This study aimed to develop the in vitro method using domestic commercial diets to estimate nutrient digestibility in dogs. The existing in vitro method were tested and compared with literature data to develop new in vitro method. The development of in vitro method progressed as follows: modification of pepsin solution to an activated form and supplementation with 1% lipase. All the in vitro method progressed to 4 hours of stomach simulation and 2 hours of small intestine simulation. In vivo digestibility was measured using the same diets as beagle dogs. The supplementation of lipase methods showed significantly improved (p < 0.05) DM, OM, and EE than the existing and modified pepsin solution methods. The correlation between in vitro and in vivo data in DM, OM, and EE digestibility was high (r2 = 0.889, 0.907, and 0.721, respectively), and the correlation between in vitro and in vivo data in CP and GE digestibility was medium (r2 = 0.681 and 0.536, respectively). The current in vitro method is similar to in vivo digestibility and helps potentially predict digestibility for dogs. In conclusion, this developed in vitro method suggests that it can help estimate the nutrient digestibility of dogs' diets without in vivo experiments.

본 연구는 소양강댐 하류에서 서식하는 생태계교란 생물 종인 브라운송어와 그 먹이원으로 이용되는 저서성 대형무척추동물에 대한 파악을 위해 2022년부터 2023년까지 총 8회에 걸쳐 소양강댐 하류(St.1~St.3)와 지류 (St.4)에 대해 브라운송어와 공서종, 브라운송어의 위 내용물, 저서성 대형무척추동물의 종조성 및 기능군 분석을 실시하였다. 저서성 대형무척추동물의 경우, 하루살이목에서 가장 많은 분류군이 확인되었으며(27.1%), 그 중 붙는 무리(CL)와 헤엄치는 무리(SW)가 높은 비율을 차지하는 것으로 확인되었다. 브라운송어 채집 결과, 전장은 26∼246mm까지 총 105개체가 채집되었으며, 전장-체중 관계의 매개변수 b값이 3을 초과하여 안정적인 성장이 이루어지는 것으로 확인되었다. 브라운송어의 위 내용물에 대한 먹이원 분석 결과, 빙어(0.2%, TL: 246mm)와 육상곤충(2.7%, TL: 154mm, 183∼185mm)을 섭식한 개체는 매우 적었으며 상대적으로 전장이 큰 개체에서 확인 되었다. 대부분 수서곤충(73.8%)과 물 속에서 서식하는 비곤충류(23.3%)를 섭식하는 것으로 나타났다. 브라운 송어의 전장에 따른 먹이 섭식 패턴을 파악하기 위해 위 내용물에서 확인된 종들과의 상관분석을 실시한 결과, 브라운송어의 먹이원 중 유수성 환경 선호 종들의 경우 전장과 양의 상관관계(p<0.05)를 나타낸 반면, 모래 기질 이하의 흐름이 적은 서식처를 선호하는 종들의 경우 전장과 음의 상관관계(p<0.05)를 나타냈다.

The facile production of high-purity mesophase pitch has been a long-standing desire in various carbon industries. Recently, polymer additives for mesophase production have attracted much attention because of their convenience and efficiency. We propose polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) as a strong candidate as an effective additive for mesophase production. The mesophase content and structural, chemical, and thermal properties of pitches obtained with different amounts of added PVDF are discussed. The influence of PVDF decomposition on mesophase formation is also discussed. We believe that this work provides an effective option for mesophase pitch production.

A pregnancy diagnosis is an important standard for control of livestock’s reproduction in paricular dairy cattle. High reproductive performance in dairy animals is a essential condition to realize of high life-time production. Pregnancy diagnosis is crucial to shortening the calving interval by enabling the farmer to identify open animals so as to treat or re-breed them at the earliest opportunity. MicroRNAs are short RNA molecules which are critically involved in regulating gene expression during both health and disease. This study is sought to establish the feasible of circulating miRNAs as biomarkers of early pregnancy in cattle. We applied Illumina small-RNA sequencing to profile miRNAs in plasma samples collected from 12 non-pregnant cows (“open” cows: samples were collected before insemination (non-pregnant state) and after pregnancy check at the indicated time points) on weeks 0, 4, 8, 12 and 16. Using small RNA sequencing we identified a total of 115 miRNAs that were differentially expressed weeks 16 relative to non-pregnancy (“open” cows). Weeks 8, 12 and 16 of pregnancy commonly showed a distinct increase in circulating levels of miR-221 and miR-320a. Through genome-wide analyses we have successfully profiled plasma miRNA populations associated with pregnancy in cattle. Their application in the field of reproductive biology has opened up opportunities for research communities to look for pregnancy biomarker molecules in dairy cattle.

In this work, α-Fe2O3 nanocrystals are synthesized by co-precipitation method and used as adsorbent to remove Cr6+, Cd2+, and Pb2+ from wastewater at room temperature. The prepared sample is evaluated by XRD, BET surface area, and FESEM for structural and morphological characteristics. XRD patterns confirm the formation of a pure hematite structure of average particle size of ~ 40 nm, which is further supported by the FESEM images of the nanocrystals. The nanocrystals are found to have BET specific surface area of ~ 39.18 m2 g−1. Adsorption experiments are carried out for the different values of pH of the solutions, contact time, and initial concentration of metal ions. High efficiency Cr6+, Cd2+, and Pb2+ removal occur at pH 3, 7, and 5.5, respectively. Equilibrium study reveals that the heavy metal ion adsorption of the α-Fe2O3 nanocrystals followed Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. The Cr6+, Cd2+, and Pb2+ adsorption equilibrium data are best fitted to the Langmuir model. The maximum adsorption capacities of α-Fe2O3 nanocrystals related to Cr6+, Cd2+, and Pb2+ are found to be 15.15, 11.63, and 20 mg g−1, respectively. These results clearly suggest that the synthesized α-Fe2O3 nanocrystals can be considered as potential nano-adsorbents for future environmental and health related applications.

Interferon tau (IFNT) regulation, an anti-luteolytic factor produced by conceptuses of the ruminant ungulates, is essential for the maintenance of early pregnancy, but a definitive mechanism for its temporal transcription has not been elucidated. We and others have observed the T-box protein eomesodermin (EOMES) exhibited high mRNA expression in the ovine embryonic trophectoderm; thus, both caudal-relatedhomeobox-2 (CDX2) and EOMES coexist during the early stages of conceptus development. Objective of this study was to examine the effect of EOMES on ovine IFNT gene transcription when evaluated with CDX2, ETS2 and AP1 transcription factors implicated in the control of cell differentiation in the trophectoderm. In this study, quantitatively via reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis between ovine trophoblast cells was initially performed, finding that transcription factors CDX2 and ‘EOMES transcription factor mRNAs’ were specific to trophectoderm cells. These mRNAs were also found in days 15, 17, and 21 ovine conceptuses. Furthermore, human choriocarcinoma JEG3 cells (trophoblast cell line) were cotransfected with an ovine IFNT (-654bp)-luciferase reporter (-654-oIFNT-Luc) construct and several transcription factor expression plasmids. Cotransfection of the reporter construct with CDX2, ETS2 and AP1 increased transcription of -654-oIFNT-Luc by about 11-fold compared with transfection of the construct alone. When cells were initially transfected with EOMES followed by transfection with CDX2, ETS2 and/or AP1, the expression of -654-oIFNT-Luc was decreased. Also, EOMES factor inhibited the stimulatory activity of CDX2 alone. These results suggest that when conceptuses attach to the uterine epithelium, ovine IFNT gene transcription is down-regulated by an increase of EOMES factor expression in the attached ovine trophoblast cells.

This study was performed to investigate the effect of heat-stressed environment on rumen microbial diversity in Holstein cows. Rectal temperature and respiration rate were measured and rumen fluid was collected under normal environment (NE; Temperature humidity index (THI)=64.6) and heat-stressed environment (HE; THI=87.2) from 10 Holstein cows (60±17.7 months, 717±64.4 kg) fed on the basis of dairy feeding management in National Institute of Animal Science. The rumen bacteria diversity was analyzed by using the Illumina HiSeq™ 4000 platform. The rectal temperature and respiratory rate were increased by 1.5ﾟC and 53 breaths/min in HE compared to that in NE, respectively. In this study, HE exposure induced significant changes of ruminal microbe. At phylum level, Fibrobacteres were increased in HE. At genus level, Ruminococcaceae bacterium P7 and YAD3003, Butyrivibrio sp. AE2032, Erysipelotrichaceae bacterium NK3D112, Bifidobacterium pseudolongum, Lachnospiraceae bacterium FE2018, XBB2008, and AC2029, Eubacterium celulosolvens, Clostridium hathewayi, and Butyrivibrio hungatei were decreased in HE, while Choristoneura murinana nucleopolyhedrovirus, Calothrix parasitica, Nostoc sp. KVJ20, Anabaena sp. ATCC 33047, Fibrobacter sp. UWB13 and sp. UWB5, Lachnospiraceae bacterium G41, and Xanthomonas arboricola were increased in HE. In conclusion, HE might have an effect to change the rumen microbial community in Holstein cows.