High Levels Of Incorporation Research Articles

Impact of dietary Chlorella vulgaris and carbohydrate-active enzymes incorporation on plasma metabolites and liver lipid composition of broilers

BackgroundChlorella vulgaris has been proposed as a sustainable green feedstock in poultry nutrition due to its ease of cultivation, minimal environmental impact and balanced nutritional composition. However, the majority of studies documents the use of C. vulgaris as a dietary supplement in broilers instead of a feed ingredient. To the best of our knowledge, no report has shown the effect of a high-level incorporation (>2 % in the diet) of C. vulgaris on plasma metabolites and hepatic lipid composition of broilers. One hundred and twenty Ross 308 male birds were housed in 40 wired-floor cages and randomly distributed by the following experimental diets at 22 days of age (n = 10) during 15 days: (1) a corn-soybean meal based diet (control); (2) based diet with 10% of C. vulgaris; (3) diet 2 supplemented with 0.005% Rovabio® Excel AP; and (4) diet 2 supplemented with 0.01% of a pre-selected four-CAZyme mixture.ResultsThe inclusion of C. vulgaris at 10% in the diet, regardless of the presence of exogenous CAZymes, changed plasma metabolites but did not compromise broilers growth. Plasma total lipids increased in broilers fed C. vulgaris combined with the two feed CAZymes (p < 0.001) compared with the control diet. Moreover, the supplementation with Rovabio® increased total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol, while the addition of the four-CAZyme mixture increased triacylglycerols, VLDL-cholesterol and ALP activity. In opposition, HDL-cholesterol levels decreased in broilers fed microalga alone (p = 0.002). Regarding hepatic composition, the inclusion of C. vulgaris in broiler diets, individually or combined with exogenous CAZymes, had a minor effect on fatty acids but improved the n-6/n-3 ratio and total carotenoids.ConclusionsIn summary, the inclusion of a high level (10%) of C. vulgaris in broiler´s diet, regardless of the presence of exogenous CAZymes, improved hepatic antioxidant composition and did not impair broiler’s performance. In addition, the feed supplementation with CAZymes increased broilers lipemia. Therefore, dietary C. vulgaris at this incorporation level seems to be safe for animal health and do not compromise performance traits, with no need of CAZymes supplementation.

Niger Seed (&lt;I&gt;Guizotia abyssinica&lt;/I&gt;) Alters in Vitro Rumen Fermentation and Reduces Methane Emission

Oilseeds can be used to manipulate ruminal fermentation for attaining cleaner and better production. The effect of feed-grade niger seeds was studied on in vitro rumen fermentation parameters in comparison to sunflower seeds. Methane production decreased (P ≤ 0.01) with incorporation of both seeds. In vitro digestibility of dry matter and organic matter reduced at higher incorporation levels (above 5%, DM basis). Fermentation pattern of niger and sunflower seed-based total mixed rations was highly comparable. The relatively higher anti-methanogenic potential of niger seeds could make it a better choice for alleviation of enteric methane and formulation of environment-friendly rations.

Effect of type-2 resistant starch (high-amylose maize starch) on the physicochemical, nutritional, in vitro starch digestibility and estimated glycaemic properties of Chinese steamed buns

Resistant starch (RS) is a portion of starch that resists enzymatic digestion. It is applied in the production of Chinese steamed bun (CSB) to increase daily fibre intake. In this study, the incorporation of type-2 RS known as high-amylose maize starch (HM) (5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25% and 30%) and its effect on the rheological and physicochemical properties, nutritional values, in vitro starch digestibility and estimated glycaemic index (eGI) properties of CSBs were determined. High HM incorporation levels increased RS and dietary fibre contents and reduced the pasting viscosities and calorific values of CSBs. The addition of HM-enriched RS also affected total starch content and eventually resulted in the decreased susceptibility of starch to digestive enzymes in vitro. The decrement in starch hydrolysis rate markedly reduced the eGI of HM-containing CSBs. The incorporation of 25% HM into CSBs (eGI = 68.45) could be applicable in developing a nutritious and medium-eGI CSB without jeopardising desirable physical attributes.

A practical and efficient method for late-stage deuteration of terminal alkynes with silver salt as catalyst

A practical and efficient H/D exchange method for selective deuteration of terminal alkynes was disclosed. The reaction was simply performed with CF3COOAg as catalyst at room temperature, affording products with high level of deuterium incorporation. The excellent site-selectivity and promising functional group tolerance of this protocol enabled deuteration of pharmaceuticals and nature product derivatives.

A general, versatile and divergent synthesis of selectively deuterated amines.

Deuterated organic molecules are of utmost importance in many areas of science and have been recently intensively investigated in medicinal chemistry due to their enhanced metabolic stability. The development of efficient and broadly applicable methods for the selective incorporation of deuterium atoms into organic molecules from readily available starting materials and reagents is therefore of extreme importance. Such methods however often lack generality and selectivity, notably in the nitrogen series. With nitrogen-containing molecules being indeed ubiquitous in medicinal chemistry, there is a strong need for efficient methods enabling the selective synthesis of deuterated amines. In this perspective, we report herein a general, versatile, divergent and metal-free synthesis of amines selectively deuterated at their α and/or β positions. Upon simple treatment of readily available ynamides with a mixture of triflic acid and triethylsilane, either deuterated or not, a range of amines can be smoothly obtained with high levels of deuterium incorporation by a unique sequence involving a domino keteniminium/iminium activation.

A High Dietary Incorporation Level of Chlorella vulgaris Improves the Nutritional Value of Pork Fat without Impairing the Performance of Finishing Pigs.

Simple SummaryPork is one of the most consumed meats worldwide but its production and quality are facing significant challenges, including feeding sustainability and the unhealthy image of fat. In fact, corn, and soybean, the two main conventional feedstuffs for pig production, are in unsustainable competition with the human food supply and biofuel industry. Moreover, the nutritional value of pork lipids is small due to their low contents of the beneficial n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and lipid-soluble antioxidants. The inclusion of microalgae in pig diets represents a promising approach for the development of sustainable pork production and the improvement of its quality. The current study aimed to investigate the impact of Chlorella vulgaris as ingredient (5% in the diet), alone and in combination with carbohydrases, on growth performance, carcass characteristics and pork quality traits in finishing pigs. Our data indicate that the use of 5% C. vulgaris in finishing pig diets does not impair animal growth and ameliorates the nutritional value of pork. Therefore, C. vulgaris could be used advantageously as an alternative sustainable ingredient in swine feeding.The influence of a high inclusion level of Chlorella vulgaris, individually and supplemented with two carbohydrase mixtures, in finishing pig diets was assessed on zootechnical performance, carcass characteristics, pork quality traits and nutritional value of pork fat. Forty crossbred entire male pigs, sons of Large White × Landrace sows crossed with Pietrain boars, with an initial live weight of 59.1 ± 5.69 kg were used in this trial. Swines were randomly assigned to one of four dietary treatments (n = 10): cereal and soybean meal-based diet (control), control diet with 5% C. vulgaris (CV), CV diet supplemented with 0.005% Rovabio® Excel AP (CV + R) and CV diet supplemented with 0.01% of a four-CAZyme mixture (CV + M). Animals were slaughtered, after the finishing period, with a BW of 101 ± 1.9 kg. Growth performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality traits were not influenced (p > 0.05) by the incorporation of C. vulgaris in the diets. However, the inclusion of the microalga in finishing pig diets increased some lipid-soluble antioxidant pigments and n-3 PUFA, and decreased the n-6:n-3 ratio of fatty acids, thus ameliorating the nutritional value of pork fat. Moreover, the supplementation of diets with the carbohydrase mixtures did not change (p > 0.05) neither animal performance nor meat quality traits, indicating their inefficacy in the increase of digestive utilization of C. vulgaris by pigs under these experimental conditions. It is concluded that the use of C. vulgaris in finishing pig diets, at this high incorporation level, improves the nutritional value of pork fat without compromising pig performance.

Influence of dietary Chlorella vulgaris and carbohydrate-active enzymes on growth performance, meat quality and lipid composition of broiler chickens

Herein, we investigated the effect of Chlorella vulgaris as ingredient (10% of incorporation) in broiler diets, supplemented or not with 2 formulations of Carbohydrate-Active enZymes (CAZymes; Rovabio Excel AP and a mixture of recombinant CAZymes, composed by an exo-β-glucosaminidase, an alginate lyase, a peptidoglycan N-acetylmuramic acid deacetylase and a lysozyme), on growth performance, meat quality, fatty acid composition, oxidative stability, and sensory traits. One hundred twenty 1-day-old Ross 308 male birds were randomly assigned to one of the 4 experimental diets (n = 30): corn-soybean meal–basal diet (control), basal diet with 10% C. vulgaris (CV), CV supplemented with 0.005% of a commercial CAZyme cocktail (Rovabio Excel AP), (CV + R), and CV supplemented with 0.01% of a 4-CAZyme mixture previously selected (CV + M) during the experimental period lasted from day 21 to day 35. Body weight gain and feed conversion rate of broilers were not affected by C. vulgaris but digesta viscosity increased more than 2-fold (P < 0.001) relative to the control. In addition, neither cooking loss, shear force, juiciness, flavor nor off-flavor was impaired by dietary treatments (P > 0.05). By contrast, the dietary C. vulgaris increased tenderness, yellowness (b∗) and total carotenoids in breast and thigh meats. However, no additional protective effect against lipid oxidation was observed in meat with the inclusion of microalga. Chlorella vulgaris, independently of CAZymes, had a minor impact on meat fatty acid composition but improved the proportion of some beneficial fatty acids. In summary, our data indicate a slight improvement of broiler meat quality and lipid nutritional value, without impairment of broilers' growth performance, thus supporting the usefulness of this microalga in poultry diets, up to this high level of incorporation. By contrast, the selected CAZyme mixtures used do not significantly improve the release of microalga nutrients in poultry diets, through the disruption of microalga cell wall, which warrants further research.

Copper-Catalyzed Formal Transfer Hydrogenation/Deuteration of Aryl Alkynes.

A copper-catalyzed reduction of alkynes to alkanes and deuterated alkanes is described under transfer hydrogenation and transfer deuteration conditions. Commercially available alcohols and silanes are used interchangeably with their deuterated analogues as the hydrogen or deuterium sources. Transfer deuteration of terminal and internal aryl alkynes occurs with high levels of deuterium incorporation. Alkyne-containing complex natural product analogues undergo transfer hydrogenation and transfer deuteration selectively, in high yield. Mechanistic experiments support the reaction occurring through a cis-alkene intermediate and demonstrate the possibility for a regioselective alkyne transfer hydrodeuteration reaction.

CLASSIE teaching \u2013 using virtual reality to incorporate medical ethics into clinical decision making

BackgroundTeaching medical ethics (ME) in the clinical environment is often difficult, uncalibrated and medical students get variable exposure to skilled educators. Explicit discussion of ethical dimensions of patient management is often neglected, as clinical teachers may feel inadequately skilled to do this.MethodsWe developed a suite of online modules. Each consisted of a clinical scenario filmed using virtual reality (VR) technology, linked to an adaptive, interactive, online tutorial which explicitly discussed the relevant ethical issues and guidelines. These were embedded in clinical placements of students to encourage the transfer of knowledge from these modules to clinical skill competency.We conducted a pilot study to evaluate these modules which examined student engagement, knowledge gains (self-perceived and measured) and user experience. We also reviewed reflections to assess the incorporation of these modules and transfer of knowledge into the clinical learning and skill development of the students.ResultsEngagement and self-perceived knowledge gains were extremely high. Students found these modules realistic, interesting and helpful. The measured knowledge gains (module exit quiz) were moderate. User experience was positive overall, although students were intolerant of any technical glitches. There was mixed feedback on whether the VR aspect of the clinical scenarios added value. Student reflections showed high level incorporation of these modules into clinical practice of the students and evidence of knowledge transfer (level 3 Kirkpatrick model of evaluation) in over ¾ of students.ConclusionsThis study showed that the use VR clinical scenarios combined with interactive online learning modules resulted in demonstrable high-level student engagement and learning gains in medical ethics and transfer of knowledge to clinical application. It standardised and ensured the student experience of high-quality educational deliverables in clinical years of medical education. This use of VR and online technology can be adapted for use in many areas of the medical curricula where we need to ensure the delivery of well calibrated, high quality, educational deliverables at scale for students.

Optimization of processing conditions for development of chicken meat incorporated whole wheat bread.

Present study was conducted to explore the incorporation of high level of chicken meat powder for developing protein enriched whole wheat bread. The aim was to optimise meat level and processing conditions for development of chicken meat bread. Box-Beheken design of response surface methodology was used for optimising the processing conditions of chicken meat incorporated whole wheat bread as processing conditions strongly influence the product characteristics. Meat level (30-35%), proofing time (60-120min) and cooking time (10-12min) were contemplated as constrains or variable factors for their effect on responses such as baking yield, moisture, protein, fat, ash, redness and yellowness value, flavour, porosity and overall acceptability which are essential for product acceptability and marketability, while the cooking temperature was kept constant at 220°C. The responses were assessed by evaluating the physicochemical, proximate, colour units and sensory evaluation. A high coefficient of regression > 0.90 was obtained for all the responses indicating the fit of model. The desirability achieved for these responses was 0.841 for 31.497% meat level with proofing time 107.17min and baking time of 12.74min. The study concluded with development of chicken meat bread having high protein content with optimised processing conditions of proofing and cooking time.

Alumina-rich pozzolan modification on Portland-limestone cement concrete: Hydration kinetics, formation of hydrates and long-term performance evolution

In order to further understand the modification mechanisms of Portland-limestone cement (PLC) concrete by alumina-rich pozzolan (ARP), and therefore achieve the proper use of ARP in PLC, the present work investigates the hydration kinetics, hydration products and long-term performance of concrete based on ARP and PLC. X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetry were employed to identify the hydration products, and the heat evolution was detected by a calorimeter. The pore structure, chloride resistance, accelerated/natural carbonation and free shrinkage were monitored. Besides, the chemical interactions between ARP and calcite induced modification on solid volume of hydrates were also evaluated. The results show that ARP can accelerate the hydration of PLC blends, favors monocarboaluminate (Mc) formation at low replacement level and hemicarboaluminate (Hc) at high incorporation levels. Carboaluminate formation significantly increases the solid volume of hydrates due to the lower densities compared to calcium silicate hydrate (CSH) gels, portlandite and calcite. This effect is amplified when Hc is favored due to its even lower density. These positive effects are beneficial to the improvement of pore structure, volume stability and chloride resistance. During long-term curing, PLC concrete with ARP tends to experience a pore structure degradation induced by the transformation of Hc to Mc, which results in nearly 8% reduction of solid volume. These findings help to achieve a better understanding on the modification mechanisms of ARP on PLC concrete, and benefit the design of concrete based on PLC and ARP in practical.

Enzyme-aided xylan extraction from alkaline-sulfite pretreated sugarcane bagasse and its incorporation onto eucalyptus kraft pulps

Hemicellulose-rich substrates produced in the lignocellulose biorefinery context can yield macromolecular xylan structures with assorted application in the chemical industry. Xylan presents natural affinity to cellulose and its incorporation onto fibers increases the physical processability of pulp; however, current studies diverge on how molar mass affects xylan interaction with cellulose. In the current work, xylans with varied structural characteristics were prepared from alkaline-sulfite pretreated sugarcane bagasse with aid of an alkaline-active xylanase and selective precipitations using different ethanol concentrations. Prepared xylan fractions, containing low levels of lignin contamination (4–9%) and molar masses ranging from 2.3 kDa to 34 kDa, were incorporated onto eucalyptus pulp fibers up to 4.7 g xylan/100 g pulp. The efficiency of xylan incorporation onto cellulosic fibers was dependent on the xylan structures, where low molar mass and low substitution degree favored high incorporation levels.

High density of unrepaired genomic ribonucleotides leads to Topoisomerase 1-mediated severe growth defects in absence of ribonucleotide reductase

Cellular levels of ribonucleoside triphosphates (rNTPs) are much higher than those of deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates (dNTPs), thereby influencing the frequency of incorporation of ribonucleoside monophosphates (rNMPs) by DNA polymerases (Pol) into DNA. RNase H2-initiated ribonucleotide excision repair (RER) efficiently removes single rNMPs in genomic DNA. However, processing of rNMPs by Topoisomerase 1 (Top1) in absence of RER induces mutations and genome instability. Here, we greatly increased the abundance of genomic rNMPs in Saccharomyces cerevisiae by depleting Rnr1, the major subunit of ribonucleotide reductase, which converts ribonucleotides to deoxyribonucleotides. We found that in strains that are depleted of Rnr1, RER-deficient, and harbor an rNTP-permissive replicative Pol mutant, excessive accumulation of single genomic rNMPs severely compromised growth, but this was reversed in absence of Top1. Thus, under Rnr1 depletion, limited dNTP pools slow DNA synthesis by replicative Pols and provoke the incorporation of high levels of rNMPs in genomic DNA. If a threshold of single genomic rNMPs is exceeded in absence of RER and presence of limited dNTP pools, Top1-mediated genome instability leads to severe growth defects. Finally, we provide evidence showing that accumulation of RNA/DNA hybrids in absence of RNase H1 and RNase H2 leads to cell lethality under Rnr1 depletion.

Day-ahead generation planning and power reserve allocation with a flexible storage strategy

High levels of renewable generation incorporation increase the flexibility requirements of the electrical system in response to fast and large variations in load and renewable energy output. Advanced power system operational methods and algorithms are required to schedule the generating units with more reliability and efficiency. To deal with uncertainties in the generation planning of an urban microgrid, this study presents a storage control strategy for reserve provision in a multi-objective scenario-based stochastic optimisation algorithm. Power reserve allocation is optimised while uncertainties from renewable energy and load demand are taken into account. Results confirm that the presented algorithm ensures that storage-hybridised RESs contribute to the primary source of reserve capacity, and the performance in terms of security level is highlighted.

Practical Synthesis of C-1 Deuterated Aldehydes Enabled by NHC Catalysis.

The recent surge in applications of deuterated pharmaceutical agents has created an urgent demand for synthetic methods that efficiently generate deuterated building blocks. Here we show that N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHC) promote a reversible hydrogen-deuterium exchange (HDE) reaction with simple aldehydes, which leads to a practical approach to synthetically valuable C-1 deuterated aldehydes. The reactivity of the well-established NHC catalysed formation of Breslow intermediates from aldehydes is reengineered to overcome the overwhelmingly kinetically favorable, irreversible benzoin condensation reaction and achieve the critical reversibility to drive the formation of desired deuterated products when an excess of D2O is employed. Notably, this operationally simple and cost-effective protocol serves as a general and truly practical approach to all types of 1-D-aldehydes including aryl, -alkyl and -alkenyl aldehydes and enables chemoselective late-stage deuterium incorporation into complex, native therapeutic agents and natural products with uniformly high levels (>95%) of deuterium incorporation for a total of 104 substrates tested.

Bioactive silica nanoparticles with calcium and phosphate for single dose osteogenic differentiation.

The differentiation of adult stem cells is usually performed in vitro, by exposing them to specific factors. Alternatively, one can use nanocarriers containing such factors, to be internalized by the cells. In this work we have reduce the size of those carriers to the nanoscale, developing bioactive silica nanoparticles with diameters under 100 nm, containing calcium and phosphate ions (SiNPs-CaP). These ions, once released inside adult stem cells, induce bone cell proliferation and differentiation, and stimulate the expression of bone-related proteins in a single dose administration. The SiNPs-CaP nanomaterials were prepared through a sol-gel approach, and the ions added with a post-synthesis functionalization method. The synthesized SiNPs-CaP have narrow size distribution, good colloidal stability, and show high levels of ion incorporation. Furthermore, the SiNPs-CaP have good cytocompatibility and promote the osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSC), with alkaline phosphatase, osteopontin and osteocalcin production levels comparable to the ones obtained in standard osteogenic medium. The novel bioactive SiNPs-CaP are synthesized in a simple and fast manner and show the ability to promote osteogenic differentiation after a single dose administration, independently from external osteogenic inducers, showing great potential as carriers in bone tissue engineering applications.

Mesoionic Carbene (MIC)-Catalyzed H/D Exchange at Formyl Groups

Summary H/D exchange at formyl groups is the most direct approach for the synthesis of deuterated aldehydes. Platinum-group metal complexes have been employed to catalyze this transformation, with significant substrate scope limitations. Although N-heterocyclic carbenes can also activate the C–H bond of aldehydes through the formation of Breslow intermediates, benzoin condensation and other C–C-bond-forming pathways have so far outpaced synthetically useful H/D exchange. Investigation of the reaction of aldehydes with 1,2,3-triazolylidenes has revealed the reversible formation of Breslow intermediates and the inhibition of the condensation steps in methanol solvent. 1,2,3-Triazolylidenes catalyze the H/D exchange of aryl, alkenyl, and alkyl aldehydes in high yields and deuterium incorporation levels using deuterated methanol as an affordable D source. The unique properties of these mesoionic carbenes (MICs) enable a streamlined preparation of deuterated synthetic intermediates and pharmacophores that are highly valuable as mechanistic and metabolic probes.

Ag2CO3-Catalyzed H/D Exchange of Five-Membered Heteroarenes at Ambient Temperature.

Ag2CO3-catalyzed hydrogen isotope exchange of five-membered heteroarenes is disclosed. The reaction can be conducted in the open air, at ambient temperature, and with D2O as deuterium source. Moreover, this protocol showed orthogonal site selectivity to existing technology, thereby greatly expanding the scope of substrates for HIE reaction. The mechanistic study indicated that the carbonate group plays a crucial role to achieve high levels of deuterium incorporation by lowering the activation energy of H/D exchange process.

UHV-CVD growth of high quality GeSn using SnCl4: from material growth development to prototype devices

The persistent interest of the epitaxy of group IV alloy GeSn is mainly driven by the demand for an efficient light source that could be monolithically integrated on Si for mid-infrared Si photonics. For chemical vapor deposition of GeSn, the exploration of the growth window is difficult from the beginning due to the metastable nature of the material requiring non-equilibrium growth condition. In this work, we demonstrated an effective pathway to achieve high quality GeSn with high levels of Sn incorporation. The GeSn films were grown on Ge-buffered Si via ultra-high vacuum chemical vapor deposition using GeH4 and SnCl4 as the precursor. The influence of both SnCl4 flow fraction and growth temperature on the Sn incorporation and material quality were investigated. Different growth regimes were explored leading to an optimized regime at low temperature which suppressed the Sn precipitation allowing for increased Sn incorporation. The prototype GeSn photoconductors were fabricated with typical samples, which show the promising device applications.

Preparation and Reaction of β-O-4 γ-Aldehyde-Containing Butanosolv Lignins

Catalytic processing of lignin predominantly focuses on the most prevalent β-O-4 bonds. During butanosolv pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass, the β-O-4 unit is modified, which leads to high levels of butanol incorporation at the α-position. This enables oxidation of the γ-hydroxyl without the need for selective oxidation with no additional steps being required in the overall process. Here we take advantage of this to prepare a butanosolv walnut shell lignin in which the β-O-4 γ-hydroxyl has been converted to the corresponding aldehyde. This lignin is relatively stable and has been characterized by 2D heteronuclear single quantum coherence spectroscopy NMR. Subsequent Seyferth-Gilbert reaction of the aldehyde generates the corresponding lignin-bound alkyne which undergoes copper-mediated cycloaddition reactions. This protocol provides rapid access from lignocellulosic biomass to modified lignins.