; p = 0.042), and dietary energy intake (29.17 ± 3.22kcal/kg/day vs. 33.60 ± 2.72kcal/kg/day, p < 0.001) was observed in the comparisons of baseline in the OES group. Moreover, the OES group demonstrated significant amelioration in MQSGA [9 (8-13) vs. 8 (7-12), p < 0.001] and MIS [5 (3-10) vs. 3 (2-8), p < 0.001], physical functioning (p < 0.001), and mental health (p = 0.046) subsections of SF-36 compared with the baseline. No electrolyte disorders or dyslipidemia were observed in the OES group. Conclusion: OES in HD patients with PEW can significantly ameliorate energy supply, nutritional status, anemia, and quality of life.

Design of Efficient Storage Unit and EP-ANFIS Controller for On-grid and Off-grid Connected PV-WT System

The controllers developed so far for the on-grid and off-grid operation is based on frequency regulation at grid and have yield poor switching by inducing oscillation. Hence to solve this problem in this paper, the switching between the on-grid and off-grid are made by the Emperor penguin based Adaptive fuzzy neuro inference system (EP-ANFIS) controller, which works based on the energy supplied to the load. To serve the transient load condition the hybrid storage unit is modelled by social-ski driver algorithm (SSD) that will schedule the energy supplement between the grid and generator. The proposed controller model provides stable operation during the switching process that is without the transient oscillation the switching is smooth. The error in data selection for the ANFIS is reduced by the Emperor penguin optimization (EPO) as 0.1 for the test data. The proposed work is implemented in Matlab/Simulink platform. The results are compared with the existing works in terms of voltage, current, power, and THD. When examining for transient load condition the settling time for the controller to the steady state is 0.78 s which is comparatively low with PID, PI, ANFIS, and ANFIS-PSO controllers. The THD is reduced to 9.11% from the existing methods by maintain the fundamental frequency of 50 Hz.

Decoupling control scheme optimization and energy analysis for a triaxial gas turbine based on the variable power offtakes/inputs

Hybrid electric propulsion systems (HEPS) are developed to improve power system performance, however, increases the weight of power system. A novel HEPS is proposed for a triaxial gas turbine to downsize the battery and improve the power density. It has two electric machines for high- and low-pressure shafts. The electric machines supplement or extract mechanical energy. A corresponding decoupling control scheme is developed to regulate the powers of the electric machines and decouple the common operating points from the gas turbine load. A component-level model is built to optimize the decoupling control scheme and perform the energy analysis for the novel HEPS.The component match and thermodynamic cycle parameters are optimized to improve efficiency and extend lifetime for the triaxial gas turbine. The HEPS simultaneously decreases the specific fuel consumption by 10.9% and the high-pressure turbine inlet temperature (HTIT) by 13 K as the fuel mass flow keeps constant at 30% of the design value. The reduction of specific fuel consumption reaches up to 23.1% as the HTIT keeps constant at 827 K. The maximum battery power only is 6.3% of the design power of the gas turbine in the proposed HEPS. The power density of HEPS is effectively enhanced.

Invited Review: Rise of craft distilleries in the southeastern United States increases bourbon-distillery feedstuffs as supplement for beef cattle

As bourbon production in the United States has dramatically increased in the last decade, the availability of spent grain feedstuffs has grown. This review shares information on the various feed products generated from the production of bourbon and spirits, nutrient composition, and general feeding considerations. The main sources of information included were current industry publications and peer-reviewed literature. Databases searched included Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar. Feed analyses collected from bourbon distillery–derived feedstuffs by the authors are included as well as research data generated by the authors. Bourbon distillery–derived feedstuffs are similar in nutritional composition to fuel ethanol sources. However, the variety in grains used and variations in mash bills can result in greater variability compared with products from corn-based ethanol plants. Small craft distilleries are not financially able to invest in dewatering technology, giving rise to a large volume of whole stillage available to livestock operations. There are challenges associated with this large growth in the production of bourbon and spirits and using the increased volume of spent grain feedstuffs available. Bourbon distillery feedstuffs can be a locally available source of supplemental energy and protein for beef cattle. Becoming more familiar with the various feedstuffs and their nutrient profiles, including awareness of and ability to respond to a high degree of variation, will allow for the best results when using these feedstuffs in the diets of ruminants. Livestock managers should develop balanced rations to avoid detrimental effects from feeding these feedstuffs.

Does a high or moderate nutritional supplementation affect the puberty and productive performance of Nellore heifers?

The effects of higher supplementation levels for young Nellore heifers fed tropical forages including their influence on puberty, need to be understood. This study investigated the influence of high and moderate supplementation levels on puberty onset and the productive performance of Nellore heifers. Thirty-six Nellore heifers (225 + 3.52 kg) were used in a completely randomized design, with three treatments: (I) no concentrate (control); (II) concentrate supplement at 4 g/kg body weight (BW); (III) concentrate supplement at 8 g/kg BW. Increased supplement level led to a linear increase in average daily gain (P &lt; 0.05). The high supplementation level (8 g/kg BW) had the highest proportion of corpus luteum presence (82% of heifers), compared to the 4 g/kg BW treatment group (67%) and the control group (33%; P &lt; 0.05). Our findings indicate that providing a high level of energy supplementation to Nellore heifers for approximately 100 d improves performance and increases the proportion of heifers that reach puberty

87 Awardee Talk: Frequency of Energy Supplementation Modulates Growth, Reproduction, Immune Function, and Fetal Programming in Beef Cattle

Abstract Fluctuations in nutrient intake and metabolism can be detrimental to beef cattle performance. Multiple studies evaluated the impacts of reducing the frequency of energy supplementation from daily (7X) to once (1X) or 3 times (3X) weekly during heifer development, calf preconditioning, and late gestation of beef cows on growth, reproduction, immune function, and progeny performance. Reducing the supplementation frequency from 7X to 3X weekly: (1) did not impact average daily gain (ADG; P = 0.52) but hastened (P ≤ 0.05) puberty and pregnancy attainment of beef heifers; and (2) reduced ADG (P = 0.02), increased (P ≤ 0.03) plasma indicators of physiological stress (cortisol and haptoblogin), and decreased (P ≤ 0.05) humoral immune response against pathogens associated with bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in preconditioning beef steers. Reducing the supplementation frequency from 7X to either 3X or 1X weekly during late gestation did not (P ≥ 0.21) impact cow prepartum body condition score and reproduction, but linearly decreased (P = 0.05) calf preweaning growth. The negative effects of infrequent energy supplementation may be attributed to greater fluctuations in plasma concentrations of insulin growth factor-1, glucose, insulin, and urea nitrogen compared to frequent energy supplementation. Later attempts to offset such negative effects of infrequent supplementation observed that neither increasing the supplementation amount (P ≥ 0.21) nor altering the timing of vaccination relative to weaning (P ≥ 0.12) prevented performance reductions in beef cattle supplemented infrequently. Only a gradual reduction in supplementation frequency for preconditioning calves prevented a reduction on growth and improved (P ≤ 0.05) the immune response against BRD pathogens. Combined, these results revealed that frequent energy supplementation during preconditioning of beef steers, development of replacement beef heifers, and late gestation of beef cows was required to optimize their growth, immunity, and reproduction, and the growth performance of their progeny.

An investigation of correlation between structural and functional properties of Nigella sativa protein isolate.

The physicochemical characteristics, amino acid composition, and functional properties of Nigella sativa (NS) seedcake protein extracts were evaluated to establish their potential in nutraceuticals and functional foods. The highest yield (20.2%) of protein isolate (NSPI) from NS seedcake was achieved at an alkali concentration of 0.16 M, a buffer to sample ratio of 1/25 (w/v), extraction time, 15 min, and extraction temperature, 25°C. Amino acid analysis showed that the isolated protein is a good source of amino acids with a significant essential to total amino acid (E/TN) ratio. Further, the protein isolate exhibited maximum solubility at pH 11. The results of the physicochemical analysis clearly indicated that the protein isolate had good water and oil holding capacity, emulsification property, foaming capacity, and foaming stability. The secondary structure of NSPI contained α-helix, β-sheet, and β-turns. In addition, NSPI showed excellent antioxidant, anti-diabetic, and protein digestibility activities. From the experimental data, it could be concluded that NSPI could be an excellent source of proteins for the development of foods with promising functional properties. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Nigella sativa seeds are frequently used as a natural food additive and have been a part of naturopathy for centuries due to their anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anticancer, antidiabetic, immunomodulatory, and cardioprotective properties. Nigella sativa seedcakes obtained as by-products of the oil extraction process are rich in protein content and can be used as a sustainable source of dietary proteins to cater to a wide range of consumers. Being plant-based, they inherently possess several medicinal properties. Analyzing the physicochemical and functional properties of protein isolated from seedcakes allows us to optimize the protein extraction process while providing a better perspective on its potential in the nutraceuticals and food industries. It can be used as an energy supplement in animal feed as a source of protein to replace soybeans and barley. The antioxidant proteins when added to meat-based products have been known to protect the meat from oxidative stress as well as pathogenic organisms, thus, improving its shelf-life. Nigella sativa protein isolates have several applications in the pharmaceutical industry as well.

154 Supplementation of Late Gestation Metabolizable Energy in Beef Cows Reduces Mobilization of Body Reserves Prepartum

Abstract This study evaluated how late gestation metabolizable energy (ME) intake affects performance and metabolism in beef cattle. Primiparous (PP; n = 45) and multiparous (MP; n = 107) Angus-Simmental cows were blocked by calving date and randomly assigned to treatments providing 80 (LME; n = 52), 100 (CME; n = 51), or 120% (HME; n = 49) of ME requirements for 53 d prior to calving. Postpartum, cows were fed the same diet. Rib and rump fat depths were measured by ultrasonography on d -54, -40, -26, -13, 13, 27, and 55 relative to calving. Plasma and serum were collected on d -53, -39, -25, -10, -3, 7, 13, 27, and 55 relative to calving. Serum glucose, beta-hydroxybutyrate, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), and urea, and plasma insulin were measured. Data were analyzed using PROC GLIMMIX with the fixed effects of treatment, parity, and treatment×parity, and random effects of block and cow (block), accounting for repeated measures. Absolute loss of rib and rump fat prepartum was lesser (P ≤ 0.03) for HME. Primiparous heifers lost more (P &amp;lt; 0.01) rib fat prepartum. Prepartum serum urea and NEFA were elevated (P &amp;lt; 0.01) for LME, whereas glucose was elevated (P &amp;lt; 0.01) for HME compared to LME. Multiparous cows had greater (P ≤ 0.02) serum NEFA and plasma insulin prepartum, whereas PP heifers had elevated (P &amp;lt; 0.01) glucose. Treatment did not affect (P ≥ 0.56) the absolute loss of rib nor rump fat postpartum. Serum urea was greater (P &amp;lt; 0.01) in LME than HME postpartum. Multiparous cow serum urea and beta-hydroxybutyrate postpartum was elevated (P ≤ 0.01) postpartum, whereas PP cows had elevated (P &amp;lt; 0.01) plasma insulin. Supplementing excess ME during late gestation reduced mobilization of body reserves before calving but prepartum effects did not continue postpartum.

PSV-B-17 Effect of Dietary Supplementation with Vitamins/Minerals and/or Energy on Fetoplacental Vascularity in Crossbred Angus Heifers

Abstract The objective of these studies was to evaluate if vascularity of the fetal part of the placenta, termed cotyledon (COT), of crossbreed Angus heifers is affected by vitamin and mineral (VTM) and/or energy (NRG) supplementation during pregnancy. We hypothesized that dietary supplementation with VTM and/or NRG would improve fetoplacental vascular development, which is an important index of placental function. Two experiments were conducted: In Exp. 1, 34 heifers were randomly assigned to VTM/NoVTM supplementation 71 days before artificial insemination (AI). At breeding, the diet was maintained and heifers were randomly assigned to receive NRG, resulting in the following treatments combinations: NoVTM-NoNRG (n=8), NoVTM-NRG (n=8), VTM-NoNRG (n=9), and VTM-NRG (n=9). Dietary supplementation was maintained until d 83 when heifers were ovariohysterectomized and COT was collected. On Exp. 2, 72 heifers were randomly assigned to VTM supplementation (n=36) or control (CON) (n=36) treatments at breeding and continuing until parturition when COT from a subset of 28 heifers was collected. The COT from both experiments was evaluated by immunohistochemistry using rabbit anti-CD34 and anti-CD31 antibodies as markers for vascularity along with DAPI for background nuclear staining. In the d 83 group, BS1 lectin was used as a marker of fetal placental tissue. Three images per animal were captured and the percentage/number of blood vessels within the tissue area was analyzed. The data were analyzed using the GLM procedure of SAS. Results indicated that on d 83 COT vascularity was not affected by VTM (P-value = 0.5030), NRG (P-value = 0.5450), or their interaction (P-value = 0.6664), whereas on parturition there was a tendency for COT vascularity to be greater in VTM than CON (P- value=0.0723). These results suggest that dietary VTM supplementation from breeding until parturition potentially has a beneficial effect on placental vascular development in crossbred Angus heifers.

PSVII-2 Effects of Feeding a Starch or Pectin Supplement on Ruminal Parameters and gas Production of Grazing Young Bulls

Abstract The study aimed to investigate the effects of two feeding times and two sources of energy supplementation on pH, short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), and in vitro gas production (IVGP) of beef cattle reared in Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu pastures. We used eight rumen-cannulated ½ Aberdeen Angus x ½ Nellore young bulls (280±7 kg) distributed in a double 4x4 Latin square design. Treatments consisted of supplementation at 0.3% of body weight with corn or citrus pulp, supplied at 0900 or 1700. Ruminal fluid pH was measured with a digital pH analyzer and SCFA was analyzed on a Shimadzu HPLC. The IVGP was determined using a transducer and a data logger for 48 h after incubation of samples combining forage and supplement in real intake proportion (88% forage, 12% supplement). Considering the rapid fermentation of sugars, animals supplemented with pectin maintained higher pH (P = 0.021) due to changes in bacterial populations to digest the pectic substances (Table 1). Lactate production after starch digestion caused lower pH. Despite the differences in evaluated energy substrates, there was no effect on the primary SCFA concentration (P &amp;gt; 0.05). Citrus pulp provided greater formic (P = 0.005) and valeric (P = 0.042) acids concentrations compared with corn, but there was no influence of formic acid in lactic acid production (Table 1). The greater IVGP by citrus pulp (P = 0.0140; Figure 1) may be related to its greater carbohydrate fraction A, soluble with a rapid rate of rumen degradation, and also because its ruminal fermentation results in greater acetic acid production, which provides more ruminal H2 and CO2, favoring the CH4 production. The citrus pulp can be used as an alternative source to corn because it might prevent acidosis, does not affect the main SCFA production, and is a non-human edible feed.

PSIV-A-7 Decreasing the Frequency of Precalving Protein and Energy Supplementation Impacts Preweaning Growth of Bos Indicus-Influenced Beef Offspring but not Their dam

Abstract This experiment evaluated the impacts of frequency of dried distillers grains (DDG) supplementation during late gestation on subsequent performance of cow-calf pairs. On day 0 (September), 120 multiparous Brangus cows (body weight, BW = 543 ± 4.6 kg; body condition score, BCS = 5.47 ± 0.09) were allocated into 1 of 20 bahiagrass pastures (6 cows and 4.7 ha/pasture). Treatments were assigned randomly to pastures (5 pastures/treatment) and consisted of cows offered no DDG supplementation (NOSUP), 1 kg/cow of DDG daily (7X), 2.33 kg/cow of DDG every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (3X), or 7 kg/cow of DDG every Monday from day 0 to 77 (1X; total of 77 kg/cow of DDG dry matter for all supplemented cows). After calving (on average day 81 ± 7), all cow-calf pairs were managed similarly and remained on their respective pasture until calf weaning (day 342). Cow BW did not differ among treatments (P ≥ 0.13). Cow BCS on day 77 and at the start of the breeding season (day 140) were greater for supplemented vs. NOSUP cows (P ≤ 0.02) but did not differ among 1X, 3X and 7X cows (P ≥ 0.64). Overall plasma concentrations of glucose were greater for supplemented vs. NOSUP cows (P ≤ 0.05) but did not differ among 1X, 3X and 7X cows (P ≥ 0.44). Calving percentage, calving date, percentage of male calves at birth, and calf birth BW did not differ among treatments (P ≥ 0.15). Calf BW at weaning were lowest for NOSUP and greatest for 7X calves (P ≤ 0.05). Calf BW at weaning did not differ between 1X and 3X calves (P = 0.97) and both groups were intermediate (P ≤ 0.05). In summary, decreasing the frequency of DDG supplementation during late gestation did not impact pre- and post-partum performance of Bos indicus-influenced beef cows but reduced subsequent preweaning growth of their offspring.

Potentials of rice husk as energy supplement in poultry broiler production

Energy is a fundamental recipe for all life forms. All living things including poultry require energy for cellular activity, growth and reproduction. Energy is basically derived from food nutrient sources such as carbohydrates, excess proteins, fat and oil both of plant and animal sources. The cost of raising poultry has continue to increase due to increasing cost of feedstuff and the poor genetic make-up of birds which confers some breeds with very feed conversion efficiency. A total number of 20day old chicks were used to investigate the effects of inclusion of rice husk as Dietary Supplement in a formulated finisher feed, on growth performance characteristics. Four different levels (0%, 0.6%, 1.0%, and 1.4%) of formulated feed with rice husk as dietary supplement were evaluated in the experiment. Daily feed intake, feed conversion ratio, body weight gain and mortality rate were assessed in all the treatment groups evaluated. The results showed that mean body weight and feed conversion after 8 weeks for diets did not differ significantly (p&lt;0.05). Results of analysis of the four different levels of concentration of rice husk, the control (0%) had the highest body weight followed by 1.4%, then 1.0% and 0.6% after the experiment respectively. In respect to the feed intake, it was observed that treatments with the highest concentration or level of rice husk (1.4%), had the highest feed intake amongst other treatments. This research work showed that rice husk could economically replace other energy sources to a certain extent in the broiler ration. Thus, the inclusion of fibre (rice husk) in feed dilutes energy concentration in the plant fibre and making same available to the poultry for increased growth.

Activation of Inflammatory Networks in the Lungs Caused by Chronic Cold Stress Is Moderately Attenuated by Glucose Supplementation.

Mammals that live in cold climates endure months of exposure to low temperature in the winter. The incidence of respiratory diseases has increased. The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of chronic cold stress on lung inflammatory networks, apoptosis, and mitochondrial function via Yorkshire pig models, as well as the ameliorative effect of glucose as energy supplements. Here, two trials were conducted (chronic cold stress and glucose supplementation). The results showed that chronic cold stress induced obvious inflammatory cell infiltration in the lungs and damaged the lung tissue structure. Compared with the Y-Con group, the expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88), high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), nucleotide-binding domain, and leucine-rich repeat protein 3 (NLRP3), IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, and IFN-γ in the lungs of the Y-CS group was enhanced by chronic cold stress (p < 0.05). Moreover, chronic cold stress promoted the expression of the Bax and Mfn2 in lungs of Y-CS group (p < 0.05). Interestingly, dietary glucose supplementation significantly reduced inflammatory cell infiltration in the lungs. Moreover, glucose supplementation inhibited the expression of TLR4, MyD88, HMGB1, NLRP3, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IFN-γ, and Bax during chronic cold stress. In conclusion, chronic cold stress promoted inflammatory networks, apoptosis, and mitochondrial fusion in the lungs. Dietary glucose supplementation inhibited the inflammatory network during chronic cold stress.

Combined effect of polystyrene microplastics and bisphenol A on the human embryonic stem cells-derived liver organoids: The hepatotoxicity and lipid accumulation

Human are exposed to microplastics (MP) via inhalation or ingestion daily and inevitably. The liver is an important target organ of MP. Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of commonly used plasticizers. It is added in plastics, but also generally detected in the biological samples of human beings. However, the combined toxic effect of MP and BPA on human liver is unclear. In this study, a novel 3D in vitro model, the liver organoid (LO) derived from human-pluripotent stem cells, has been utilized to explore the 1 μm polystyrene (PS)-induced hepatotoxicity with BPA individually and jointly. Conclusively, all the changes in the cytotoxicity, cellular and molecular makers regarding the energy supplement, hepatic injury, oxidative stress, inflammatory response, disruption in the lipid accumulation, as well as epigenetics regulation induced by BPA or PS on the LOs individually were comparable to previous study. The BPA levels in the culture medium were declined by the added PS. The combined adverse effect of PS and BPA on the LOs was identified to be synergistic upon deteriorated hepatotoxicity and interfered the gene panels related to multiple processes of lipid metabolism, together with the proteins of HNF4A, CD36, ACC1, CPT1A, CYP2E1, ERα and ERβ. Specifically, PS didn't change the ERα or ERβ individually, but when the LOs were co-exposed to PS and BPA, the ERα further elevated significantly and synergistically. Our findings highlight the metabolic-related health risk due to co-exposure to MP and BPA, even at low-doses equivalent to human internal exposure level. Based on these findings, the potential adverse outcome pathway related to PS and BPA singly and jointly were proposed, predicting two possible outcomes to be hepatic steatosis. Moreover, the ERα and HNF4A were proposed to be potential candidate markers to investigate the “vector-like effect” of PS in the present of BPA.

Effect of Dietary Supplements Farmatan TM and Pine Tree Energy on the Regulation of Ruminal Digestion and Microbiocenosis of Lactating Black and White Cows

The study aimed to evaluate the effect of dietary supplements on ruminal digestion and intestinal microbiocenosis of lactating cows. The study was carried out under production conditions on three groups of new black-and-white heifers (10 heads each). Mean live weight of cows was 500±20 kg. The cows of the control group received a basic diet, which included haylage of perennial grasses, corn silage, legume hay, concentrate feed, and molasses. Cows of the experimental groups, in addition to the basal diet (BD), received the Farmatan TM supplement (consists of a balanced combination of tannins, essential oils of clove and cinnamon, sodium acetate, and organic zinc) at a dose of 40 g. head-1 per day (experimental group 1) and a pine tree energy supplement at a dose of 150 g. head-1 per day (experimental group 2). The supplement was mixed with concentrate feed and given once in the morning feeding. In the course of the study, the parameters of ruminal fermentation in experimental animals and the microorganisms of the rumen and the large intestine were studied. At the same time, it was found that the inclusion of the Farmatan TM feed additive (40 g per day) and pine tree energy supplement (150 g per day) in the diet of cows at the beginning of lactation contributed to the strengthening of enzymatic processes in the rumen, which was expressed in an increase in the formation of volatile fatty acids by 7.6 and 20.3%, an increase in the proportion of propionic acid and a slight decrease in the proportion of acetic and butyric acids. When using feed additives (Farmatan TM and pine tree energy supplement), a decrease in the content of Clostridium in the rumen of cows was noted by 26.3 and 30.3% in the 1st and 2nd experimental groups, respectively, compared with the control group. In cows of the experimental groups, a decrease in the content of molds and yeast-like fungi in the rumen was also noted. The results obtained allow recommending the studied additives (Farmatan TM and pine tree energy supplement) to enhance enzymatic processes in the rumen.

An Efficient Train Timetable Scheduling Approach With Regenerative-Energy Supplementation Strategy Responding to Potential Power Interruptions

The timetable of a metro system is essential for trains running safely and efficiently. For the design of a timetable, the potential power interruptions of energy supplies from the substations to the trains should be borne in mind. In case potential power interruptions occur, the backup running plan should be completed responsively to accommodate the passenger and energy demands In this study, we propose an energy supplementation strategy utilizing regenerative energy from decelerating trains in the event of power interruptions and develop a tri-objective optimization model incorporating passenger travel time, potential power interruption, and energy consumption. Particularly, for calculating regenerative energy utilization, we suggest a many-to-many energy allocation mechanism between decelerating and accelerating trains based on the real-time energy demands and supplies. A heuristic algorithm is developed to obtain a regular and cyclic timetable for minimizing passenger travel time, the potential power interruptions, and energy consumption. The suggested model and algorithm are tested based on the smart-card data collected from a bidirectional metro line in Beijing (China). The results show that the suggested approach significantly improves energy efficiency, reduces passenger waiting time, and decreases power interruption risks, compared with the currently used scheduling method.

Seismic vulnerability assessment of reinforced concrete buildings having nonlinear fluid viscous dampers

Seismic resilience is the residual capacity of a damaged system for recovering and sustaining an acceptable level of performance as a consequence of a seismic event. Firstly, this paper summarizes the current calculation framework of seismic resilience using fragility analyses. After that, a new metric based on vulnerability analyses is developed to calculate seismic resilience. Finally, a typical hospital building is adopted as a single building and then retrofitted with supplemental Energy Dissipation Systems (EDS) to show the applicability of the new metric and compare it with the current calculation model of the seismic resilience. The considered supplemental EDS is the Nonlinear Fluid Viscous Damper (NFVD) located as the diagonal damper-brace system. The seismic performance of the supplemental EDSs is to enhance structural performance by reducing induced lateral displacements and as a result the level of physical damages and losses. To this end, Incremental Dynamic Analysis (IDA) is implemented to achieve the damage fragility and vulnerability curves. A comparison of the fragility, vulnerability, and functionality curves indicates that NFVDs are potentially useful for attenuating seismic damages to structural and non-structural components.