Identical Content Research Articles

Excellent combination of compressive strength and strain of AlCrFeNi MPEAs via adding Ti and V

In the current work, the influences of 12% X (X = Ti, V and Ti+V) on the structure and mechanical properties for AlCrFeNi matrix are compared in parallel. After mixing different component, parent phases (NiAl + Cr-Fe) of (AlCrFeNi)88%X12% multi-principal element alloys (MPEAs) can't result in phases separation. Nevertheless, 12 at% Ti- and V-mixed MPEAs lead to extra strengthening through new precipitating phases of L21 (Ni2TiAl) and BCC (Fe-V). For (AlCrFeNi)88%Ti6%V6%, the two precipitating phases promote the synergistic strengthening of the strength and compressive strain. Ti is more effective than V in enhancing grain boundary energy of matrix, because Ti can induce more negative enthalpy of mixing, which makes the aggregation easier. Following identical mixing content, V causes pronounced solid solution strengthening but does not benefit the grain boundary strengthening, triggering an increase in ultimate strength of AlCrFeNi88%V12%. Significantly, the effectiveness of coordination strengthening is boosted by mixing 6%Ti+ 6%V. (AlCrFeNi)88%Ti6%V6% has excellent compressive yield strength and strain, which is 1403.4 MPa and 23.1%, respectively. Our present analysis suggests that strengthening mechanism is applicable to explain the differences in nano interstitial structure, low Ti diffusion and non-equilibrium pinning effect of cooperative reinforcement of BCC (Fe-V) and L21(Ni2TiAl) phases.

Pan-Plastome of Greater Yam (Dioscorea alata) in China: Intraspecific Genetic Variation, Comparative Genomics, and Phylogenetic Analyses

Dioscorea alata L. (Dioscoreaceae), commonly known as greater yam, water yam, or winged yam, is a popular tuber vegetable/food crop worldwide, with nutritional, health, and economical importance. China is an important domestication center of D. alata, and hundreds of cultivars (accessions) have been established. However, genetic variations among Chinese accessions remain ambiguous, and genomic resources currently available for the molecular breeding of this species in China are very scarce. In this study, we generated the first pan-plastome of D. alata, based on 44 Chinese accessions and 8 African accessions, and investigated the genetic variations, plastome evolution, and phylogenetic relationships within D. alata and among members of the section Enantiophyllum. The D. alata pan-plastome encoded 113 unique genes and ranged in size from 153,114 to 153,161 bp. A total of four whole-plastome haplotypes (Haps I-IV) were identified in the Chinese accessions, showing no geographical differentiation, while all eight African accessions shared the same whole-plastome haplotype (Hap I). Comparative genomic analyses revealed that all four whole plastome haplotypes harbored identical GC content, gene content, gene order, and IR/SC boundary structures, which were also highly congruent with other species of Enantiophyllum. In addition, four highly divergent regions, i.e., trnC-petN, trnL-rpl32, ndhD-ccsA, and exon 3 of clpP, were identified as potential DNA barcodes. Phylogenetic analyses clearly separated all the D. alata accessions into four distinct clades corresponding to the four haplotypes, and strongly supported that D. alata was more closely related to D. brevipetiolata and D. glabra than D. cirrhosa, D. japonica, and D. polystachya. Overall, these results not only revealed the genetic variations among Chinese D. alata accessions, but also provided the necessary groundwork for molecular-assisted breeding and industrial utilization of this species.

Virtual reality against Zoom fatigue? A field study on the teaching and learning experience in interactive video and VR conferencing.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the absence of in-person teaching was partially compensated for through videoconferencing. However, lecturers complain that students do not participate actively in video-based online seminars. One reason cited for this is Zoom fatigue. Conferences in virtual reality (VR), accessible with and without head-mounted display, represent one potential remedy to this issue. The research to date does not shed any light on the (1.) teaching experience, (2.) student demand, (3.) learning experience (including participation and social presence), and (4.) learning performance (declarative and spatial) associated with VR conferences. The present work will compare these aspects for videoconferencing, independent study, and - in the case of teaching experience - with in-person teaching. A compulsory seminar in General Physiology was offered during the 2020/21 winter semester and the 2021 summer semester as part of the Human Medicine program at the Faculty of Medicine at Ulm University. The seminars were offered in three different formats with identical content: (a) VR conference, (b) video conference, and (c) independent study, with students selecting the format of their choice. In the VR conferences, the lecturer taught using a head-mounted display while students participated via PC, laptop, or tablet. The learning experience and learning performance were assessed using questionnaires and a knowledge test. A semi-structured interview was conducted to assess the VR teaching experience. The lecturer's teaching experience in the VR conferences was similar to in-person teaching. Students predominantly chose independent study and videoconferencing. The latter resulted in worse outcomes with regard to learning experience (including participation and social presence) and spatial learning performance than the VR conferences. Declarative learning performance differed only slightly between teaching formats. VR conferencing offers lecturers new didactic opportunities and a teaching experience similar to that of in-person teaching. Students prefer time-efficient videoconferencing and independent study, but rate participation and social presence, among other things, higher in VR conferencing. If faculty and students are open to the technology, VR conferencing can promote interactive exchange in online seminars. This subjective assessment is not associated with better declarative learning performance.

Sequence-dependent folding of monolayered DNA origami domains.

Current models of DNA origami folding can explain the yield of the assembly process and the isomerization of the structure upon the application of mechanical forces. Nevertheless, the role of the sequence in this conformational transformation is still unclear. In this work, we address this question by performing a systematic thermodynamic study of three origami domains that have an identical design but different sequence contents. By comparing the thermal stability of the domains in various settings and measuring the extent of isomerization at equilibrium (both at the global and single-molecule levels), we extract the contribution to folding given by the sequence and propose thermal criton maps of the isomers to rationalize our findings. Our data contribute to a deeper understanding of DNA origami assembly by considering both the topological- and thermal-dependent properties of the sites of initial folding. While the former are responsible for the mechanical aspects of the process, the latter justify the observed sequence-dependent conformational preferences, which appear evident in simple origami structures but remain typically undisclosed in large and more intricate architectures.

How Does Exposure to Changing Opinions or Reaffirmation Opinions Influence the Thoughts of Observers and Their Trust in Robot Discussions?

This study investigated how exposure to changing or reaffirmation opinions in robot conversations influences the impressions of observers and their trust in media. Even though the provided conversational contents include the same amount of information, their order, positive/negative attitudes, and discussion styles change their perceived impressions. We conducted a web survey using video stimuli, where two robots discussed Japan’s first state of emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We prepared two patterns of opinion changes to a different side (positive–negative and negative–positive) and two patterns of opinion reaffirmation (positive–positive and negative–negative) with identical information contents; we only modified their order. The experimental results showed that exposure to opinion changes from the positive side (i.e., negative–positive) or positive opinion reaffirmation (positive–positive) effectively provides positive and fair impressions. Exposure to an opinion that became negative (i.e., positive–negative) effectively provided negative and fair impressions, although negative opinion reaffirmation (negative–negative) led to significantly less trust in media.

Loading of alpha-tocopherol in a nonionic microemulsion: Phase behavior and structural characteristics

In this research, we present a systematic analysis of events inside single phase region of a nonionic microemulsion (ME) during incorporation of water and α-tocopherol (AT, a hydrophobic payload). The formulation was developed using α-tocopherol polyethylene glycol succinate, ethanol and oleic acid, respectively, as surfactant, cosurfactant and oil phase. Phase boundary was constructed using water titration method. Behavior of the formulation was studied at two points within the phase boundary. These points carried identical surfactant-cosurfactant mixture (Smix) but different oil content (labeled as DL1: 5% oil and DL2: 10 % oil). These compositions were sequentially challenged with water (in 5 % increments) and examined using dynamic light scattering, small angle neutron scattering and rheological techniques. Contrary to the reports on MEs composed with ionic components, we did not observe any significant effect of AT solubilization upon formulation’s microstructure or phase boundary at a dose of 15 mg/mL. However, swollen aggregates appeared as secondary peaks in light scattering data during water addition. We attribute it to reduction in Smix – oil ratio. As a result of this, oleic acid molecules were exposed to surfactant-poor aqueous phase. Similar observations were recorded at higher oil level. Rheological studies indicated towards weak association among hydrated droplets as a result of which the dispersion exhibited shear-thinning behavior. Despite these changes, the formulation could retain its isotropicity. The information on microstructural changes can be valuable in maximizing the payload inside microemulsion formulations.

Conceptual Approach to Essence of the System of Innovation Space Control in Macro-Region

The article deals with identification and comprehension of the approach to innovation space control of enlarged territory. Innovation space control in macro-region is described as a set of principles and mechanisms governing links and relations between entities involved in innovation activity in the enlarged territory in order to intensify innovation activity and obtain synergy effect. The approach advanced in the article is based on the concept of innovation rapprochement, the idea of which can be brought to identifying such a key feature of the macro-region as intensification of links between local innovation spaces included in this territory. The article shows the essence of the system of innovation space control of the macro-region, whose specific characteristic is inserting the block of innovation space control quality. It was found out that the system of traditional parameters necessary to estimate innovation development of the macro-region shall be supplemented by two specific indicators: convergence and superposition. Convergence means the availability of mutual impact and mutual penetration of innovation activity components that make up the macro-region of territories. Superposition reveals identical content and structure of the process of shaping, realizing and proliferating components and results of innovation activity. It was demonstrated that assessing the result of control mechanism impact shall be done in two directions: appraisal of the innovation product and quality of innovation space control.

Characterization of the chloroplast genome and phylogenetic analysis of Ceratopteris pteridoides (Pteridaceae)

The endangered Ceratopteris pteridoides is an aquatic annual fern possessing several distinct characteristics that makes it an attractive model for the studies of plant biology. The complete chloroplast genome that has been sequenced and annotated revealed a typical quadripartite structure. The genome was 149,426 bp in length and contained 132 genes, including 88 protein-coding, 36 tRNA, and eight rRNA genes. Analyses at the genome level between C. pteridoides and its congeners, C. corunta and C. richardii showed low variability in repeat numbers, sequence alignment, gene content, and genome structure. Based on the analysis of pairwise identity, the newly sequenced chloroplast genome showed identical gene content and structure to a previously published one. However, genome alignment of these two accessions detected three SNPs; while 20 indel sites occurred in eight different events. The topology of the phylogenetic tree based on 88 plastid protein-coding genes was largely concordant with those recent phylogenetic studies, but with generally increased support values.

The impact of feedback mode on learning gain and self-efficacy: A quasi-experimental study

Initiating effective feedback processes is a major goal in university teaching. However, systematic investigations of structural feedback elements making instructor feedback economic, concise, motivating and beneficial for learning are still scarce. In our study, we compare two feedback modes with respect to learning gains and changes in self-efficacy in a quasi-experimental pre-post design. Participants ( N = 75 first-year students) received either scoresheet or textual instructor feedback on four individual assignments during a seminar. Outcome variables were knowledge gain, change in self-efficacy and changes in metacognitive monitoring. After the semester, we observed substantial knowledge gains for both feedback groups with only small advantages for scoresheet feedback. In contrast, self-efficacy was relatively stable across the semester and was not influenced by feedback mode. Achievement motivation measures normative ability and challenge-mastery goal orientation did not moderate the observed relationships but influenced knowledge gain and change in self-efficacy directly. Changes in metacognitive monitoring did not depend on feedback mode. Taken together, our data suggest that scoresheet and textual feedback conveying identical feedback content have comparable effects on achievement and self-evaluation measures. For university settings, scoresheets can be recommended as parsimonious feedback tools.

Abstract 14318: The Effect of Time-Restricted Eating on Physical Activity: Results From the Time-Restricted Intake of Meals (Trim) Randomized Trial

Introduction: Time-restricted eating (TRE) is a dietary pattern that may promote weight loss by limiting caloric intake, but evidence for its effects on physical activity are limited. Objective: To determine the effect of a TRE pattern compared to a usual eating pattern (UEP) on physical activity. Methods: We examined physical activity data from 41 adults with prediabetes or untreated diabetes (HbA1c 5.7-6.9%) and obesity (BMI 30-50 kg/m 2 ) randomized to consume 80% of their total calories before 1 pm (TRE) or ≥50% of their calories after 5 pm (UEP) with identical macronutrient content. Participants were fitted with a wrist-worn GT9X accelerometer (Actigraph; Pensacola FL) to measure free-living physical activity behaviors for one week at baseline and 12 weeks. Outcomes were mean total activity counts (measure of activity volume and intensity) and time spent active (measure of activity volume) per day. We used linear mixed effects regression models with participant-specific random intercepts to examine the difference in outcomes between the two groups from baseline to 12 weeks; the intervention-by-time interaction was the term of interest (β int ). Results: Thirty-nine adults (mean age 59.5 years; 92% female; 92% African American) completed actigraphy assessments. We observed a significant decrease in all physical activity measures from baseline to 12 weeks in TRE, but not in UEP ( Table ). Total activity counts (p for β int =0.005), but not time spent active (p for β int =0.094) declined significantly in TRE compared to UEP. Conclusion: In this randomized feeding study, TRE was associated with reduced physical activity intensity while overall physical activity volume was unaffected, compared to a UEP. This unexpected compensatory decrease in physical activity intensity may limit the efficacy of TRE for achieving weight loss. Future studies are needed to understand the mechanisms behind this effect, and to optimize TRE interventions to maintain physical activity levels.

Factors Affecting Construction Productivity for Steel Rebar Work in Hot Climate Country

Introduction: Construction industry is increasingly emphasizing productivity due to its effect on key performance indicators such as schedule, budget, and quality of work. This study aims to identify and rank the factors affecting the productivity of steel rebar work in construction projects in a hot climate. Among the activities involved in structural reinforced concrete work, fabricating and placing reinforced steel on a construction site is considered the most labor-intensive, outdoor, and time-consuming. Methods: In this paper, an intensive qualitative literature review is conducted to identify the factors affecting the productivity of steel rebar work in concrete construction. Initially, forty factors were identified from the literature affecting the productivity of steel rebar work in Saudi Arabia. Final list of thirty-seven factors was used in the questionnaire survey. The identical nature and core content of these factors are clustered and grouped into five categories: technical, labor, management, external, and financial. As part of this study, fifty contractors working in the Saudi Arabian construction industry are recruited to participate and complete a structured pilot study questionnaire. Results: The results of the questionnaire are weighted using the pairwise comparison method and then ranked based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process technique. The analysis of the thirty-seven factors results in a top ten list of the leading factors that directly impact the productivity of steel rebar work in concrete construction projects in Saudi Arabia. These factors are (1) humidity, (2) delay of salary, (3) sandstorms, (4) payment delay by client, (5) labor's low wage, (6) lack of financial incentives, (7) labor work experience and skills, (8) completeness of drawings, (9) poor labor relations, and (10) labor absenteeism. The general trend in these studies is that the factors tend to vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, from one construction project to another, and are directly related to the zone or country of construction. Conclusion: These findings benefit stakeholders working in the concrete construction industry in Saudi Arabia, particularly project managers, project planners, cost estimators, and civil design and site engineers working on construction projects.

Chloroplast Genome Analysis for Genetic Information and Authentication in Five Barleria Species.

In order to authenticate the genomic information of Barleria cristata L., B. lupulina Lindl., B. repens Nees, B. siamensis Craib, and B. strigosa Willd, cp genomes were investigated. They revealed a general structure with a total size of 151,997–152,324 bp. The genomes encoded a total of 131 genes, including 86 CDS, 37 tRNA, and 8 rRNA genes. Other details found were as follows: different numbers and types of SSRs; identical gene content, which is adjacent to the border regions, except for B. strigosa, that revealed a shorter ndhF gene sequence and lacked the ycf1 gene; slightly different genetic distance values, which can be used for species identification; three distinct gaps of nucleotide variations between the species located at the intergenic spacer regions of the LSC and CDS of the SSC; three effective molecular markers derived from divergent hotspot regions, including the ccsA-ndhD, ndhA-ndhH-rps15, and ycf1. The genetic relationships derived from the cp genome and the CDS phylogenetic trees of Barleria and the 13 genera in Acanthaceae and different families, Scrophulariaceae and Phrymaceae, showed similar results. The six Barleria species as monophyletic groups with inner and outer outgroups were found to have perfect discrimination. These results have helped to authenticate the five Barleria species and the six genera in Acanthaceae.

Green approaches for dietary fibre-rich polysaccharide production from the cooking liquid of Adzuki beans: Enzymatic extraction combined with ultrasonic or high-pressure homogenisation

This research follows the current trend of food waste valorisation via green approaches. The structural and functional characteristics of active polysaccharides from the cooking liquid of Adzuki beans were examined, filling an existing knowledge gap. Enzymatic extraction (EE) followed by ultrasonic modification (UM) or high-pressure homogenisation modification (HM) were effective in producing dietary fibre-rich polysaccharide products: EU-P and EH-P (total dietary fibre: 86.3% and 82.4% dry weight (DW); insoluble/soluble dietary fibre ratio: 2.21 and 2.10; protein: 1.26% and 1.09% DW; Lipid: 1.50% and 1.94% DW, respectively). Both contained Rha, Gal, Glu, Ara, Xyl and GlcNAc, and had statistically identical total phenolic content (0.33% DW) and particle size (1000–1032 nm) and very similar DPPH scavenging activities. EU-P and EH-P exhibited good capacities for water-holding (10.15 and 8.34 g/g), oil-holding (15.48 and 15.57 g/g), cholesterol-adsorption (17.34 and 18.41 mg/g at pH 2; 29.47 and 29.72 mg/g at pH 7) and nitrite-adsorption (285.31 and 296.44 μg/g at pH 2; 141.39 and 122.95 μg/g at pH 7). EH-P had a lower molecular weight (Mw 68420 Da; Mn 21350 Da; Mw/Mn 3.20), lower thermal stability, higher viscosity at shear rates above 1 s −1 , higher emulsifying capacity, and comparable and lower emulsion stability at 1% and 2% concentrations, respectively, compared with EU-P (Mw 102101 Da; Mn 24810 Da; Mw/Mn 4.11). EE was effective in loosening the compact polysaccharide-based polymeric network via cleaving glycosidic and peptide bonds in the samples. Subsequent UM or HM further facilitated depolymerisation then re-assembly of some EE-disintegrated fragments to form new networks/structures. • Cooking liquid of adzuki beans (CLAB) is a source of high-quality polysaccharides. • CLAB underwent enzymatic extraction (EE) then ultrasonic/high-pressure modification. • The polysaccharide products had a good IDF/SDF ratio and processing properties. • Ultrasonic or high-pressure modification (UM or HM) caused further depolymerisation. • UM or HM reassembled enzymatically EE-disintegrated fragments to form new networks.

Impact of the Heat Treatment Duration on Color and Selected Mechanical and Chemical Properties of Scots Pine Wood.

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of the duration of heat treatment on changes in the color, as well as the chemical and mechanical properties of Scots pine sapwood. An important element of the research was to obtain the assumed temperature in the entire volume of samples. Quantitative changes in color and its components were recorded, while mechanical properties were determined in tests of compressive strength parallel and perpendicular to the grain, longitudinal tensile strength and modulus of elasticity and impact strength. The novelty of the research was to determine the above-mentioned parameters for twin samples with identical moisture contents. Chemical analyses were conducted on heat-treated wood that was subjected to heat treatment at 220 °C for a period from 1 to 8 h. Extension of the heat treatment duration resulted in the increasing darkening of the wood, as well as a further reduction in the impact strength and tensile strength parallel to the grain by approx. 40 and 50%, respectively, compared to the control wood, but also compared to heat-treated wood for a shorter treatment duration. The heat treatment of wood caused changes in the contents of the wood components, as well as the elemental composition in the heat-treated wood, compared to the control pine. The changes in the structure of the heat-treated wood were confirmed by the attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). Observed quantitative changes in the main wood components, its structural changes, as well as wood decomposition and increased crystallinity of cellulose explain significant changes in both the mechanical properties and the color of heat-treated wood.

Numerical investigation of tridirectionally synergetic Nafion® ionomer gradient cathode catalyst layer for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

Pervious studies have compressively examined a single direction ionomer gradient cathode catalyst layer (CCL) for enhancement of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells. However, a tridirectionally synergetic (TS) ionomer gradient CCL has not been investigated to date. It is reported that the design of multi-directional ionomer gradient CCL is significant for fuel cells. Therefore, this study proposes a novel TS gradient CCL for fuel cells. By implementing a three-dimensional multiphase fuel cell model, the novel TS gradient CCL is evaluated regarding internal physicochemical quantity distributions and overall cell performance. Numerical results indicate that in comparison with CCL with uniform and a single direction through-plane (TP) or in-plane (IP) ionomer gradient CCL with an identical ionomer content, the novel TS gradient CCL can enhance oxygen diffusion and proton conductivity within porous electrodes, thus improving the maximum power density by approximately 6.8%. Moreover, the optimal TS ionomer gradient CCL contributes to a reduction in coefficient variation of current density within CCL by 10.3% and 17.1% compared to that of uniform and TP(X) gradient CCLs, leading to more homogeneous internal physical quantity profiles, ultimately benefiting the stable operation and durability of fuel cells. The findings here can provide a new insight for guiding the design of ionomer gradient CCL.

SCD2: Secure Content Delivery and Deduplication With Multiple Content Providers in Information Centric Networking

As one of the promising next generation network architectures, information centric networking (ICN) is highly anticipated to improve the bandwidth usage of the Internet and reduce duplicate traffic. Since contents in ICN are disseminated in the whole network, ICN is much more vulnerable and the issue of how to deliver contents securely has been intensively discussed. However, the scalability of the existing schemes is limited. A scalable scheme is expected to be able to achieve fine-grained access control and at the same time also support multiple content providers scenario with efficient key management at user side. Besides, different content providers may publish some identical contents and these contents may be cached in the same intermediate routers, which causes high data redundancy and in turn exerts an adverse impact on the performance of ICN. In this paper, we propose a Secure Content Delivery and Deduplication scheme, called SCD2, to achieve secure and efficient fine-grained access control in ICN with multiple content providers. We first propose a scalable key-policy attribute-based encryption (SKP-ABE) to provide fine-grained access control and allow different attribute authorities to share some public attributes to simplify the key management. Furthermore, based on SKP-ABE, we design a simple but effective mechanism to conduct content deduplication. Finally, we implement a prototype of SCD2 to test its performance and compare it with some existing schemes. The results show that SCD2 has lower storage overhead, a higher degree of deduplication, and better retrieval efficiency.

P06 A quality improvement project to improve use of bowel charts in surgical wards

Abstract Introduction To improve the documentation of bowel movements. Methods We performed a closed loop audit examining how well patients’ bowel movements are documented in nursing and medical notes across all adult surgical wards at a district general hospital. We collected snapshot data on whether a bowel chart was present, whether bowel movements were recorded regularly and whether doctors documented bowel movements during ward rounds. We then changed the colour of bowel chart paper from white to yellow, with identical contents. This data was prospectively collected again 5 weeks later. Results The sample size included 62 inpatients. Prior to the change in bowel chart, 79% of patients’ nursing folders had a bowel chart. Documentation of bowel movements in nursing and medical notes was 25% and 30% respectively. Following the introduction of yellow coloured charts, 90% of patients’ nursing notes had a bowel chart present, with an increase in documentation in nursing and medical notes to 74% and 69% respectively. Conclusion In a surgical patient, the importance of good bowel movements is essential to management decisions and discharge planning. Locally, this has been inhibited by the difficulties of locating white bowel charts in a folder of white paper, leading to incomplete documentation and poor recognition of problems in bowel movements. Changing the colour of the bowel charts made it easier to recognise the charts, allowing nurses and doctors to use the bowel chart more efficiently, hopefully improving patient care. This change has been recognised as effective and has been rolled out trust-wide. Take-home message Bowel movements are vital to surgical decision making, but are frequently overlooked in practice; impacting patient care. Hence, the need for better recognition made by a simple intervention.

Stop Codon Usage as a Window into Genome Evolution: Mutation, Selection, Biased Gene Conversion and the TAG Paradox.

Protein coding genes terminate with one of three stop codons (TAA, TGA, or TAG) that, like synonymous codons, are not employed equally. With TGA and TAG having identical nucleotide content, analysis of their differential usage provides an unusual window into the forces operating on what are ostensibly functionally identical residues. Across genomes and between isochores within the human genome, TGA usage increases with G + C content but, with a common G + C → A + T mutation bias, this cannot be explained by mutation bias-drift equilibrium. Increased usage of TGA in G + C-rich genomes or genomic regions is also unlikely to reflect selection for the optimal stop codon, as TAA appears to be universally optimal, probably because it has the lowest read-through rate. Despite TAA being favored by selection and mutation bias, as with codon usage bias G + C pressure is the prime determinant of between-species TGA usage trends. In species with strong G + C-biased gene conversion (gBGC), such as mammals and birds, the high usage and conservation of TGA is best explained by an A + T → G + C repair bias. How to explain TGA enrichment in other G + C-rich genomes is less clear. Enigmatically, across bacterial and archaeal species and between human isochores TAG usage is mostly unresponsive to G + C pressure. This unresponsiveness we dub the TAG paradox as currently no mutational, selective, or gBGC model provides a well-supported explanation. That TAG does increase with G + C usage across eukaryotes makes the usage elsewhere yet more enigmatic. We suggest resolution of the TAG paradox may provide insights into either an unknown but common selective preference (probably at the DNA/RNA level) or an unrecognized complexity to the action of gBGC.

Electrodialysis for the volume reduction of the simulated radionuclides containing seawater

In this study, electrodialysis (ED) was performed to concentrate the radionuclides containing seawater for volume minimization. The concentration behaviors of the trace radioactive elements were also explored. Under the optimal voltage drop of 6 V and the volume ratio of 1:40, the concentration times of Cs+, Co2+, Sr2+ and I- could reach 9.9, 9.5, 20.1 and 32.5, respectively. Furthermore, it enabled over 80% volume reduction and over 90% removal of all hazardous radionuclides. Hence, ED is a feasible and promising method to manage the radioactive wastewater due to its high concentration and decontamination performances. For identical ion contents, the concentration rate for the cations presented the order of Na+ > Cs+ > Sr2+ > Co2+; the hydration radius and hydration free energy played the dominant roles in ion concentration. In contrast, for the ED concentration of trace radioactive elements, of which the contents are several magnitudes lower than the predominant salt concentration, the concentration rate presented the order of Sr2+ > Cs+ > Co2+ > Na+; the specific charge began to play an important role when the predominant ion approached its saturated salt concentration. For the anions, I- always migrated faster than Cl- at diverse concentrations.

SUBSTITUTION OF ANIMAL PROTEIN BY DIFFERENT ATION OF DRIED RUMEN MEAL IN COMMON CARP Cyprinus carpio DIETS

The study was conducted to show the effect of using dried rumen powder as a source of animal protein in the diets of common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) on its performance, in the fish laboratory/College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences/University of Baghdad/ for a period of 70 d, 70 fingerlings were used with an average starting weight of 30±3 g, with a live mass rate of 202±2 g, randomly distributed among five treatments, two replicates for each treatment and seven fish for each replicate. Five diets of almost identical protein content and different percentages of addition of dried rumen powder were added. 25% was added to treatment T2 and 50% to treatment T3 and 75% of the treatment T4 and 100% of the treatment T5 In addition to the control treatment T1, which was devoid of dried rumen powder, the fish were fed on experimental diets of 4% of their body weight and weighed every 15 d. The results showed that the T2 treatment was one of the best experimental treatments, as it gave the highest levels for most of the studied traits. The results indicated that there were significant differences (p>0.01) and (P < 0.05) between it and the control treatment T1 in growth parameters, which included the final weight average of 715 g and the rate of increase The total weight is 512.50 g, the daily weight gain rate is 12.32 g/d, the relative growth rate is 252.47%, and the specific growth rate is 1.75 g/d. The criteria for evaluating the diet, which included the amount of feed intake 1765.26 g and the amount of protein intake 577.41 g, and the best food conversion ratio of 3.44 and the efficiency of food conversion was 29.03 % and the value of the protein produced is 64.21% and the net exploited protein is 0.73%. We conclude from the current study that the dried rumen powder can be used by 25% in the diets of common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) as a partial substitute for imported animal protein because it contributed to improving production performance. It can also be used Dried rumen powder at rates of 50 and 75%, but did not reach the levels achieved by 25%.